As summer slowly starts to come to a close, the one thing my group of friends didn't do this year was our annual big fish fry.

We can blame it on any number of things... The weather, last year's drought, the icy winter we had, but ultimately it comes down to we didn't do any fishing this past year. On top of that, the freezer that's normally stuffed with bags of striper and crappie filets emptied at our Labor Day shindig in 2022.

As we sat around the lunch table talking about it this afternoon, the idea was floated around that we should just load up and go to one of those OKC seafood places... you know, the kind that just dumps out baskets of goodness right on the table--but half of us are convinced that's how people get food poisoning.

"We're just too far from the ocean to trust the seafood."

Estradaanton
Estradaanton
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Being landlocked your entire life, I suppose that's an understandable sentiment.

I was born on the Gulf Coast. I lived on the Gulf Coast. A person cannot live near the ocean and simply not eat seafood. It just doesn't work that way.

It may take a newb several weeks or even months to realize that if it comes out of the ocean, it's delicious any way it's prepared--but my Okie friends aren't convinced of that.

laryn
laryn
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While there's only one friend in the group that refuses to eat seafood because he doesn't know any better, everyone else wrestles with Oklahoma being so far from the ocean to enjoy nature's bounty. Granted, being so far away makes for a slim selection, but therein lies the debate...

I will give a caveat... Just because I feel comfortable eating seafood at a handful of restaurants in this state, (looking at you Trapper's) that doesn't mean I'm always down for it.

I trust my Orkin man buddy in Lawton when he tells me to steer clear of certain places, which is good advice anyone should follow...

Hello lobster isolated on white background
IvanMikhaylov
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...but if I'm feeling some grilled shrimp would go good with my steak, or that scallops and squid might be the best appetizer for the group, I don't think Oklahoma is too far from the ocean. After all, most seafood freezes beautifully, it's good to go for me.

Do you think Oklahoma is too far from the ocean to confidently order up something out of the sea?

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15 More Amazing Southwest Oklahoma Hole-In-The-Wall Eats

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In no particular order, here are another fifteen amazing local Southwest Oklahoma eats, and be sure to check out the O.G. 15 Amazing SWOK Hole-In-The-Wall Eats right here when you're done...

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