Reba McEntire restaurant “Reba’s Place” in Oklahoma

ATOKA, Okla. (KFOR) – Just while you thought she couldn’t match anything on her plate, now you can add “restaurant owner” to Reba McEntire’s resume. 

“This has been a dream come true,” Reba advised guests throughout the restaurant’s grand opening on Thursday afternoon. “It has just turned out to be something that was way beyond my imagination.”

Shelley Johnson, an worker at Reba’s Place, mentioned the place was buzzing with pleasure on opening day.

“Everybody loves it,” Johnson mentioned. “Everybody loves her.”

The three-story eating, bar, leisure and retail venue is situated in Atoka, about 12 miles south from Reba’s hometown of Chockie.

“I get another excuse to get to come home to our state,” mentioned Reba. “It’s going to help our town, it’s going to help the community, it’s going to bring jobs in.” 

The restaurant’s “soft opening” was held earlier this month. So far, Reba’s Place has drawn a crowd from all around the nation to eat and take a look at the memorabilia all all through the constructing. 

“We’ve had people come from Florida, from Wyoming,” mentioned Johnson. “I sat a couple that was here from Winsconsin the other day. It’s pretty amazing.” 

The menu is alleged to be impressed by the meals Reba grew up with in Southeast Oklahoma, in addition to decisions impressed from cities and areas related along with her profession, like Nashville, Tennessee. Items embrace “slow smoked Choctaw beef brisket,” a Nashville-style sizzling hen sandwich, and a “Southern charcuterie board” that includes nation ham and boiled peanut hummus, amongst different apps and entrees.

Fans at Thursday night time’s grand opening didn’t must activate the radio to listen to Reba’s music, as she shocked visitors with a efficiency. 

“It’s music that helped build this place,” mentioned Reba. 

Directly earlier than Reba took the stage, Janie Dillard, the senior government officer of the Choctaw Nation’s division of commerce, additionally made certain to offer Reba loads of credit score.

“Her hands are all over this property here tonight,” Dillard told diners at Thursday’s occasion. “She says, ‘The team did this, the team did that.’ No, she’s a girl very concerned. She’s a savvy businesswoman. She’s picked out each dish you’ve acquired in your desk tonight. She’s picked out each shade. Draperies, shade schemes, shade palettes. Everything. She’s been so engaged.

“She’s on every call. We don’t have a call without her being on there,” Dillard mentioned.

Reba’s Place is open every day from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., in line with the restaurant’s web site.