The Eatery in downtown Bartlesville updates menu

Downtown Bartlesville plays host to a plethora of speedy and delicious places to grab a bite to eat during the lunch hour. One great locally owned choice, conveniently located on Johnstone Avenue across from the Phillips Plaza, is The Eatery.

With cozy décor showcasing colorful local art and a recently expanded seating area, The Eatery is a fun place to grab a nourishing lunch on a brisk winter day. The Eatery, formerly known as Three Kids and a Cake, houses a bakery and an espresso bar in addition to its lunch counter.

“I always strive to create something new,” says Eatery Chef Marjorie Hackler of the items added to the menu in January, as well as new items yet to come.

“As we expand our kitchen, our new menu will absolutely reflect the possibilities afforded by new equipment," said Hackler. "I’m looking forward to partnering with local food producers to create sustainable, local and delicious menu items.”

My husband and I decided to try The Eatery’s new menu items for lunch recently. Mainly being gluten-free, I ordered the roasted beet salad with an add-on of grilled chicken for extra protein, and Andy tried the hot ham and American cheese sandwich.

We also ordered a few baked goods, mostly of the gluten-free variety. We agreed the gluten-free cheese scone was a total hit and probably our favorite item of the gluten-free baked goods.

I would highly recommend it to anyone who has limited or removed gluten from their diet (or even people who don’t, as the scone lacks that telltale “gluten-free texture”).

I tried a bite or two of Andy’s ham and cheese sandwich and thought it was delicious and very creamy. I detected caramelized onions as well as arugula and a slightly sweet aioli sauce. This sandwich is an elevated ham and cheese and not your average grade school lunch special.

Andy complained it was “too cheesy,” to which I responded, “is there such a thing?” However, I believe this complaint was because Andy does not like American cheese.

To me, it tasted great, and with its generous portion size, we were also able to share some of it with Andy's father, who thoroughly enjoyed it.

The beet salad was another delicious, elevated experience. I particularly enjoyed the walnuts in the salad and the interplay between the pickled red onions and goat cheese. Thinking about it right now, I am asking myself when I can have this salad for lunch again. And another gluten-free scone.

We tried some gluten-free sweet treats that were available that day, and each was delightful. The Eatery’s gluten-free baked goods excel at great texture that does not immediately scream, “this is gluten-free.”

In addition to gluten-free options, they offer a variety of traditional wheat baked goods rotated throughout the week.

Their convenient location makes it a perfect place to grab your favorite coworker, friend or spouse a little something from The Eatery’s bakery − they'll love it.

If you have not tried the new offerings at The Eatery yet, or have yet to try the restaurant at all, they are open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Fridays.

The Eatery is located at 324 S. Johnstone Ave.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: The Eatery in downtown Bartlesville updates menu