Cheever’s Cafe: Eating Well Inside Oklahoma City’s Former Flower Shop

The first time you walk into Cheever’s, you notice the floor and the case. The old terrazzo under your feet still shines, and that long 20‑foot flower cooler still anchors the room, only now it holds wine and towering slices of cake instead of roses. That’s the hook, sure, but the reason locals keep a standing reservation is the food. In a city that takes comfort dishes seriously, Cheever’s has spent years sharpening the balance between Sunday‑table familiar and just‑fancy‑enough.

This is one of those Oklahoma places that rewards a little planning. The original Cheever’s sits at 2409 N Hudson Ave in the Uptown 23rd District, less than two miles from downtown and about a half mile from the state Capitol. The building once housed three generations of the Cheever family’s flower business, and the restaurant keeps the name and much of the look. These days the space is busy at lunch, buzzy at dinner, and full of brunch chatter on weekends.

Why a former flower shop became a comfort‑food standby

Cheever’s is part of A Good Egg Dining Group, an Oklahoma City company led by Heather and Keith Paul. They bought this Hudson Avenue building in 2000, kept the Cheever family name on the door, and leaned into the structure’s history rather than sanding it away. The front room still shows off the original terrazzo floors, and the back of the old house has been converted into a small private dining space for gatherings. It’s a setting with stories baked into it, which suits the menu’s steady Oklahoma angle.

That angle shows up the second you read “Chicken Fried Steak.” Cheever’s version is plated with jalapeño cream gravy and mashed potatoes, a dish so many locals order that servers don’t blink at doubling napkins without being asked. Price depends on when you go. It’s $23 at lunch and $28 at dinner, a small but handy difference if you’re feeding a group or just building in dessert. On weekends, the brunch board folds it into the morning with potatoes for $23. If you lean seafood, the “Famous Seafood Tamales” land at $24 at lunch and $41 at dinner, while the Shrimp and Grits with bacon‑wrapped shrimp and cheddar‑green onion grits runs $23 at lunch and $31 at dinner.

Oklahoma diners tend to ask what’s baked, too. The answer here: plenty. The dessert section is blunt and generous. The Roasted Pecan Ice Cream Ball is a local rite of passage at $16, rolled in brown‑sugar pecans with a touch of red chile, then drowned in warm chocolate sauce. For a showpiece, the Giant Carrot Cake and the seven‑layer Chocolate Cake are both $18 per slice and look like they were built with a carpenter’s level. It’s one of the few rooms in Oklahoma City where a dessert case doubles as décor and menu board.

When is Cheever’s open and what should I order first?

Hours are straightforward and friendly to daytime eaters. Monday through Thursday the kitchen serves lunch 11 am–4 pm and dinner 4–9 pm. Friday keeps lunch the same and runs dinner until 10 pm. On Saturday and Sunday, it’s brunch 10 am–3 pm and dinner thereafter, with Sunday capping at 9 pm. That schedule also holds at Cheever’s new Tulsa outpost on Cherry Street, so if you split time between the two cities you don’t have to re‑learn the clock.

If you want a read on the kitchen without overthinking it, start with Juan’s Queso Chihuahua. It’s the house take on a layered dip, and it’s an easy, share‑able way to get chips on the table for $16 at lunch or brunch. If the table is hungrier, order the Roasted Chicken & Pepper Jack Strudel for $17 and don’t apologize for the curry oil on your fingers. For mains, I always come back to that Chicken Fried Steak, but the Roasted Chicken Enchiladas at $19 are the other steady pick for people who want something lighter than beef without giving up the Cheever’s flavor profile.

Brunch gets its own rhythm. You can make a whole morning out of the Stuffed French Toast with mascarpone and caramelized peaches for $18, then balance the sweet with a Cheever’s Bloody Mary at $10. If you like a hearty plate that still reads brunch, the Cowgirl Benedict is a fork‑and‑knife situation with a chicken fried steak base for $23. There’s a “Paul’s Big Boy” two‑egg plate at $16 for the simple set, and a Smoked Brisket Hash at $19 that sneaks in some smoke without sending you into a nap.

Drinks get a nod to the building’s roots. The Oklahoma Belle martini sits on the menu at $14, named for the woman whose flowers filled this space decades ago. House cocktails like the Lavender Haze and Road to Hana hit $13, and if you want to keep it light, Cheever’s mocktails list includes a cucumber‑celery number at $8. Beer fans will spot Oklahoma names like Coop F5 and Stonecloud Neon Sunshine in the $7 range.

Brunch at Cheever’s or dinner date: which fits your plan?

Picking between brunch and dinner at Cheever’s is less about the room and more about your pace and budget. Brunch is casual and loud in a friendly way. The staff moves fast, kids are fine, and you can make a full meal without breaking the bank. Under $25 gets you most plates, and the coffee‑adjacent “All‑Nighter” dessert cocktail sits at $9 if you need a not‑too‑boozy capper. Dinner is a different gear. Lights dim. Booth curtains make for an easy date table. And the menu stretches: there’s a $53 steak on the list at sister restaurant Red PrimeSteak a mile away, and while Cheever’s isn’t a steakhouse, its own dinner entrées are richer and pricier than lunch, with seafood in the $31–$41 pocket and that chicken fry moving up to $28.

Another factor is Oklahoma timing. If you’re working at the Capitol or downtown and need to eat late lunch on the early side of dinner, the continuous service helps. You don’t get kicked to a limp “afternoon” menu. That 4 pm handoff to dinner lets you sit down right at the switch and still order from the full slate. On weekends, the 10 am–3 pm brunch window is generous enough to handle a late soccer game or church and still leave time for a Pecan Ice Cream Ball before the case gets picked over.

