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Service Station Print Story

The Service Station is unlike any other restaurant in Norman. Inside this classic burger joint, history and comfort mingle with the smells of delicious, freshly-cooked food.

Founded in 1978, the Service Station is located at 502 South Webster Ave. The building used to be an old gas station before it was converted into a restaurant, hence the establishment’s name. The restaurant takes pride in its history, and all the items on the menu are named after vehicles or car parts, from the VW Classic (a basic cheeseburger) to the Mustang (a French dip sandwich) to lug nuts (fried okra).

Kenton Johnson, the current owner of the service station, thinks the automobile names give character to the restaurant, but all the food choices at the Service Station can make the naming process challenging.

“The problem with having such a big menu is when we come up with a new item, what the heck are we supposed to name it now? Most of the cars are already taken,” said Johnson.

The Service Station’s interior is decorated with old gas station signs, license plates and ornaments from days gone by, giving the Station an aura that is seeped in American history and progress.

“The people who owned the place before us had an antique shop, so most of the things on the walls are from them,” said Johnson. “It gives the place some character.”

Seated amidst pieces of history, the customers enjoy a wide variety of food - from burgers and steaks to tilapia and shrimp - as they talk and are treated to excellent service.

Casey Holcomb is a chef at the Sevice Station, and he's worked in the kitchen for 3 years. He's an expert at preparing the wide range of food found on the Sation's menu, but he thinks the customers definitely have some favorites.

"Hamburgers and chicken sandwiches are popular, but we also do some higher-end specials," said Holcomb. "Steak and fish specials are big, too."

Holcomb's domain, the kitchen, is a fairly cramped space in the back of the restaurant that was added on to the building after it was converted from a gas staion. Freezers, boxes, stoves and all manner of equipment necessary to cater to the menu line the walls of the kitchen.

The Service Station is proud of the quality of its food, but the comfortable and friendly atmosphere is what keeps customers coming back according to the management and employees.

"Our clientelle is really loyal, we're just a little neighborhood bar," said Johnson. "Everybody kind of thinks of Cheers when they come in there. [We've got] a lot of the same kind of characters."

Taylor Sherrod, who has worked at the Service Station for 5 years, is a jack-of-all-trades at the restaurant. She is a waitress, bartender and assistant manager, but she says she loves every aspect of her job.

“It’s comfortable,” said Sherrod. “I like the people, I like the atmosphere. It's like family."

The combination of a dedicated staff, an historic yet homely feel and fresh, tasty food make the Service Station a unique stop for a casual diner or a local and dedicated Norman citizen. Johnson and the rest of the staff take the principles of a good, local business to heart, and it shows.

"You've got to take care of them," said Johnson. "The restaurant business is an easy business: good food, good service, that's all there is to it."

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Muslim Interview Biographies

Sarah Albahadily (pictured left) and her mother, Zaineb Attia (pictured right) sitting in their house in Edmond.

Sarah Albahadily and Zaineb Attia live in the outskirts of Edmond on a quiet rural street. The trees that line their yard show the change from green to muted browns and oranges, signaling the arrival of autumn on their quiet avenue. Here, the two women live and thrive in a loving family environment, strengthened by their family bond and their heritage.

Albahadily is an Oklahoman, born and raised. “I love Oklahoma,” said Sarah with a grin. “People talk about Southern hospitality, and it really is amazing.”

Albahadily is a Muslim, a religion not commonly found in the southern United States, but she says she feels right at home. “People say it must be tough living in such a red state, but I say it doesn’t matter; red state, blue state, whatever…I love the people here.”

That attitude has served Albahadily well throughout her life. Her parents came to Oklahoma 30 years ago from Iraq, and although she has never been to her parents’ home country, she feels a strong connection to her heritage.

She says she never felt different or segregated growing up in Oklahoma with her sister and two brothers. Baklava and hummus were a regular part of her diet in her family home, and her friends and classmates were very happy about that fact. “My friends would come over and ask my mom to make them baklava,” she laughed. “They loved it.”

Albahadily was born in Stillwater in 1983. Her family moved to Dallas when she was very young and then migrated back to Oklahoma when she was in third grade. She attended Deer Creek High School in Edmond and went on to attend the University of Oklahoma, where she graduated with a zoology degree in 2006.

Now 27 years old, Albahadily lives in Edmond with her mother and teaches science at a private Islamic school just down the street from her house. She has no plans to leave Oklahoma anytime soon; for now, she’s content working at a job she loves and enjoying the Southern hospitality around her.



Attia is Albahadily’s mother, and although she loves her daughter, they do differ on one major issue: a Bedlam family rivalry. “Both my husband and I went to OSU, and I always tell her (Sarah) that orange is the better color,” she chuckled.

