What are Bartlesville's Best Bites? A look at 2023's most memorable meals

Happy holidays Bartlesville EE readers! As a gift, I give you a year-end, best-of-Bartlesville dining listicle!

Who doesn't love a good listicle? Am I right? In this article, I give you my completely subjective opinion on which local favorites stand out the most to me as the endcap to this year's food reviews.

Some of these delectable dining options were featured in reviews penned by me in 2023, but a few are local favorites that I find myself returning to over and over again and want to make sure you don't miss, dear reader.

Now, in random order, here are my picks for this year:

Best Burger 

This one goes to the cheddar bacon jam burger at Remi's Arcade and Bistro. Now, Bartlesville has its share of great burgers (the burgers at Painted Horse never disappoint, for instance), but there is just a little extra magic between the buns of this super satisfying burger. The zinginess of the cheddar, the sweetness of the jam, and the smokiness of the bacon make for a singularly satisfying burger experience. I sometimes find myself thinking about this one, wanting to convince my husband it's time for a Remi's visit.

Best Fries

An oldie but a goodie, my choice here goes to Bartlesville institution Murphy's Steakhouse. These fries are so good that I recently ruined a good diet day by eating a coworker's leftover fries cold. Not too thick, not too thin, just the right consistency, soft but with a little bit of crunchy caramelization. Yeah, okay, I need fries now. With ketchup, yes, but with ranch — even better.

Best for Dessert

He went to Jared… 's! Ladies, if your man buys you Jared's, marry him. There are a lot of great desserts at staple Bartlesville restaurants, some that I even secretly daydream about — I'm looking at you, Sterling's Grille's bananas foster – but there is One Dessert to Rule Them All in my book, and that is Jared's frozen custard. It doesn't matter how you take it, as a single scoop, sundae or concrete; any flavor is great, and any topping is delicious. My personal favorites? Concrete with vanilla custard, strawberries and chocolate shavings, or a pumpkin custard sundae with caramel and pecans atop that custardy goodness.

Best Sandwich

This one is a tie between the chipotle chicken sandwich from The Eatery and the classic Reuben from Bambino's Downtown Bistro. I work downtown, so I am very invested in walkable places to eat. I said it in my "Hidden Gems" article about Bambino's, but I truly do believe that their Reuben is the best in Bartlesville, though I have noticed several restaurants make that claim. The catch with Bambino's Reuben is its perfect harmony of ingredients that lead to a moist, but not soggy, sandwich.

For an elevated sandwich, I would choose The Eatery every time, as covered in a recent Eatery menu update article. You can't go wrong with any of The Eatery's lunchtime offerings. Still, the chipotle chicken stuck with me long after I reviewed it, leaving me with a desire for that smoky chicken, maple bacon, and Alabama white sauce. If you work downtown and haven't tried it yet, just remember that The Eatery will be closed between Christmas and New Year's.

Best Tacos

When I say "taco," what do you see in your mind? If your definition of a taco is a crunchy shell with ground beef, then I challenge you to step outside your taco comfort zone and try a Mexican street taco. Both Tacos Pachitas and Tacos Maria have excellent street tacos, but it's the barbacoa street taco at Tacos Maria that I come back to over and over again, even though Tacos Maria is a bit out of my way at lunchtime.

It never disappoints. The price point is excellent, and as a plus, I also think Tacos Maria has the best Mexican rice, hands down, ever. My coworkers and I order Tacos Maria whenever we're having a stressful week, and it makes everything better. Now, what is barbacoa, you ask? Well, my friend, it's a slow-stewed, savory pulled beef that almost melts in your mouth. It doesn't need much dressing up to taste glorious, so the traditional street taco setup of diced onion and chopped cilantro is a perfect accompaniment.

Best Appetizer

What local appetizer do I daydream about? Why, it's the cheesy goodness of Remi's Arcade and Bistro's tequila queso dip, with that splash of tequila adding the perfect umami flavor, that elevates this from basic cheese dip to out-of-this-world cheese dip. Even better, this dish comes as a classic chip n' dip or on French fries for cheesy potato joy. No, Remi's did not bribe me to put two of their menu items on this list; they're just killing it on the food front. Good job, Remi's!

Best Random Food Item That Doesn't Fit in a Category™

I had to invent a category to include the khachapuri from The Eatery's lunch menu in this listicle because it's just that good. Not exactly a sandwich and not exactly a pastry, the khachapuri is a unique bread, cheese, and egg experience that lives rent-free in my mind all the time. If you like bread and ooey, gooey things, you must simply try the khachapuri.

Best Creative Cocktail

When I think back to all the cocktails I've tried in Bartlesville for articles over the last year (and change), I think the standout is the Flower Moon cocktail at Palace Rooms. Featuring amaretto, orange bitters and Chambord, this beautiful cocktail is crowned with an edible flower and the signature moon-like, perfectly spherical ice ball. I've had it on several occasions and I would order it again — bonus points for the tie-in to the recent film featuring Leonardo DiCaprio filmed in Pawhuska.

Best Pizza

Pour one out for my dead homies. RIP Dameon's Pizza in Dewey, which took this category hands down. Oh, of course, I love Hideaway Pizza, but it's more local-ish than a full-on local establishment, isn't it? Also, the hearty pizza at Dameon's was uniquely satisfying, even when I went with the cauliflower crust, which I often did. I wish the Dameon's Pizza family well and hope another pizza joint is on the horizon once their family recovers from difficult circumstances.

Well dear readers, that wraps up my 2023 food reviews. I will be back in 2024 for new culinary adventures, and I might note that I am looking for new favorites to dethrone these choices in the coming year. Did I choose any of your favorite items? Let us know.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: See who topped Bartlesville's Best Bites in 2023