TEMPORARILY CLOSED: Reopening in Early 2025

Thirty Nine Restaurant at First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City is guided by trailblazing Indigenous chef Loretta Barrett Oden, a Citizen Potawatomi Nation citizen and Emmy Award winner. The restaurant is rooted in Indigenous food traditions that honor the 39 distinct First American Nations in Oklahoma today.

Thirty Nine Restaurant at First Americans Museum was reviewed by celebrity television mogul Shonda Rhimes as one of the 10 One-of-a-Kind Dining Experiences to Reserve in 2024. 

Adding to its accolades, Thirty Nine Restaurant was also named one of the winners of the prestigious Wine Spectator 2024 Restaurant Awards, joining seven Oklahoma restaurants honored for their exceptional wine service. These five Oklahoma City and two Tulsa dining destinations are among 3,777 restaurants worldwide recognized for their excellence, spanning all 50 U.S. states and over 75 countries.

Chef Oden’s culinary philosophy begins in her garden, inspiring recipes like her silken, flower-adorned butternut squash soup. “It’s about growing the ingredients, understanding the cycles of nature, and cooking with what the land provides,” Oden explains.

Reconceptualization and a New Vision
In 2024, the restaurant temporarily closed for reconceptualization and is slated to reopen in early 2025 with a bold new vision. The revitalized Thirty Nine includes:

• An outdoor kitchen and an expanded garden tended by Native youth, cultivating traditional crops like corn, beans, squash, and edible flowers.
• Hands-on opportunities for visitors to learn about Indigenous planting, harvesting, and cooking practices, fostering cultural pride and sustainable food systems.
• This green space, supported by the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust, embodies sustainable Indigenous practices, blending tradition and education.

Honoring Heritage Through Food
Thirty Nine’s menu highlights high-protein, precolonial ingredients, avoiding pork and dairy in favor of foods like bison, turkey, and wild greens. Dishes are designed to educate and nourish while celebrating heritage.

Beyond the restaurant, Chef Oden’s influence extends across the culinary world. In 2023, she published her cookbook, Corn Dance: Inspired First American Cuisine, featuring approachable recipes like spicy sage popcorn and braised bison short ribs. A founding member of the Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance, she champions food sovereignty and cultural preservation.

Her approach blends tradition with modern innovation, reclaiming Indigenous food heritage while inspiring the next generation. As she says, “We want to move forward by reclaiming the foods that truly sustained us.”

Thirty Nine Restaurant is more than a dining experience—it’s a cultural journey. Stay tuned for its reopening in early 2025.