Choctaw Casinos & Resorts
Broken Bow, Oklahoma, is no longer a secret. Hochatown might still be.
For those who prefer a restaurant and a drink to a day on the water or a three-mile hike, the quaint Hochatown – five minutes from the city of Broken Bow – is calling. The town is a must-visit for anyone in the area, and not just as a place to stop for a quick bite on your way to the next trailhead.
With the completion of an upscale Choctaw casino outpost, Hochatown boasts some of the best restaurants, breweries and family-friendly activities in the area; the town is worth a trip all on its own.
Slots and Swimming at Choctaw Casino Resort
The 80-acre hotel and casino is the newest area gem, built amongst a backdrop of thick Oklahoma woods in 2024, featuring 100 rooms, a fitness center, a restaurant and marketplace, and, of course, a casino with electronic slots and table games such as roulette, three-card poker and blackjack. A limited number of tables are available, but with a restaurant and casino bar a short walk away, a wait isn’t always a bad thing.
For the non-gamblers, there is an enormous and inviting outdoor heated pool with a full-service poolside bar, nine cabanas, two hot tubs and three fire pits. The whole setup is ready for a swim, regardless of the weather.
The hotel is a treat to stay at even if the casino isn’t on your to-do list. The Tuklo Grill serves Southern cuisine, cocktails and even a bourbon flight; if guests want to eat outdoors, the property’s Cypress Lawn outdoor entertainment area has three outdoor dining and bar options to visit while besting your besties at cornhole or enjoying some music from the nearby amphitheater.
Rock A Slice At Grateful Head Pizza
One of the more popular pizza places around, guests literally travel out of their way to eat at Grateful Head Pizza Oven and Tap Room in Hochatown. And why wouldn’t they? The pizza and beer is legendary, the live music is always groovy and the outdoor seating is plentiful.
The brainchild of William and Kevin Carper – two Grateful Dead-loving brothers – the restaurant came to be in 2009 when the Carpers set their eyes on an abandoned school house off of Highway 29, east of Broken Bow Lake. Some construction and elbow grease soon followed, and finally, a venue that now serves pizza, beer and has live music performances became a go-to restaurant for both residents of and visitors to the area.
According to restaurant workers, locals and tourists alike enjoy the Funky Chicken Pizza, the Tree Hugger Veggie Pizza covered in vegetables and cheese for the non-meat lovers and Cheese Bread Styx, a heaping helping of cheese and garlic breadsticks to enjoy before, during or after a pizza.
Hold A Skunk, Feed A Camel At Rescue Center Zoo
The Hochatown Rescue Center and Petting Zoo is a “zoo” in name only. Yes, there are animals – some of them exotic – on hand for visitors to look at and learn about. But calling it a zoo does a massive disservice to owner Tammy Smith and her team of animal experts and caregivers.
The center is almost completely made up of animals that have been injured, abandoned or surrendered, with the intention to release as many of the animals as possible back into the wild once they have recovered. On any given day, visitors can find deer, a skunk with no stink glands, a blind goat named Wilma who lives at the Center permanently, a lemur, dozens of stray cats, a river otter that got washed away from its family, families of cows and livestock, snakes and even a camel.
Visitors pay for an all-day pass and can add a little extra for cups of food to feed the all-too-willing-to-eat animals. All entry fees go towards the center’s upkeep, animal care and employee pay. It’s a truly unique place that must be experienced by anyone visiting Hochatown.
Relax And Sip At Girls Gone Wine
There are several fun watering holes in Hochatown, but Girls Gone Wine is a must-go. Directly across the highway from Grateful Head, the wine-and-gift shop offers free tastings of seven wines every thirty minutes – simply sign up and sip. Each wine available for tasting is also available by the bottle for purchase, so if a sip strikes your fancy, you can go for the whole thing.
Besides the free tasting and laid back atmosphere, Girls Gone Wine has an enormous indoor patio to drink and socialize in. There’s also a bar along the back wall of the patio where visitors can try and order other wines. It’s a brewery atmosphere, but with wine. What could be better?