SCENIC TULSA: SIGNS OF OTHER TIMES
I have an inordinate fondness for old signs. This sign is at 11th and Lewis. 11th street is also old Route 66, the Mother Road, what used to be called the Main Street of America, passing through Tulsa like the thread of necklace through a bead. I live one block north of 11th, on 8th Street (don't ask).
Jim's is on Harvard just north of 21st St. I recommend the gyros or the souvlaki. Coneys, chili, and hamburgers are like the Holy Trinity in Tulsa. There must be a hundred or more local joints serving them up to devotees who argue the merits of different dives like pilgrims argue the miraculous properties of one saint's shrine and relics over another's. Chicken Fry and Barbeque have their own cults.
Donuts are big, too.
Thelma's is right next to my favorite burger shack. I can't remember the name; I just call it Jesus Burgers. It is owned and operated by large, plump Christians who play tapes of religious themed polka music punctuated by the hiss of the fry baskets hitting hot oil, and the slap of large patties of raw meat on the grill. There's room for about 4 people at the counter, every one else has to stand or go outside to the picnic table. Pepsi, no Coke. There is always a line of the faithful waiting patiently to place their orders. Their burger and fries are almost enough to make a hardened sinner believe in the body and blood of Christ, in the communion of Holy Cholesterol. You can see Thelma's sign from Hwy 169/I-44. Take the Utica exit.
10:43:33 PM 
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