By Autumn Davenport
Former Marlow Outlaw
A little piece of Italy down in Southwestern Oklahoma. Marlow is the home Giuseppes’s Italian Dining in the heart of its historic Main Street.
The restaurant is housed in an old bank building that was built in 1911. They have kept many of its original design elements to allow their guests a chance to go back in time while dining.
This restaurant has been one of the crown jewels of Marlow for decades, and draws in crowds from all over. Make sure to sign in the guest book, and also take a peek at how far some guest have traveled to enjoy the cuisine over the years.
Pictured: Original Marlow, OK Main Street circa 1911. The building on the right side with the shorter roof is still the home of the restaurant today.
Food Recommendations:
Starters:
Artichoke Spinach Dip – always a favorite of mine. Served with large pieces of flat bread for you to dip with. If you are in the mood for a warm app to start your evening, this will not let you down.
Salad and Bread - almost all entrees come with a house salad and bread for the table. The salad is a simple base of iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, black olives and parmesan cheese. But the house dressing takes it to another level. Olive Garden wishes their salad could beat this, but never will.
Entrees:
Pizzas – Keep in mind that their pizzas take 40 minutes to prepare to allow the cheese to melt perfectly. But does that sound like a bad thing when I told you how awesome the appetizers were? The wait is worth the hype. These brick oven styled pizzas will most definitely satisfy your hungry, and may even leave you a few leftovers for later due to their large size.
Fettuccine Half & Half – The perfect balance of pasta sauce in this dish. They take the traditional fettuccine alfredo and elevate it with the additional of a rich homemade marinara sauce. If the traditional plate is too rich for you, try this twist and you may just find your new favorite order! I have also ordered the tortellini with this sauce option and was more than pleased with its turn out!
Buoni Vicini – Translates to Good Neighbors – One of the most famous dishes and a house favorite. A simple meal of sautéed chicken breast with seasoned vegetables but in the style only Giuseppe’s can prepare. Take our word for it, this guilt free option may lead you to think you cheated your diet due to how amazing it tastes.
House Wines:
Both the red and the white house wines are actually made by a local winery in the heart of Marlow. Cotton Blossom Winery, owned by locals Ryan and Megan Bell, is located on Broadway just down the road from Giuseppe’s. Enjoy a carafe for the table, or a single glass for yourself and you won’t be disappointed. You may even buy a bottle from the restaurant to take home after you leave to remember the evening and all the joy it brought you.
Pictured: Current Owners Tandy Banks and Brandon Floyd (also the Chef Partner). They are the third set of owners of the restaurant in its tenure.
A locally-owned and operated restaurant is hard to come by these days with all the chain restaurants popping up overnight. This is a stop you have to make!
But make sure to plan ahead.
Giuseppe’s is only open Thursday – Sunday from 11 am – 9 pm. Whether you go for game day or for a fun date night, you will enjoy every minute of this Oklahoma gem. (Click the link at the top of the story to find the complete menu.)