New Restaurant Opens Along The Arkansas River In Jenks

Jamie McGriff, News On 6

JENKS, Oklahoma -- A restaurant called Waterfront Grill, located along the Arkansas River in Jenks, celebrated its grand opening Monday.

The grill sits right next to the Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks and is just south of Los Cabos. The two restaurants are owned by the same family.

They hope their new place will cook up the same success on the river.

Owners of the Waterfront Grill will tell you getting ready for opening day is no small task.

"It takes a team effort," Jimmy Blacketer, Chef and Co-owner, said. "We have a great management team here. We have a great director of training who has really brought a lot to the table for us."

The challenge is making sure everything outside and inside will be ready to serve up a memorable experience that will keep customers coming back for more.

Blacketer showed News On 6 reporter Jamie McGriff the layout of the dining area.

"We segmented it into two, four, six, and eight top booths," he said.

There's plenty of details in the decor. The restaurant has an upscale safari feel to it. It's saturated with rich colors. The tables are made out of African Mohogany wood and the leather seats are a deep red hue.

"The Italian leather is come literally from Italy, Blacketer said.

Lighting and a scenic view sets the mood for a wonderful experience.

And then there's the menu.

"One of our specialties on the appetizers is our crab avocado mango stack; jumbo white crab meat tossed in romalad and then stacked on top of fresh mango," he said.

You can expect a wide variety on the menu, including sushi. There's also plenty to choose from if you're looking for something heavier to eat

"It's my famous prime rib sandwich it will be shaved to order, prime rib, medium rare, it's on a fresh hoagie bun," Blacketer said.

After three years of planning, Blacketer is confident Waterfront will be a success.

"This restaurant will exceed the expectation that you can't be everything to everybody," he said. "I believe we will be."