Nelson's Buffeteria
Best Meat-and-Three in Tulsa · OK
Tulsa's downtown lunch since 1929
Nelson's Buffeteria has been a Tulsa tradition since 1929, a cafeteria-meets-diner best known for its hand-breaded chicken-fried steak smothered in cream gravy. Downtown workers and regulars slide trays down the line for the CFS, mashed potatoes, and homemade pies and cobblers.
Founded by Nelson Rogers and carried on by his family, Nelson's is a beloved Oklahoma comfort-food institution whose chicken-fried steak is a benchmark for the dish across the state.
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; Nelson's Buffeteria met them on that evidence. The business can claim the listing or ask us to remove it.
- ✓Years in operation. Operating in Tulsa since 1929 — 96 years of continuous business.
- ✓Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in Tulsa.
- ✓Established customer track record. A deep public track record: Tulsa has kept Nelson's Buffeteria busy for 96 years.
- ✓Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by Tulsa regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
- ✓Recognition in the local community. Named best meat-and-three in Tulsa for 2025 for nearly a century of cafeteria-style comfort food feeding downtown Tulsa at lunch.
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
- Nelson's Buffeteria
- Category
- Restaurant
- Founded
- 1929, Tulsa, OK
- Location
- Tulsa, OK
- Centurion Award
- Best Meat-and-Three in Tulsa — 2025
- Record last verified
- July 2026
Frequently asked questions.
What is Nelson's Buffeteria?
Open since 1929, Nelson's Buffeteria is the oldest cafeteria in Oklahoma, a daily lunch institution for downtown Tulsa for nearly a century.
Is Nelson's Buffeteria award-winning?
Yes — Nelson's Buffeteria is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Meat-and-Three in Tulsa, a verified, criteria-based award. Named best meat-and-three in Tulsa for 2025 for nearly a century of cafeteria-style comfort food feeding downtown Tulsa at lunch.
Where is Nelson's Buffeteria?
Nelson's Buffeteria is in Tulsa, 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 Meat-and-Three in Tulsa Tulsa, 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 Nelson's Buffeteria
A signal you can check.
This page is the standing record for Nelson's Buffeteria (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.