Tulsa Scenes: My Impressions of Impressions, a Restaurant

By Jacob Niebergall

Impressions sits on the southeast corner of 5th and Main, downtown. It's an eatery that feeds the workplace lunch rush.

The restaurant is long and narrow, with a kitchen in the back. Separating the kitchen from the dining area is a tall counter where you tell the crew what you’d like to eat.

I walked in around 12:30 p.m. to find the place packed. Nearly every table was occupied, and the line was almost to the door. Half of the people in line chatted amongst themselves, while the other half gazed wide-eyed at the large chalk-board menu above the counter.

I already knew what I wanted. Of all the specialty sandwiches on the menu, the Sirloin Dip on French bread was calling my name. As the line drew nearer to the counter, I could hear conversations between the customers and the owner Tom Butcher. Tom greeted many of the customers by their first name.

When it was my turn to order, I was greeted with a hearty hello and a smile. I asked for the Sirloin dip, hot, on French bread, which comes with a cup of Au Jus sauce.

Minutes later I received my plate and slid my tray down the line past the pies and cakes towards the register. Despite how busy and crowded the place was, I was greeted with another smile.

After filling myself up a soda I weaved through the crowd and found myself a table. Just half of the plus-sized sandwich would have filled me up, but I inhaled the other as well.