OKLAHOMA CITY — This time, it’s personal, said Chef Andrew Black regarding his next restaurant concept: Dougla.
Dougla Caribbean Indo Cuisine is scheduled to open Feb. 14, 2026. The new restaurant’s menu will be a tribute to his grandmother, Elizabeth.
“This is something that has been laying on my mind now for years,” Chef Black told The Black Chronicle on Tuesday. “Since I’ve been here, everyone has always asked me, ‘When are you going to cook the food you grew up on? When are you going to showcase your culture?”
The flavor palate for Dougla will be strikingly different from that of the award-winning restaurants Black has already brought to Oklahoma City.
“Had I done this restaurant first it probably wouldn’t have worked,” Black said. “I don’t know if the world was ready for it. I’ve given every other restaurant: I’ve done Vast, I’ve done Flint, I’ve done Pearle Mesta, then Grey Sweater, Black Walnut.
Now it’s time where I’m like, okay, this is a note to my grandmother. It’s like saying, hey, thank you for flavors, thank you for spices, thank you for integrity, for telling me my dream before I even know what to dream. It’s very personal.”
The word “Dougla” is a Caribbean term, referring to a person of mixed Indian (South Asian) and African heritage.
Dougla will highlight fusion dishes that weave West Indian, Indo-Caribbean and African flavors, telling a story of identity and lineage unique to Chef Andrew’s family and innovation. Think dishes like curried goat with plantains, “Dougla-style” roti, jerk-spiced vegetarian fare, creole-inspired seafood dishes, or East Indian-influenced stews, paired with tropical drinks and natural, healthy juices.
“It will be authentic and unapologetic,” said Black. “The flavors is gonna be bold – spicy will be spicy, sweet will be sweet, rum will be rum, cocktail will be cocktail.”
Black said he had been looking for new space for the new restaurant when one day he awoke at 3:00 a.m. with an epiphany: close down Black Walnut, located at 100 NE 4th Street in Oklahoma City, and renovate that space to become both Dougla the restaurant and an accompanying Dougla Lounge, a sophisticated spot for live music and nightlife.
The last dinner service at Black Walnut will be New Year’s Eve, said Chef Black – so make your reservation now for what is sure to be an historic event.
Black said he knows fans of the restaurant will hate to see it go, but it’s the right thing to do, making way for the exciting new concept.
“When you paint the perfect picture, there comes a time when you finish the painting you sign the bottom and move on,” Black said. “So that’s an old painting. I’m giving the world a new painting.”
But don’t worry, Black Walnut fans – some of the restaurant’s most popular items will be moving to Pearle Mesta, located at One Park Avenue in downtown Oklahoma City, in the Skirvin Hotel. The ribs, mac and cheese balls, lobster bites and other items will be available at Pearle Mesta in January.
The space where Black Walnut is will undergo a renovation shortly after the doors close.
“The room will look significantly different,” said Black. “There will be community tables, because when I was growing up, we’d always eat together. So, I want to bring that feel in the dining room.”
The logo for the restaurant exhibits the themes of blended cultures: the flame for heat and spice; the green leaf for fresh, natural ingredients; and yellow flower, representing both new beginnings as well as spices such as turmeric and saffron, and Caribbean fruits like mango and papaya.
“This is about being true to the food I grew up with,” said Black. “Is it nervous, is it scary? Absolutely. But it is something that we’re definitely going to do.”
