Peter Eischen opened a saloon in Okarche in 1896, eleven years before Oklahoma became a state. It closed for Prohibition, reopened in the 1930s under his son and grandson, and somewhere in the 1960s George “Boog” Eischen — who also worked as a butcher at the IGA next door — pan-fried a chicken in a cast iron skillet as a prize for the winner of the weekly shuffleboard tournament. That chicken became the reason people drive to Okarche. Eischen’s appeared in Season 7, Episode 6 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “You Picked ‘Em,” which aired September 7, 2009. Guy Fieri called the chicken “excellent, super-tender and juicy” and praised the golden crust. The restaurant serves 24,000 pieces of chicken a week. Garth Brooks, Toby Keith, Vince Gill, and Barry Switzer have all made the trip. It is on the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Quick Facts
Restaurant: Eischen’s Bar and Grill
City: Okarche, Oklahoma
Cuisine: Fried Chicken / Bar Food
DDD Season: 7
DDD Episode: 6
Episode Title: You Picked ‘Em
Original Air Date: September 7, 2009
Address: 108 2nd South St., Okarche, OK 73762
Phone: 405-263-9939
Website: https://eischensbar.com
Status: Open
What to Eat
The menu is eight items. Order the Whole Fried Chicken — it comes with white bread, sweet pickles, dill pickles, and onion slices, served on butcher paper. The Fried Okra is the only vegetable. That’s all you need. Cash only. Find an Oklahoma City hotel on Booking.com — Okarche is 35 miles northwest, an easy drive.
Plan Your Visit
Open Monday through Saturday 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Closed Sundays. Cash only. Weekend waits can exceed two hours — arrive early or go on a weekday.
Address: 108 2nd South St., Okarche, OK 73762
Phone: 405-263-9939
Website: https://eischensbar.com
Status: Open
Flavortown Approved
Stream the You Picked ‘Em episode on Amazon and bring the cast iron chicken energy home with Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Cluckin’ Chicken Dry Rub.
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Eischen’s Bar and Grill appeared in Season 7, Episode 6 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “You Picked ‘Em,” originally aired September 7, 2009. The bar was established in 1896 and is Oklahoma’s oldest. Eischen’s is listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation.