This iconic Oklahoma City home to East Coast seafood is celebrating 20 years

Landlocked Oklahoma may not be the first place a lot of people would expect to find top notch east coast-style seafood, but for 20 years, Rococo has been dishing it up to Oklahoma City's residents.

While Rococo has only been at 4308 N Western Ave. for four years, its time in Oklahoma City began a full two decades ago, following chef-owner Bruce Rinehart's relocation to the Sooner State from Connecticut.

"There were a lot of doubters, and it was funny because we really wanted to be a seafood restaurant, but we were labeled Italian because of my Italian flavor and flair, how I grew up. My marinara is wonderful, and my scallopinis, and parmesan, and meatballs, and all that stuff, but we wanted to be seafood," Rinehart said. "At one point I remember I wanted folks to stop calling us an Italian restaurant and then it was like, 'Hey, call me whatever you want, just come to the restaurant.'"

Years later when Rococo was reimagined, Rinehart and his team went all in on seafood, with shipments of fresh fish, oysters and more coming in from both coasts multiple times a week. The restaurant also put an emphasis on New England staples that couldn't be found elsewhere, like fried belly clams.

Rinehart focuses on doing regional dishes right, by sourcing specific items for the best quality he can get in the final dish.

"All of our fried food is done with a clam fry that I bring down from New England, so it's real clean and crisp. It doesn't retain grease and it's just great flavor," Rinehart said. "We're prideful about all of it, whether it's fish and chips or braised lobster tails."

'A longstanding fabric of the community'

Rinehart and his team, including longtime chef Jason Bustamante, have built a foundation that is focused on the community and they are looking forward to celebrating the restaurant's anniversary with the people that have supported them through everything.

"No matter how hard things got or what curve balls were thrown at us — I call them external forces that may have had nothing to do with us — the unwavering support of the community, if I were to look back on it, I'd say that is part of why we're still here 20 years later," Rinehart said.

Rinehart, who moved to Oklahoma City from Connecticut in 2003 and opened the restaurant in 2004, says he owes the city a lot more than just the success of his restaurant, he also met his wife of nearly 20 years, Amber.

"She jokes that she called me here and I didn't know it," he said. "Met her about a month after we opened and I was smitten. I was done. We've been married almost 20 years, got two beautiful boys who have been an integral part of the business all these years. Grew up in the restaurants, they were with me, side by side for all of COVID."

The pandemic brought with it the same challenges most restaurants faced, but also chances for new opportunities, including a line of take-home meals the restaurant sells in partnership with Homeland stores.

Rinehart was able to retain nearly 98% of his staff during the course of the pandemic and pushed through the adversity to open the Rococo on Western dining room, now the primary location, in late November 2020.

"We almost didn't do this because nobody knew," Rinehart said. "We met — me, and my bride, and some people that are closest to us — and decided to forge ahead and we couldn't be more blessed, and we're thrilled we did what we did."

When he looks to the future, Rinehart said he envisions the Oklahoma City culinary landscape maintaining a special place for Rococo and the type of dining it provides.

"We want to have fun and grow it. I'll eventually turn both entities over to the crew, they'll own it and Amber and I will go find a beach," Rinehart said.

"I see us as a long standing fabric of the community," Rinehart said. "It will be around. There's no doubt. I think we'll always be playing and having fun."

A bright future for Rococo and the Rineharts

Rinehart said he's always been a pretty positive person. That attitude extends to his outlook on the future for Rococo.

The same cheery outlook permeates Rinehart's attitude about a recently received bladder cancer diagnosis. He said that despite a bit of initial shock, he and his wife took the time to evaluate the situation, determine the facts and come up with a plan of action.

"It was caught literally at zero," he said. "Originally, we were going to try and keep it a secret. But, there was no way I could get away with that."

Now having shared with his staff and the public, started treatment and received an outpouring of support and love, Rinehart is ready to "beat this and move on."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Rococo turns 20: Two decades of superb seafood for OKC