Hollywood Corners · Norman, Oklahoma, USA · June 2024
An old 1920s gas station, Toby Keith's favorite hangout, and a giant red Solo cup on the stage.
USAOn June 22, 2024, after a walk through the Sutton Wilderness in Norman, I drove a few minutes north to a place every country music fan in Oklahoma knows: Hollywood Corners. It started out in the 1920s as a service station on the old highway, and Toby Keith, who lived in Norman, helped bring it back to life as a deli, bar and live-music spot. Toby passed away in February 2024, just a few months before my visit, and you can feel how much he meant to this place.
My visit, step by step
- Arrive The old service station and its red pumps
- Inside The bar, the T-shirts and Toby's portrait
- Remember The memorial table for Toby Keith
- Outside The stage, the beer stands and the giant Solo cup
An old service station on Highway 77
From the parking lot, Hollywood Corners still looks like an old-time filling station: a white brick building with a covered drive-through, two shiny red gas pumps with the "HC" shield, a big ICE box and an Oklahoma Sooners sign out front. The sign on the side says it all: "Hollywood Corners, a Deli in the Country, est. 1925."
The bar and Toby's portrait
Inside it's all weathered wood: a high wooden ceiling, a long bar, coolers full of cold beer and a big Highway 77 mural on the wall. Hollywood Corners T-shirts hang above the bar, next to a red cup sign reading "TK 1961–2024." In the middle, in a gold frame, hangs a painting of Toby Keith in his cowboy hat, smiling down at everybody.
On the bar sits a donation box for the OK Kids Korral, the home in Oklahoma City that the Toby Keith Foundation built for children with cancer and their families. His work goes on.
Remembering Toby Keith
In one corner, under the old map of Oklahoma, fans had built a little memorial: American flags, a US Marine Corps flag, flowers, red Solo cups, a cross, stuffed animals and a straw OU cowboy hat. It was quiet and simple, and it said a lot.
The stage and the giant red Solo cup
Behind the building is the best part: a big outdoor music venue under the trees. There's a covered stage with an American flag, rows of picnic tables on the gravel, string lights overhead, a wooden beer stand and an old shipping container turned into a bar. Live music plays here seven days a week. And on the stage stands a giant red Solo cup, a nod to Toby's famous song "Red Solo Cup." I can only imagine what this place feels like on a summer night with a band playing.
5 / 5
★★★★★- Where
- Hollywood Corners
4712 N Porter Ave, Norman, Oklahoma - What
- Deli, full bar and outdoor live-music stage
- Food
- Homemade soups, sandwiches and flatbreads
- Price
- $$ Medium
My verdict: 5 out of 5, at a medium price. A real piece of Oklahoma history, a fun place to hang out, and a heartfelt tribute to Toby Keith.
Tip: come back in the evening. During the day it's quiet, but at night the string lights come on and the band plays on the outdoor stage.
Good to know
- Where
- Hollywood Corners, 4712 N Porter Ave, Norman, Oklahoma, near Highway 77
- What it is
- A 1920s service station turned deli, bar and live-music venue
- Eat
- Homemade soups, sandwiches and flatbreads, plus a full bar
- Music
- Live music on the outdoor stage, usually with free admission
- Toby Keith
- He helped revive the place. Look for his portrait and the TK cup inside.
- Nearby
- Sutton Wilderness in Norman, a nice walk before you go
What's your favorite Toby Keith song?
Tell me in the comments, or send me a question if you're planning a trip to Norman.
