Time for Change

Blackbird Gastropub Debuts Renovation, New Menus

By: Callie Collins

A familiar local eatery is bolstering its community ties with a facelift and a revamped menu.

Blackbird Gastropub, owned by The Goodlife Hospitality Group, now features a broader menu with more family-friendly options and a cozier ambience.

Co-owner John Howell attributes the restaurant’s success to its ability to innovate since opening in 2011. Game day visitors are a huge part of the restaurant’s core crowd, and that isn’t changing. Instead, the venue, at 575 S University, is expanding its focus to include a bar bites menu, a selection of brunch offerings and a children’s menu, among other additions.

Howell estimates the menu change will include adding 18 to 20 items and he describes gastro pub food as “traditional fare with a twist.”

The arduous process of testing recipes has occupied staff’s time over the past month and the new menu is the culmination of unique flavors and culinary skill.

“We’re looking for an intriguing juxtaposition of flavors. Finding food that’s delicious, interesting and attractive all at once is rare. It’s not uncommon for our team to dedicate 10 or 12 hours to one item then have us say ‘Actually, it’s not special enough, we can’t get it to taste the same way twice,’ and decide not to feature it,” explained Howell. “What we choose to serve is not just something pretty or that tastes good but it’s what we’re proud to make well, to execute correctly over and over and over, so no matter what day you come in, the food stands out.”

Howell laughed when asked what he most looks forward to seeing featured on the menu.

“Smoked fried chicken and waffles,” he said. “I’m not giving away the process, but it has taken lots of practice and lots of thought to get a chicken that’s fried but tastes like it came out of a smoker, along with a savory waffle.”

The restaurant is a large three-story property, with two kitchens and three bars, spacious enough to accommodate large-scale special events.

“Working with local customers as they celebrate special occasions and life events is what ties us in the community here. Next to Embassy Suites, this is the biggest event space in town. We can feed parties of up to 100, and there’s room for mingling and dancing for up to 300,” Howell said. “The setting can be a private space for as few as a dozen in the party, too, and our prices are really reasonable.”

Howell has more than 27 years in the restaurant business and recalls fondly the advice of an older mentor.

“What he told me was ‘You can decide what you are as a restaurant and you can hang a sign outside your building that says whatever you want it to say, but to some degree, the community will decide what they want you to be.”

“It’s the people we serve right here in Norman who decide what they want us to be, and we have evolved over time. We woke up one day and decided Blackbird had transitioned from something bar like into something more like a family restaurant,” Howell said. “So, if that’s what the community wants, we need to make some changes. We decided baby changer stations, serving a church crowd, having a kids’ menu and a family restroom acknowledge that transition.”

The remodel included new pendant lighting, custom art installation and refinished tables, along with additional features to help families feel more welcome. Adding changing tables and dedicated family restrooms were intentional efforts to address specific needs in the restaurant’s transition.

Renovations were completed in January. Blackbird Gastropub is open Monday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. – BSM

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