Edna Scott was larger than life. She loved music and laughter and dancing on the bar.
This year, the local Oklahoma City nightspot “Edna’s” celebrates its 40th anniversary.
Located on North Classen Boulevard near the Belle Isle Shopping Center, Edna’s is more than a hole-in-the-wall beer joint. Country superstars Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert chose Edna’s to film the video to their blockbuster song “We Were Us,” ultimately named “Video of the Year” by the Country Music Association.
Then there was Jimmy Fallon, who drank one of Edna’s signature cocktails, “The Lunchbox,” live on The Tonight Show. And while Edna’s doesn’t have the “golden arches” to announce the milestone, more than 2 million Lunchboxes have been sold.
Publications from Food & Wine Magazine to the New York Times have put Edna’s on the proverbial national dive bar map, with the distinction of Big 7 Travel naming it one of the Top 50 Dive Bars in the nation. Edna’s kitschy interior remains unchanged since its opening so many years ago. An upside-down Christmas tree hangs from the ceiling, while tobacco-soaked $1 bills signed by guests adorn the walls.
Edna’s customers run the gamut from state legislators and the city’s most prominent movers-and-shakers, to the local neighborhood locals. The highlight for many longtime customers was when Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Great Balls of Fire” blared from the jukebox. Scott suddenly emerged, climbed onto the bar top and danced her heart out to the old-time rock ‘n roll.
Scott died from lung cancer in 2014 and her daughter Tammy Lucas, who now carries on her mom’s legacy, says they have some big news coming Jan. 1: Edna’s is going smoke-free. Customers who still want to light up will have their own section, she says.
“Why is Edna’s so special, you ask?,” said Lucas. “It’s not any one thing, or something you can put into words. It’s just who we are. It’s something you inherently feel when you come in. We are special because our customers are special. Edna’s spirit is alive here.”
