Driving home on U.S. highway 75 after a quick getaway to Dallas this past weekend, my friends and I spotted a billboard for “Reba’s Place”, a restaurant in Atoka, Oklahoma…. Our little group loves road trips and exploring and discovering new places….so by the time we passed a second billboard advertising the restaurant we were thinking….why not?
The restaurant at 301 East Court Street sits only a few blocks off the main highway, and it is definitely a stop worth making…
The little town of Atoka (population 2,953) is the county seat of Atoka County. The town was founded in the 1850’s, and by 1858, the famous Butterfield stage line was carrying mail and passengers to the town. By 1868, an Atoka post office was established. Atoka thrived and grew….
Fast forward to the early 2000’s…. Atoka’s population was no longer steadily growing. In fact, it experienced periods of decline. Beautiful old downtown buildings were falling into disrepair.
Carol Ervin, the economic director for the town, decided a plan must be formulated to redevelop the area. Every year, eight million vehicles passed through the edge of the little town on U.S. highway 75….but unfortunately they were not stopping in Atoka. Carol and her team rolled up their sleeves and went to work….brainstorming, researching, and thinking of ways to revitalize Atoka…and in time, one idea in particular stood out.
They decided to call on one of Atoka County’s most well-known natives, country music singer and actress Reba McEntire, to pitch their idea…
Reba grew up in Atoka County. She was raised on her parents’ ranch in Chockie, an unincorporated community just north of Atoka. When her mother, Jackie, became ill with cancer, Reba came home to help with her care. Mrs. McEntire passed away in March of 2020 – and after that loss, Reba told her sister Susie that she was interested in a legacy project – something that would make their parents proud…..and shortly thereafter she received a call from Carol Ervin.
Carol and her team wanted to partner with Reba, on a big dream project….and Reba was interested. However, when she found out that the project was a restaurant she had some doubts. Knowing that restaurants are tough business and many fail, Reba expressed her concerns…but Carol and her team persisted – and Reba agreed to give it a try.
The building they had chosen, a 15,000 square foot 3-story former Masonic Lodge, was over 100 years old. Reba came to see the proposed building, and with fingers crossed the Atoka committee took her on a tour. Things didn’t go well however – in fact, while they were there a frighteningly dangerous situation occurred… The group explored the building – climbing the stairs from the first floor to the second, then the second to the third. While they were on the third floor, the old staircase they had just climbed suddenly collapsed, crashing down to the ground floor and leaving everyone trapped. Thankfully, the Atoka fire department arrived quickly, set up a very long ladder, and got everyone out safely. The crisis was averted – and the renovations began. (Check out this short video of the rescue!)
Reba’s place officially opened on January 27, 2023, a 50-50 collaboration between Reba herself and the Choctaw Nation. Just over two years later it is going strong – serving over 300,000 guests from all over the U.S. and other countries in its first two years. They are expecting this year to be their busiest yet. One Atoka resident, Donna Hardman, said that since Reba’s Place opened, other businesses have picked up in customers and more businesses have moved into town. Carol Ervin originally thought it would take 10 to 12 years to make downtown Atoka and the city more lively, but once Reba McEntire entered the picture, the plan then turned into a two year success.
Entering the restaurant is fun! There are costumes and personal items of Reba McEntire throughout the building. A chair copied from “The Voice” television show is there for photo ops. Inside the restaurant, giant video screens play clips from the Reba show, as well as fun interviews, video shoots, and more. A small stage features live music while you eat.
The service is great and the menus have lots of good options. All of the beef is supplied locally by the Choctaw Nation’s beef program. At the end of the meal, there is a special treat that’s REALLY good…..but I will leave that as a surprise in case you visit. 🙂
The first two floors are restaurant space. The third floor (which you can reach by climbing the sturdily repaired staircase or by elevator) is not a dining area, but it is incredibly special. First of all, there is a nice gift shop with lots of fun things to browse like t-shirts, caps, music, Lodge cookware, candies, soaps, housewares and books (including a book from Reba called “Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots”). There are also unique items like a fold-up portable “suitcase” barbecue grill, unique gift ideas, and these really cute metal lunch boxes. (I was tempted to buy one!)
In a large corner of the upstairs space, there are beautiful big windows, several comfy couches and chairs, and a huge library of books you can settle in to relax and read if you like. This area, called “Jac’s Library” is a tribute to Reba’s mother, Jacqueline, who was an avid reader. Reba and her sister Susie spent months going through their mother’s things after her passing and decided something special must be done with her massive book collection. Many of Mrs. McEntire’s books are now shelved in “Jac’s Library” for visitors to sit, relax, read, and enjoy. (Just be respectful, and put them back!)
Take the time to visit if you’re traveling highway 75! I think you’ll be really glad you did!
Want to learn more?
Click here for an interesting interview with Reba about the restaurant.
Click here for a wonderful article from the New York Times.
Click here to see a short clip of Reba’s mother, Jacqueline, when she had a cameo appearance on the Reba show back in 2002. <3 Don’t miss this one! 🙂
Sources:
https://www.kxii.com/2025/02/11/rebas-place-effect-how-city-atoka-is-revitalizing-downtown/
https://www.oklahomatoday.com/food/the-queen-s-court
https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-atoka-reba-mcentire-restaurant-rescue/45770435
What a fun experience! Thank you for sharing!
Loved it….. I wanna go there
Great article! And, I love the clip with Reba’s mother!!
Wasn’t that fun? 😊