Attia immigrated to America from Iraq in the early 1980s. She taught herself to speak English and began to work at a daycare center in Texas. She and her husband moved around a lot, first to College Station in Texas, then to Stillwater, Dallas and finally Edmond.
While in Stillwater, Attia earned a bachelor's degree in Islamic studies and a master’s in Islamic law at Oklahoma State University. Attia started her own restaurant in Edmond, called the Garden, which she ran for 16 years. They also began to raise a family of four children.

Attia says that her Iraqi and Oklahoman heritages both play a major role in who she has become. “Twenty years there, 30 years here…both places are a part of me.” She also wants more Oklahomans to know that Muslims have a lot to contribute to the society around them, no matter where they are. She believes that Muslims have their own special thread to blend with the tapestry of all the people in the world, especially in Oklahoma.

Game, Set, Match

InFAIRmation

Halo: Reach Arrives

Halo: Reach, the newest installment in the popular Xbox 360 gaming franchise, hit store shelves on Sept. 14. The much-anticipated shooter made $200 million in its first day, and it is already shaping up to be one of the highest-selling video games of all time.

The storyline is a prequel to the first Halo game, Halo: Combat Evolved, which was released in 2001. Gamers can expect to see their favorite characters and weapons from previous games in this installment, along with plenty of new levels, story events and bonus content.

Bungie, the company behind all of the Halo games, has announced that Reach will be its final contribution in the Halo franchise. However, Bungie will definitely go out with a bang; this game has many young adults excited and ready to play.

The opening screen for Halo: Reach. (Photograph by Jake McClure)

Dakota Wilkinson, OU sophomore, plays his copy of Halo: Reach in his appartment. Wilkinson: "The game is awesome. It's everything I expected from Halo." (Photograph by Jake McClure)

Wilkinson shows more of his Halo talent. (Photograph by Jake McClure)

Does OU Remember?

Nine years ago, the world as we know it changed forever.

Everyone remembers the scene of smoke and devastation. Everyone remembers where they were when the towers fell in 2001.

Or do they?

On the ninth anniversary of one of the most influential days in our nation's history, OU students went about their routines on a typical Saturday on the Norman campus, and that routine included a much-anticipated football game against Florida State.

That game seemed to take precedence over everything else, as is usually the case on OU home game days.

But did the game really push the memory of the 9/11 attack out of the minds of OU students? Has time really healed such a deep wound that impacted so many Americans?

OU students don't think so.

"I saw the flag flying at half-mast at the game. We haven't forgotten," said John Miller, an international area studies major at OU. "I think people remember the still remember the anniversary. I mean, it impacted my childhood a lot. It's not something you forget easily."

Garrett Gee, a sophomore at OU, echoed Miller's sentiments.

"I remember what day it is, and I think everyone else does too. I think we're Americans first and Sooners second," said Gee. "Just because there's a big game today doesn't mean we forget about it."

Despite all the time that has passed, OU students haven't forgotten the tragedy of nine years ago, and Miller doesn't think they ever will.

"It's a part of our generation and our heritage. It's always going to be a part of my life, as much as being a Sooner will be."

Rush, but Don't Hurry

If you were taking a stroll down Greek Row two weeks ago - or, more likely, driving in your car and basking in your air conditioning - you may have seen hundreds of sharply dressed young men meandering down the sidewalk.

These hearty freshmen endured heat, rain and many, many handshakes as they toured the many fraternity houses that dot the University of Oklahoma's surrounding neighborhoods. August 28th marked the beginning of fall formal rush for the 18 OU fraternities, and that meant the new male students who were interested in going through the rush process had a lot of walking to do.

Around 600 young men signed up for formal rush, and OU's Interfraternity Council divided them up into groups of 20-30 to tour each fratenity house. Each group went to a different house in turn, met the memebrs of each house and took house tours everywhere they went. Most fraternities provided snacks and drinks for the hot and tired rushees.

Sage Ranallo, a freshman going through rush, said he really enjoyed the process, even though it got kind of taxing toward the end.

"I met so many guys, they all kind of blurred together," laughed Ranallo. "But its been great. I'm really excited to find a house that I fit in to."

When asked which house had caught his attention the most, Ranallo was unsure, but optimistic.

"There's so many houses and guys, I'm sure I'll find a place (for me). It's just a matter of time. I can't wait."

Zac Corrales, another freshman going through rush, is excited about getting involved on campus and thinks fraternities are a good way to do just that.

"Everyone told me that fraternites do a lot of community service and philanthropy events, and I really want to do that kind of stuff," said Corrales. "I want to get the most out of college. I've heard greek life is the way to go."

Fraternites gave out bid cards to rushees last week, which means that those young men who received one became official pledges of their respective fraternities. Now, OU's Greek houses celebrate their new additions and eagerly await spring rush, when they get to do it all over again next semester.

If you're interested in finding out more about spring rush or OU's Greek system in general, visit the University of Oklahoma's IFC webpage by going to studentlife.ou.edu.

Mission Statement

My goal with this blog will be to report news that affects the Univeristy of Oklahoma, its students and its die-hard fans.