2026 Centurion Award winner

Florence's Restaurant

Best Soul Food in Oklahoma City · Oklahoma City, OK

Restaurant · Oklahoma City, OK · Since 1952

The overview

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 2026 Centurion Award winner.

What they're known for

  • Fried chicken
  • Smothered pork chops
  • Greens & cornbread
The award record

Every award, on the record.

Each Centurion Award is a dated record tied to one year’s evaluation — earned annually, never carried over. Open a year for the full citation and verification details.

2026

Best Soul Food in Oklahoma City Oklahoma City, OK · Awarded under the 2026 evaluation View the 2026 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

Location1437 NE 23rd St, Oklahoma City, OK 73111
In business since1952

A signal you can check.

This page is the standing record for Florence's Restaurant (2026). It was not bought, voted on, or sponsored — only winners are published, and an award that stops holding up is revoked, not quietly removed.

Run a business like this one?

If you’ve put in the years, you may already clear the bar. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.