New Review – Red’s Southern Diner

NOTE: Red’s Southern Diner is now closed.

Chicken Fried Steak is an all time favorite meal for GFB. And because it’s so ridiculously unhealthy, I usually only make it for his birthday or other special occasion. While discussing new restaurants with a friend, she mentioned there was a new southern-style restaurant opening up in Edmond that served chicken fried steak and other tasty homemade southern treats. One particular Wednesday evening, I was not in the mood to cook, so I loaded up the family and we headed to Red’s Southern Diner, located at 840 W. Danforth in Edmond.

Upon arriving, it was evident that the owners were out to make this a family friendly atmosphere. Instead of chairs for patrons to sit in while waiting for their tables, Red’s chose to use leather seats taken from automobiles (Image below). The decor is a fun mix of folksy, eclectic things you might have seen in your grandmas house back in the day (if she lived in Alabama that is). There are large tables throughout the restaurant, some of which could easily accommodate the Duggar clan (minus the new grand kids.)

The menu is a throwback to items you would have on Sundays at grandmas house. Fried chicken, pot roast, BBQ roasted chicken, and catfish are popular items, but we had our eye on the chicken fried steak. The menu is pretty straightforward – you choose your main entree and they supply the sides. Although we selected the steak, our girls choose fried chicken (which was good since I always like to try more than one menu item). Sides included a starter salad, homemade buttermilk biscuits, fried okra, creamed corn and mashed potatoes (with skins) and everything is served “family-style”.

The salad wasn’t anything to write home about. It’s a salad. But the biscuits… ooohhhh the biscuits. Now, for those of you that have been reading my blog- I have been addicted to making homemade biscuits lately. Buttermilk, regular, you name it, I’ve made them. And I think this is why. When I slowly opened my golden brown creation, steam flowed from the middle and I could almost hear it screaming “BUTTER AND EAT ME!!” Who am I to argue? And as any good southern kitchen would, honey adorned each table. GFB was in heaven. Honey butter on fluffy buttermilk biscuits (and we haven’t even gotten to the main entree!).

When our platter of steak, chicken and sides arrived, it looked scrumptious. Except for the steak. I noticed that one of the steaks had not been breaded properly and was completely overcooked. Luckily, the manager (and I *think* co-owner) walked by our table and stopped instantly. He politely introduced himself and told me that the steak was not properly cooked and he would be sending out a new one asap. Wow, now that’s service! We received the new steak and dug in. The breading on the chicken fried steak was a bit peppery and perfectly crispy, which suited GFBs taste. I was excited to try the creamed corn and it did not disappoint. I could have eaten an entire bowl of it. (WARNING: the creamed corn is so tasty, but it is not friendly to the waistline if you get my drift…)

I was the only one in my family that tried the okra (picky eaters), but it was cooked perfectly. However the mashed potatoes didn’t last long as my family loves taters… Good thing the sides are all-you-can-eat! Prices are $11.99 per person, regardless of what entree you choose, and kids are $4.99. I believe they did have a “special” that night, but honestly I can’t remember what it was

My only suggestion for Red’s was beans. The majority of the sides were carb-based (corn, potatoes, biscuits), so I would have loved to see green beans with a bit of onion and bacon in them to add another veggie to the plate. I mentioned this to the manager/owner that I visited with, and he said they experimented with it, but had decided to stick with the offered items for now.

If you’re looking for a family friendly restaurant (and aren’t on a diet!) – then give Red’s Southern Diner a try.

Share/Save