BEST CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK
DRIVE SOUTH on South Agnew Avenue in Oklahoma City, and eventually you’ll pass under an arched metal sign featuring a rancher astride a horse on one side and a massive steer on the other. Welcome to Stockyards City. Although you’re still in OKC, you’ll feel a world away. Here, the idea of pleather is taboo and cowboy hats are an everyday accessory. There are certain places in the South that look so stereotypical that they almost seem manufactured. But the picture-perfect rancher’s paradise of Stockyards City is true to its stripes—and nowhere is this more evident than at Cattlemen’s.
Since 1910, this legendary institution (originally known as Cattlemen’s Cafe) has been serving up the freshest beef in town (the Oklahoma National Stockyards is nearby). The interior of the restaurant reveals its episodic past before the “brief history” on the menu does. Portraits of the early owner, plus a mural depicting an Old West saloon scene, cover the walls. One side of the space retains its mid-century lunch counter appearance while the other rooms resemble the dimly lit steakhouses of your imagination.
These slightly disparate sections speak to Cattlemen’s extensive, and sometimes wild, background. A place for cowpokes and meat packers to gather and refuel during Prohibition, it also became a spot for the very same customers to buy home brew. In 1945, it changed hands from Hank Frey to Gene Wade when Frey bet his ownership in a game of dice. All Wade had to do was roll a hard six; a “33” is still emblazoned on the wall to commemorate his successful throw.
While the restaurant is known for its aged charcoal-grilled steaks, they have perfected another regional classic. Chicken- fried steak became a part of the official state meal in 1988, and the version they make at Cattlemen’s is worthy of that revered status. Most chicken-fried steaks feature beef that has been pounded into a hamburger-like consistency, but here the meat is tender while retaining its texture, more akin to a fillet than ground meat. It’s coated with a light, flour-based breading and fried to just the right crisp. The special seasoning kicks it up a notch, and in an ingenious move, the peppery cream gravy is served mainly underneath the steak, preventing any trace of sogginess from compromising the breading before you scarf it down. If all that goodness didn’t satiate you, don’t worry. The chicken-fried steak comes with homemade rolls, a baked potato, and a salad. Try the dubious- looking but magical house dressing, and be sure to dip your salad’s oversize croutons into it for good measure.
Although Cattlemen’s was founded to satisfy its namesake population, it’s adored by Oklahomans of all kinds—not to mention visitors from across the country, including musicians, actors, and even Presidents. (There’s a dish with pride of place on the menu because it was a favorite of President George H.W. Bush.) The faded but glorious photo murals of snazzily dressed cowboys are enough of a draw, but when that simple, expertly prepared food hits your table, you’ll know why folks have made Cattlemen’s part of their lives for more than a century.
—Katie Akin
TOP: COURTESY CATTLEMEN’S STEAKHOUSE; BOTTOM: ELIZABETH LAVIN
BEST ROUTE 66 STOP POPS A TOUCH OF whimsy, a splash of nostalgia, and a heavy helping of novelty are the hallmarks of a great road trip stop. Of course, offering fuel for both cars and their passengers is also a plus. Pops, a convenience store, gas station, diner, and specialty soda shop located on the Mother Road in Arcadia, has all that and a bottle of pop. No, literally—the Route 66 landmark is home to a 4-ton, 66-foot-tall sculpture (yes, the height was intentional). It even comes complete with a giant straw and colorful LED lights that put on a nightly show. Although some other destinations on this route date back to the 1920s, Pops is relatively new, having opened in 2007. An imposing cantilever truss shades gas pumps, but the building’s true showstoppers are the two-story-tall, floor-to- ceiling windows that run the length of the space with shelves displaying a rainbow of soft drink bottles. When light reflects off the glass, a kaleidoscope of colors animates this highly carbonated version of Willy Wonka’s factory. The shop takes another cue from the fictional candymaker with its impressive collection of over 700 drink flavors that range from the unusual to the bizarre and unsavory. Oddities include ones that taste like spaghetti, ranch dressing, and grass. Or try more palatable varieties like piña colada, chocolate, peanut butter and jelly, and Key lime pie. The fizzy concoc- tions are sourced from countries around the world and sold for less than $3 per bottle, so you can mix and match a different six-pack every time you visit. Despite all these options, the most commonly bought beverage is root beer (they have over 70 kinds). —Tara Massouleh McCay
BEST BBQ JOINT
What is Sooner-style barbecue? Just head to any Oklahoma Joe’s location to find out—there are three in and around Tulsa plus two in Nebraska. Big slabs of pork ribs are the headline attraction, while brisket and burnt ends echo the styles of Texas and Kansas City. They’re joined by a few Oklahoma specialties like barbecue bologna, hot links, and the restaurant’s signature BarbeQulossal sandwiches, which pile brisket, chicken, or burnt ends in a kaiser roll with onion rings and smoked provolone.
—Robert Moss
2. Leo’s Barbecue Oklahoma City 3. Van’s Pig Stands Multiple Locations 4. Burn Co. Barbeque Jenks 5. Leon’s Smoke Shack Barbeque Tulsa 6. John & Cook’s Realpit BBQ Lawton 7. Mac’s Barbecue Skiatook 8. Ray’s BBQ Moore and Norman 9. Swadley’s Bar-B-Q Multiple Locations 10. The Butcher BBQ Stand Wellston
ELIZABETH LAVIN
