Oklahoma's Own: Vera Restaurant Still Serving Great Food

VERA, Oklahoma -- When you're out on the road a lot, you come across some great out of the way places to eat. One of those places is in Vera, in Washington County.

When it comes to the Vera Grocery and Grill, you really have to want to come here, to get here. It's not that it's hard to find. It's just on a road a lot less traveled.

"We are an out of the way spot in Vera. You can drive by it very quickly," said co-owner Patrick Kelley.

Don't zoom past. If you do, you'll miss out. For a little store with five tables, there are a lot of menu choices, but one thing sells the best: a good old fashioned hamburger.

Back in the day, oil brought life to Vera. But when Highway 75 was relocated, it bypassed the town. Things slowed down a lot on old 75 and the store's prime location turned into a not so hot spot.

Still, it has survived for decades. Todd Owens first worked there when he was eight.

"We had to put a milk crate on the floor, so I could stand on the milk crate and be tall enough to handle the cash register," said owner Todd Owens.

At the Vera Grocery and Grill, it's still done the old fashioned way.

"Nothing fancy, nothing extreme. It's not a five star restaurant but it's just good old fashioned grill foods," Kelley said.

"I don't use your traditional restaurant tools, I use a lot of construction tools actually. Paint scrapers and sheet rock spatulas and stuff like that," Owens said.

With those tools, they build a big burger and have whipped up a loyal bunch of customers.

At a small town place like this, along with the food, it's the friendliness that makes the specials special and the place unique.

So if you're tired of a diet of hustle and bustle, and are hungry for a slower style, visit the Vera Grocery and Grill.

Just don't blink going down the old highway.

The Vera Grocery and Grill is open seven days a week. But the grill operates from 6:30 in the morning until 3 in the afternoon, Monday through Saturday.

It's located on Washington County Road 4000. Just turn off of Highway 75 at the Vera sign and you'll find it.