Daigoro
1924 Riverside Dr.
In the not-so-distant past, the only “food trucks” in Tulsa were random taco trailers or the tiny-but-mighty fleet of hot dog carts posted near downtown bars. Then came Lone Wolf Banh Mi led by Philip and Danielle Phillips, rogue operators peddling kimchi fries at 1:00 a.m. back when anything fermented raised eyebrows. Lone Wolf’s banh mi—stuffed with kung pao pork, punched up with bold aioli, and served alongside kimchi cheese fries (topped with a fried egg for true sophisticates)—wasn’t quite a banh mi. In Philip Phillips’ hands, it was a non-traditional take on traditional Asian fare that felt right at home in Oklahoma.
The truck built a cult following, grew into a downtown brick-and-mortar, and eventually spawned Chicken and the Wolf, a fried chicken concept with spice levels calibrated for sissies or the clinically fearless, now with locations across town. Years later, Philip Phillips has finally opened the first full-service restaurant in his collection: Daigoro on Riverside Drive. Think of it as Lone Wolf’s more mature, sultrier sibling—still inventive, still unafraid of flavor, and self-assured in its compositions.
The space Daigoro now inhabits has seen its share of turnover from restaurants that tried to strike a balance between destination dining and public-park practicality but couldn’t quite find the sweet spot. The bones are good—a river view, an open patio, and high foot traffic—but translating that into something sustainable takes more than a good menu. It takes vision, adaptability. Daigoro seems up for the challenge.