When we were little, our mothers would throw two slices of Kraft singles between two slices of bread, with a little mayo and butter, and griddle it to perfection, usually serving it alongside a bowl of Campbell's classic tomato soup. Now that we are all grown up, we are discovering entire restaurants devoted to the craft of this beloved childhood classic, taking that simple sandwich and raising it up to epitomize trendy eating. I recently had the pleasure of eating at one such establishment: The Mule, in Oklahoma City's Plaza District. Fans of OKC's local food scene will no doubt be familiar with this restaurant already. I had been there once previously, immediately after it opened, but waited to give it a second chance before sharing my views with the world, and for good reason--The Mule, like most establishments, suffered somewhat in the service department immediately after opening, and I wanted to give the chance to smooth things out before I denounced them forever on the internet.
That being said, I am going to spoil things from the beginning: I found my second experience at The Mule to be mediocre, rather than superlative. While they have worked out a lot of the kinks that were present at their opening, the service was still not great, and the food, while creative and ambitious, did not always live up to its hype.
I have had two sandwiches at The Mule. The Fancy Pants ($8.50) and The BCLT (Bacon, Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, $7). The first is a crazy amalgamation of as many high-end ingredients as can be put on a sandwich, and all of them sound spectacular. It features wheat bread drizzled with balsamic vinegar, roasted chicken, brie, gruyere, caramelized onions, pears, and basil pesto. I love all these things, so I was very excited to taste this sandwich--it seemed like it couldn't miss. Unfortunately, the proportions of these ingredients made the sandwich not so much a cornucopia of my favorite flavors, but a muddled mess that didn't really allow anything to shine. The huge heap of onions were in themselves delicious, and perfectly caramelized, but tended to overwhelm everything else on the sandwich. The cheese was rendered kind of bland in comparison, and I couldn't taste the pesto or the balsamic at all. A more generous helping of both these things would greatly improve this potential-filled sandwich.This problem was noted by two other people in my party who ordered similarly complicated sandwiches (The Herbivore and the Macaroni Pony).
The BCLT was, in my opinion, a far superior sandwich. The bacon was crispy and flavorful without overwhelming the rest of the ingredients. The cheese (a combination of gouda and gruyere) was creamy and pungent, complementing the bacon. I went for the dollar upgrade to add avocado, and it was well worth it. Even though it's not avocado season, it was green and fresh, and added a wonderful creamy element to the sandwich. This sandwich smacked of something simple done right, and if every sandwich on the menu adhered to that, I think the restaurant would have a better tasting repertoire.
The side items are definitely the stars here, sometimes outshining rather than complementing their sandwiches. The onion rings are huge and crispy, with minimal grease, and great, salty, oniony flavor. The house salad is a well-rounded mix of veggies accompanied by a wonderful, creamy, lemony dressing that is indulgent and fresh. The Okie Poutine was a huge departure from any diet plan, but the fries, cheese curds, and gravy were all excellently portioned so that each ingredient hit the palate. The fries stood up well to their toppings, with only the very bottom of the pile getting at all soggy, and had a great crisp to them. The gravy was a salty, classic cream gravy, and the cheddar cheese curds were melted, but had that sharp bite that cheddar should have.
Alas, these wonderful food items and the huge beer list were detracted from by the again subpar service. We waited a long time (almost 40 minutes) for both the food and the checks (the former being a bigger beef for me, given my appetite) and our server not only had to ask us to repeat orders, but also forgot substitutions requested by more than one of our party (we were a group of seven).
I sincerely hope that my two excursions to this restaurant have been the exception, not the rule, because The Mule has all the makings of a great local hangout. If they can step up the level of service and perfect a few of their more complicated sandwiches, The Mule will become a staple in my restaurant rotation, rather than just a place I meet friends who like it better.
*Please excuse my lack of pictures. I didn't take any of my food because I am a horrible photographer, thinking that they would have publicity photos of the sandwiches on their website. No luck. Use your imaginations!
**I won't let this happen again.
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