Eischen's Bar

Eischen's Saloon was established in 1896 by Peter Eischen in the German-Catholic farm town of Okarche, 11 years before Oklahoma became the 46th state. It closed at statehood, when Oklahoma entered the Union dry, and was reopened after the end of Prohibition by Peter's son Nick and grandson Jack Eischen, remaining in the family ever since. Its famous whole fried chicken — served with onions, pickles, and bread — was developed in the 1960s by George 'Boog' Eischen, who also worked as a butcher at the IGA grocery next door. A massive back bar, hand-carved in Spain in the early 1800s, was brought to Okarche in 1950. On January 21, 1993, a fire destroyed the building, but the family rebuilt and reopened Eischen's on August 9, 1993, and it remains a pilgrimage-worthy destination drawing crowds from across the state.

Eischen's opened 11 years before Oklahoma was even a state, then survived both statewide prohibition and a 1993 fire that burned the building to the ground — the family rebuilt and reopened within seven months.

What to order: Whole fried chicken — a whole bird served with onions, pickles, and bread, prepared the same way since the 1960s; the bar moves more than 3,000 chickens a week.