Once in a great while, a city is lucky enough to land a restaurant that becomes more than just a dining destination, but an institution rooted in the cultural tapestry. In Oklahoma City, places like Cattlemen’s Steakhouse and Florence’s Restaurant come to mind as much for their enduring iconography as their food. And while comparatively young, it feels like The Jones Assembly has been a cornerstone of our dining scene forever. Open since 2017, it’s hard to imagine an OKC without scratch biscuits and pecan-infused Dagwell Dixies at The Jones.
Now, the company that catapulted Film Row into the culinary mainstream aims to strike gold again, with a forthcoming all-day restaurant down the street. Due in late 2027, Wildcat is the latest — and most ambitious — venture from The Social Order, with grandiose designs to revive Main Street into the bustling culinary corridor it once was.
Slated for a historic Art Deco building at Main Street and Walker Avenue, Wildcat aims to breathe life back into a pocket of downtown mostly frequented by weekday office-workers and folks on jury duty. Recent years have seen the arrival of fresh faces, like Clarity Coffee and Bar Arbolada, but one corner has remained quiet. That changes next year, when Wildcat opens as a lunch and dinner destination, promising touches of European cafe culture, supper club sentiments and a swanky saloon ambience.
In decades past, this corner clamored with such cafes and saloons, where people flocked beyond workday hours for hospitality, community and culture. Soon, that atmosphere will return, as Wildcat transforms the Art Deco facade into a shimmering beacon, with Parisian-style sidewalk tables outside, and a moody interior — designed by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM) architecture and Rohe Interiors — that nods to the modern frontier.
Not much has been revealed about the food and beverage menus, save for the focus on “modern takes on forgotten recipes,” very much in step with its modern take on downtown dining. But if The Jones Assembly is any indication, it’s safe to expect some bold and inventive takes on contemporary Americana.
The name, too, harkens to Oklahoma history; Wildcatters were the early oil-drillers who struck liquid gold, propelling Oklahoma onto the international map. The Social Order, in its own modern way, struck gold when The Jones Assembly opened down the street in 2017. A decade later, Wildcat looks to transform downtown OKC into another boomtown.
Due late-2027, Wildcat will be located at 434 W. Main St. in downtown.
