Florence's Restaurant
Best Soul Food in Oklahoma City · OK
Fried chicken by Florence herself since 1952.
Florence's Restaurant has served soul food on Oklahoma City's northeast side since 1952, when Florence Jones Kemp began cooking the fried chicken, smothered pork chops, greens and cornbread that made her a local legend. Still family-run, it earned a James Beard America's Classics award for its decades of home cooking and community.
A cherished OKC institution and James Beard honoree, Florence's is the 2025 Centurion Award winner.
What they're known for
- Fried chicken
- Smothered pork chops
- Greens & cornbread
Customers said it first.
A Centurion Award verifies the public record that’s already there. Read the reviews yourself on the platforms below.
Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.
Why this business cleared the bar.
This record was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. Selection follows the published criteria; Florence's Restaurant met them on that evidence. The business can claim the listing or ask us to remove it.
- ✓Years in operation. Operating in Oklahoma City since 1952 — 74 years of continuous business.
- ✓Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in Oklahoma City.
- ✓Established customer track record. A deep public track record: Oklahoma City has kept Florence's Restaurant busy for 74 years.
- ✓Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by Oklahoma City regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
- ✓Recognition in the local community. Named best soul food in Oklahoma City for 2025 for more than 70 years of Florence Kemp's fried chicken and a James Beard America's Classics award.
The specific data behind this award, and the exact thresholds, stay internal so the standard can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.
The details, verified.
- Legal / trading name
- Florence's Restaurant
- Category
- Restaurant
- Founded
- 1952, Oklahoma City, OK
- Founders
- Florence Jones Kemp
- Location
- 1437 NE 23rd St, Oklahoma City, OK 73111
- Centurion Award
- Best Soul Food in Oklahoma City — 2025
- Other recognition
- James Beard Foundation America's Classics (2006)
- Record last verified
- July 2026
Frequently asked questions.
What is Florence's Restaurant?
East side soul food institution founded by Florence Kemp in 1952, a James Beard America's Classics recipient famous for fried chicken and greens.
Is Florence's Restaurant award-winning?
Yes — Florence's Restaurant is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Soul Food in Oklahoma City, a verified, criteria-based award. Named best soul food in Oklahoma City for 2025 for more than 70 years of Florence Kemp's fried chicken and a James Beard America's Classics award.
Where is Florence's Restaurant?
Florence's Restaurant is in Oklahoma City, OK.
Every award, on the record.
Each Centurion Award is its own dated annual record, and staying current means clearing the bar again each new year. The verification above is from the latest published award. Open a year for that year’s citation.
2025 Centurion Award
Best Soul Food in Oklahoma City Oklahoma City, OK · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation View the 2025 award →Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. Selection is by published criteria, never for sale.
Visit Florence's Restaurant
A signal you can check.
This page is the standing record for Florence's Restaurant (2025). It was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. For hours, bookings, and live reviews, go straight to the business itself.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear.
Own this business? Claim the listing for free to manage it, correct it, or remove it. If you want the award kit (badge, certificate, and announcement), you pay after you claim. Through December 31, 2026, publishing is $99. The evaluation itself is free. The $99 covers the first year only. Renewals are $199/year. That fee never buys selection.
Run a business like this one?
If you’ve put in the years, you may already qualify. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.