Ali Oli Tapas & Bar
Tips for Ali Oli Tapas & Bar
Sorry to see it go so soon. This is a great part of town for excellent restaurants and clubs. This was a good restaurant however it has closed.
Tapas done right in Tulsa!.
My partner and I had a wonderful evening at Ali Oli earlier this week. We were a bit nervous going there given the the terrible experience reported in a review here. However, immediately on entering the (beautiful) restaurant, we were at ease. Our evening was so enjoyable we vowed to come back here and add a positive review. If this restaurant goes out of business, it will be a sad loss for Tulsa.
So, our evening... The dining area was beautifully candlelit. We ordered 6 tapas and some wine, and all were great. Then we ordered two more tapas, which was probably too much, but they were so tasty! I should say I've visited Spain several times, and I know a bit about Tapas. Those served at Ali Oli were very traditional: a taste of Spain in Tulsa. We expecially enjoyed the maple glazed meat and the stuffed mushrooms. The sweet potato fries had a surprising and delicious coating that tasted like cinammon and nutmeg. The wine that the owner recommended had a subtle oakiness and was a perfect pairing. The service was friendly and prompt, and for under $65 for both of us to have a great dinner and wine, who could complain?
Two things I would recommend to the owners of Ali Oli: buy an espresso machine (no one in Spain drinks drip coffee!) and fix your tortilla: cook it a bit more, ours was slighty runny and cut the potato into smaller pieces.
Overall, 5 stars, one of the best restaurants in Tulsa.
Alioli's had HORRIBLE service, and management is dishonest!.
EDITED FOR SPACE:
I hope when you choose a restaurant, you will keep this in mind. My friends and I were treated very badly at Alioli's this weekend and I want as many people as possible to know about it.
There were four of us including me. We received HORRIBLE service. The waitress told us we needed to wait 20 minutes before ordering because the kitchen was too busy. I ordered a martini and got a margarita; the waitress lied and said it was a martini, we asked no less than 4x for butter, we had to ask repeatedly to get water, we had to flag down another waitress to get the bread we'd asked for (which should have been complimentary since we weren't allowed to order yet, but it wasn't), our food was served at different times so none of us actually ate together, one of the plates my friends ordered didn't come out AT ALL yet we had to ask for it to be removed from our bill.
Because of horrible service, we each only gave a 10% tip on our tickets. After we paid, the couple that was with us left. Wendy and I were sitting at the table finishing our drinks. The owner came over to us and waved our tickets at us and told us that "In Oklahoma we give 15-20% as a tip". I told him that we give tips based on service, and the service was bad. starting with the fact that we were told by our waitress that we couldn't order because the kitchen was backed up. He said "That's just the way it was tonight." I said, "Well, that's just the way the tips are going to be tonight." To which he said "Get out!" I said, "Fine we are leaving but we will make sure all of our friends know the way Alioli's does business." He then screamed "GET OUT" causing the entire restaurant to stare at us. We called our friends who had already left and one of them called the owner. During that conversation he told her "We don't want your fat a$$ in this restaurant."
I checked my bank and it appears that the owner changed the amount of tip on my signed ticket, adding an additional $8 to the tip!!
RUDE SERVERS & OWNER.
Rough review!!!!
This weekend I went out to eat with some friends - there were four of us including me. We went to Alioli's on Brookside. We received horrible service - some examples: the waitress told us we needed to wait 20 minutes before ordering because the kitchen was too busy, I ordered a martini and got a margarita and the waitress lied to me and told me it was a martini, we asked no less than 4x for butter, we had to ask repeatedly to get water, we had to flag down another waitress to get the bread we'd asked for (which we thought ought to be complimentary since we weren't allowed to order yet, but it wasn't), our food was all served at different times so none of us actually ate together, one of the plates of food my friends ordered didn't come out at all yet we had to ask for it to be removed from our ticket.Because of the horrible service, we each only gave a 10% tip on our tickets. After we paid, the couple that was with us left, and Wendy and I were sitting at the table finishing our drinks. The owner came over to us and waved our tickets at us and told us that "In Oklahoma we give 15-20% as a tip". I told him that we give tips based on service, and the service was bad. I said "let's start with the fact that we were told by our waitress that we couldn't order because the kitchen was backed up." He said "That's just the way it was tonight." I said, "Well, that's just the way the tips are going to be tonight." At that point he said "Get out!"
I said, "Fine we are leaving but we will make sure all of our friends know the way Alioli's does business." He then screamed "GET OUT"
causing the entire restaurant to stare at us. We called our friends who had already left and one of them called the owner. During that conversation he told her "We don't want your fat azz in this restaurant."
I LOVED It! Eat as much or as little as you like -- but save room for dessert!.
I had a wonderful experience at Alioli Tapas on February 17, 2007. This is easily one of Tulsa's best restaurants - and one of the best dining experiences I've had anywhere, in a long time.
According to Alioli's website, tapas is from the Spanish, meaning a small portion of something appetizing. The beauty of tapas is you can order as much, or as little, as you like. Alioli also features more traditional entrees. Alioli's menu is Spanish/Mediterranean, and the dishes feature both Mediterranean ingredients and local ingredients (such as buffalo meat from a ranch outside Owasso). I went alone on my first visit, but next time I go I'll go with a group. That way we'll be able to order a wide variety of tapas and share our dishes. However large or small your party, leave plenty of time for menu browsing. Alioli has an extensive menu, and if you're like me, you'll have a hard time choosing from among the wonderful choices.
I ordered Carne en Salsa Valdeon ($6.75) - maple marinated steak grilled with Valdeon cheese, Calimari ($6.85), and a grilled artichokes special. The Carne en Salsa Valdeon featured thinly-sliced flank steak on skewers with a green salsa that was spicy, but not hot, and topped with a slightly salty Valdeon cheese. The calimari had a light coating, had a bit of chew without being rubbery, and was served with alioli (garlic mayonnaisse. While deep fried, the calimari was absolutely greaseless. I wasn't quite as crazy about the grilled artichoke, which I found too be a tad too greasy. It had a good flavor, though, and like the calimari, was served with alioli.
A side note on entrees-One of the traditionall entrees is that Spanish delicacy, Paella. Sandwiches are also available.
Be sure to save room for dessert! The Alioli Flans dessert features a trio of three differently flavored flans. This was the best flan I ever ate - absolutely silky in texture, wonderful flavor, and a great end to a memorable meal!
Something different, tasty, and adventurous!. This is one of my favorite places to go. Tapas are small portions of Spanish food, so you can try a variety of interesting, tasty, one-of-a-kind dishes and share them with your dinner companions. There is something for everyone...the more you try the more exciting it is! They have food made from a variety of meats such as buffalo, venison, oysters, frog legs, shrimp, fish, etc. They also have many vegetable and fruit tapas. If you order something you are not particularly fond of, it's not a problem because it's only a small portion, just move on to your next experiment in taste. There are entrees available if that's what you prefer. I loved 90% of the food I tried there. The ambiance is cozy and inviting. Cool bar! They have free salsa lessons on Friday nights and salsa dancing after the lessons. There is also tango dancing on Thursday nights. My only complaint is that the wait staff hasn't always been the greatest. The last waitress we had seemed preoccupied and unattentive. I would highly recommend this place. Be prepared to order AT LEAST 3 tapas per person for everyone to share them to get a chance to taste the variety.
Ali Oli Tapas & Bar
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