Off topic here a bit but the steakhouse up on Britton west of May. Didn't that used the be called "the great American railroad"{I think?}.
Off topic here a bit but the steakhouse up on Britton west of May. Didn't that used the be called "the great American railroad"{I think?}.
Something like that. And there was also a fish market in the building as well.
501 Ranch (a collaboration between Mathis Brothers and Pete Holloway of Boulevard) bought out the Railroad restaurant. ~2003 I believe MB bought out PH and in 2004/5 they bought out the fish market next door.
Cattleman is a good steak house in its class but def. not the best if you compare to higher end steakhouses. Disregard price, The Ranch is the best you can find in town. Try bone-in ribeye or wagyu next time.
And this is why food writers should never make assumptions..... Cattleman's is not the finest steakhouse in the region by a long shot. And while I don't think the steaks at Cattleman's are bad. I've definitely never had one served the way this writer describes them.But there were a few, shall we say, culture clashes, beginning with my assumption that the finest steakhouse in the region would be fancy.
She more than likely thought it was the finest steakhouse in town because someone from here told her that. SMH
Order the prime cuts.
I know people around here like to play down Cattlemans, but I have taken dozens of pretty well traveled business visitors from all over and they all expressed a great like for their steaks...and they usually all ask to go back.
And yes, I also take them to Mahogany, Red, and Ranch. So, it isn't like they haven't sampled.
I think a major reason out-of-towners like Cattlemen's so much is that it is so much different than anything that they're are used to. You can find something similar to Mahogany, Red and the Ranch in any city, but walking into an old, unassuming building in the Stockyards and being served an above average steak with no frills stands out.
I agree.... Whenever I have friends or family in from out of state they always want to eat there....... I definitely appreciate the atmosphere and think it represents the Stockyards, and Oklahoma, well.... I would never refer to it as a fine steakhouse though.
I mostly eat breakfast there so maybe since I'm mostly on the diner side I see it as more of a diner. The diner side reminds me of the old diner from my hometown as a kid. So I am definitely drawn there for the nostalgia.
At the risk of incurring some minor wrath, I think there's a great deal of subjectivity in what constitutes a "great" steakhouse versus an average one. Some people might be weighing the atmosphere, the lighting, the smells, and, let's be honest, the pricetag....as if, "oh, it's expensive, so it must be good.." right?
I've often thought it would be a very interesting study of human behavior to blindfold say, five people, and serve them comparable steaks from a "premium" or "elite" steakhouse and compare it to an "average" or "ho-hum" place, and find the magnitude of any truly objective difference.
I've had really good steaks at what would be considered "blah" places, and bad steaks at nice steakhouses.
Same here and Cattlemen's is a good example of it.... I have always ordered the same cut of steak when I have eaten there and I've had some that were really good and some that I couldn't believe they had the nerve to serve me.
Even Mahogany, which I will say is my favorite place to eat steak in OKC, while never having served me a steak I didn't enjoy has served me a few that were way better prepared than others. I can say I have actually eaten a couple of fork tender steaks at Mahogany but the majority require a knife.
Yes, it's the experience people enjoy. The food is more than good enough not to detract from the experience. I have many coworkers who choose Cattlemen's when they visit OKC. They've already heard about it from other coworkers. Cattlemen's, like it or not, is the place out-of-towners are told they "have" to visit. It's like our Carnegie Deli -- maybe not the best at its cuisine, but one tourists believe is the ultimate OKC experience.
I took my ex-father-in-law there when he came to visit from Scotland, my first wife was Scottish, and he was infatuated with all things American West and he absolutely loved the place and wanted to go there every day..
I just wish I could have taught him that no self respecting cowboy would ever eat a steak well done plus and smothered in catsup. ;+)
I have had much better steaks elsewhere in OKC than I've had at Cattleman's. However, Cattleman's is an OKC institution having been in business since 1910. If I am not mistaking, 25 years ago it was pretty much all there was. You didn't have Mahogany, Mickey Mantle's, Red Prime, Ranch, or any of the other more upscale ones that have come in recent years. I think the uniqueness and history of the place makes it worth a visit for out of towners. As others have said, many of OKC's more upscale steakhouses are similar to steakhouses in other cities, but Cattleman's is a unique experience.
Hmmmm, nearly every person I've ever taken to Cattleman's has said they were among the best steaks they've ever had. I have also brought a bunch of people from Dallas, Atlanta, and L.A. here. I have also brought many international students here. I eat at this place one or two times a week. I love it and they make amazing steaks; I've yet to have one I didn't like. I have eaten at virtually every steakhouse in OKC that I know of and Cattleman's takes the top spot for me. I go to Red Prime a few times a month also, as they are really good. I love steak. I do love steak. I'll eat steak whenever I go to a steakhouse. Very rare when I don't eat steak.
Steak is good for your body, mind, and soul. I would recommend eating steak. Even if it isn't at Cattleman's, just eat it somewhere.
Alligator is pretty good to. But you better not make me choose between steak and alligator here because you have no idea what's at stake!
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