While I tend to stray toward restaurants with a massive cocktail list, a wide menu, and flattering lighting, sometimes it's the biggest hole in the wall joints that hit the spot. After visiting my boyfriends family in Eastern Oklahoma, we turned off Highway 59 near Sallisaw, Oklahoma to stop by a barbecue joint that I was told we couldn't miss, Wild Horse Mountain.


Their building is a cross between your crazy uncle's cabin and the setting for a horror movie set in a forest somewhere. But somehow, it works.



You're greeted inside by signed pictures of Oklahoma's finest rodeo queens. If it's good enough for a queen, it's good enough for me.


Their menu is simple, no fancy slaws or salads like I'm used to at a barbecue joint. Just meat - beef, pork, and chicken, and beans.

We went for the beef plate and a quarter chicken, with the medium sauce (I'm no baby! But also not a fan of barbecue sauce that "hurts".) We got our food to go as we had our dog in the car and it was Oklahoma in July, so pardon the styrofoam packaging.


Like I said before, nothing fancy. But MAN, those beans. I'm not particularly a fan of barbecue beans, and slaw is usually my side of choice, but these were something else. They were spicy and rich, with a chili type kick at the end. I can see why they don't offer any other sides. They clearly have this one down.

The sliced beef was a little dry, but luckily the barbecue sauce that was with it was delicious, so we were drowning it in sauce anyway. The ribs were fall off the bone tender. But my favorite meat?


That chicken. The skin was crispy, smokey, and flavorful, just like barbecued chicken should be.


The meat inside was perfectly smoked and juicy, and paired perfect with the barbecue sauce. I would probably opt for two of these and pass on the beef next time. It was that good.

Next time you're heading east out of Oklahoma (or whatever reason you may find yourself near Sallisaw) stop in to Wild Horse Mountain Barbecue and get a little taste of what this part of the state has to offer. You won't find any mason jar drinks or pretty plating, but you will find some damn good barbecue.

Nothing says summer like fish tacos - crunchy, fried fish with fresh vegetables, cheese, and a spicy sauce. This has been a restaurant staple of mine for the last few years, if it was on the menu somewhere I was probably ordering it. After much trial and error, I've come up with a foolproof recipe for homemade, beer battered fish tacos, complete with a tangy slaw and a kickin sauce. It's perfect for entertaining and will impress even the biggest taco snob in your life.



You can't have a fish taco without slaw. This one is simple and light, without any heavy cream dressing. To start, chop up half of a red cabbage into thin slices. Then, add a big handful of roughly chopped cilantro. Squeeze in the juice of two limes, then drizzle in a few tablespoons of olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Toss it altogether, and throw it in the fridge.



Now for the fish. Cod is my go to for these tacos. You want something solid, not flaky, or your fried fish nuggets will fall apart and you'll be stuck with a big battered mess. Halibut would also be a good choice. If you have to use frozen fish, no worries! Just be sure to blot the fish well after it's thawed, or the excess moisture will cause major grease splattering. Trust me, I've been there. About a pound of cod will serve 4-6 people. You'll want to cut it into small, few inch nuggets.

Heat a half inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. You'll want the oil around 360-375 degrees. While your oil is heating up, you can start in on your batter.

You'll need just two ingredients, beer and flour. I used Dos Equis this time, but I've also used Belgian wheat beers as well. Any kind will do. Start with a cup of flour and start whisking in your beer. You'll need about a cup. Drink the rest (duh).



Season the batter with salt and pepper, then start coating your cod. When your oil is up to temp, drop in your cod a few pieces at a time. Fry for 4-5 minutes, turning once or twice. Remove them when they're golden brown, and drain on paper towels.


Warm up some tortillas, then make yourself a little taco bar. My personal favorite toppings for these are slaw, feta cheese, avocado, and chipotle mayo.  Finish it with a squeeze of lime, and these are tough to beat.



Recipe: Crispy Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Slaw

For the slaw:

Half a red cabbage, thinly sliced
A handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Juice of 2 limes

Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Refrigerate until needed.

For the tacos:

1 pound cod, cut into few inch nuggets
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 cup flour
1 cup beer
Salt and pepper to season

Coat a large, heavy bottomed skillet with half an inch of vegetable oil. Heat over medium high heat, keeping an eye on the oil. You'll want it to be about 360-370 degrees.

Put flour in a large bowl, and whisk in beer. The batter should be thick enough to drizzle off a spoon, about the consistency of thin pancake batter. Drop in your fish, coating evenly, then place them a few at a time into the hot oil. Turn once or twice, until all sides are golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Heat tortillas for the tacos. Top fish with slaw and desired toppings, such as pico, guacamole, feta cheese, and chipotle mayonnaise (I just blend mayo, chipotles in adobo, and minced garlic together). Enjoy!

There's a new project in the Deep Deuce District of Oklahoma city. If you've been in the area in the past few months, you've probably seen these weird shipping containers and thought, what the heck is that?



These bright metal rectangles are the new OK Sea project, a multi-use development created from 17 shipping containers that will hold 4 different businesses - a retail area, two offices, and the first tenant to open, Anchor Down, a gourmet corn dog shop and bar from the chef behind The Mule.

We stopped in today for their first dinner shift to check it out. It's a great place for a quick, casual bite, with a small indoor seating area and bar.


But the patio is where the action happens. It's a small but buzzy little area, that's completely shaded in the evening. Of course, it's Oklahoma in the summer so you'll still sweat, but the ambiance is worth it. You'll notice as soon as you take a seat what you're supposed to do next.

They have a great selection of beer cocktails - my favorite. I went with the Scrimshaw Radler, a scrimshaw Pilsner topped with grapefruit soda and orange.