A quick tip on reservations. At dinner, book ahead. You can make a table online, and your odds are better for a booth if you’re willing to take a slightly earlier or later slot than 6–7 pm. Lunch can handle walk‑ins, but the room does fill right at noon. Parties that need privacy can ask about the small back room, which sits in the converted rear of the original Cheever home and is set up specifically for private dining. If you’re celebrating and want the dessert case moment, ask to be sat where you’ll pass it on the way out. That tends to seal the decision on cake without a hard sell.

How Cheever’s stacks up to other Oklahoma sit‑down spots

Oklahoma diners tend to compare across occasions, not just menus. Here’s how Cheever’s lines up next to two other reliable options from the same restaurant family, especially if your group is split between “let’s wear boots” and “let’s make a night of it.”

That spread makes the choice easy to match with your night. If you want the historic‑building vibe without steakhouse pricing, Cheever’s OKC gives you original terrazzo, the flower case, and mains in the teens and twenties. If you’re marking an occasion and want a steak cut list, Red PrimeSteak is the after‑sunset option with a 40‑day dry‑aged ribeye at $66. When your group is half‑in on margaritas and patio time, Barrios runs tacos and fajitas at clear prices, and the 2–6 pm Happy Hour eases the check.

What the building’s past changes about your meal today

Plenty of restaurants cook well. Far fewer make the room part of the conversation without feeling like a museum. Cheever’s pulls it off because the flower shop isn’t a theme. Oklahoma Belle Cunningham started selling her roses in 1927. The family moved into the Hudson Avenue house, built the limestone and black‑glass storefront, and installed that cooler in the 1930s. The restaurant didn’t strip any of that out when the Pauls converted the space in 2000. The case still sits in the front, now stacked with bottles and desserts. The back of the home functions like the back of a home always did: where you gather when it’s just you and yours.

That history shapes how people use the place. Folks coming in from Edmond or Norman for a mid‑day work lunch grab a booth on the Hudson side, order the $14 bleu cheese potato chips to share, and make the chicken fry their meal if they’ve got a late meeting. Date‑night diners slide into the curtained booths, order the Oklahoma Belle cocktail by name, and split a $18 slice of carrot cake just to say they did the dessert case right. On weekend mornings, you’ll see grandparents pointing at the terrazzo and telling the kids how the room used to smell like lilies after a wedding order went out the door.

That’s the second life of the building working exactly as intended. It stays specific to Oklahoma City but invites in anyone who shows up hungry. And because the team keeps hours consistent and the menus current across both Oklahoma City and Tulsa, you can make Cheever’s part of your regular routine whether your errands run along NW 23rd or Cherry Street.

Quick takeaways for planning your meal

• Cheever’s Oklahoma City runs lunch 11 am–4 pm on weekdays, brunch 10 am–3 pm on weekends, and dinner nightly to 9–10 pm depending on the day.
• If you’re eyeing the Chicken Fried Steak, it’s $23 at lunch and $28 at dinner. Same plate, different bill.
• The “Famous Seafood Tamales” change price with the menu: $24 at lunch, $41 at dinner. Shrimp and Grits tracks the same pattern at $23 lunch/$31 dinner.
• Save room for the $16 Roasted Pecan Ice Cream Ball or split an $18 slice of carrot or chocolate cake from the old flower case.
• Bar seating is casual, but dinner reservations are smart. Private dining sits in the converted back of the original house.
• Comparing options: Red PrimeSteak’s 7 oz Filet is $59 if you want a steakhouse night; Barrios runs tacos at $13.50–$15.50 and Happy Hour 2–6 pm for value.
• Tulsa now has a Cheever’s on East 15th Street with the same lunch, brunch, and dinner schedule, so the routine travels with you.

Reader Q&A

Is the old flower case still there at the Oklahoma City Cheever’s, and what’s in it now?

Yes. The original 20‑foot display cooler from the building’s flower‑shop days still anchors the front of the room. It now shows off wine and the dessert lineup, including the $16 Roasted Pecan Ice Cream Ball and those $18 layer cakes.

What time is brunch, and do they serve the chicken fried steak then?

Brunch runs 10 am–3 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. The Chicken Fried Steak is on the brunch menu at $23, and you can pair it with a Cheever’s Bloody Mary at $10 or a mocktail at $8.

Is there a price advantage to going at lunch instead of dinner?

On several of Cheever’s staples, yes. The Chicken Fried Steak is $23 at lunch versus $28 at dinner, and Shrimp & Grits runs $23 lunch/$31 dinner. If dessert is a must, that lunch‑time savings usually covers the $16 pecan ice cream ball.

How does Cheever’s compare to a steakhouse night or a taco night in OKC?

Cheever’s lands in the middle. It keeps mains in the teens and twenties, the room has history, and you can still make a night of it. If you want full steakhouse service and cuts, Red PrimeSteak’s Filet sits at $59. If you want tacos and a patio drink, Barrios has tacos around $13.50–$15.50 and a Happy Hour window from 2–6 pm Sunday to Thursday.

If you want Oklahoma on a plate with a story in the walls, book Cheever’s for dinner and order the chicken fry. If your night needs steakhouse pomp or a patio margarita, Red PrimeSteak and Barrios are close, priced transparently, and easy to plug into the week.

Published: September 22, 2026 · Reviewed by the Oklahoma editorial team