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The Cattlemen's Steakhouse of Oklahoma City has been a staple of the locals since it opened in 1910. Built at the same time as Stockyards City, Cattlemen's was created to serve the cowboys, ranchers, farmers, and stock haulers that made their living raising, transporting, and butchering the stock that has made Stockyards City legendary. That is why Cattlemen's serves up the best steaks in the country, these regulars will settle for nothing less.

A family-friendly steakhouse is unusual in itself. The Cattlemen's Steakhouse adds to its uniqueness by being just that. Family-friendly and affordable, they welcome children with a kids menu that is ample and reasonably priced. They keep their prices manageable by doing most everything "in-house".

Mid-western beef, that has been corn-fed and butchered in-house in its prime, is where their mouth-watering steaks begin. The steaks are hand cut and kept fresh, never frozen, then they are cooked over real charcoal with a sharp, hot flame to sear in the flavor and juices. When your steak is served, they wait beside your table until you cut into it to ensure that it is done to your specifications of perfection.

Located at 1309 S. Agnew in the heart of Stockyards City, Cattlemen's Steakhouse still opens early (six in the morning) to serve the cattle hands that need an early start to their day. And they realize these folks work hard and sometimes work late, so Sunday through Thursday they stay open until 10pm. On Friday and Saturday they close at midnight. Their phone number is: 405.236.0416.

The outside of Cattlemen's Steakhouse doesn't look like much, but once you pull those longhorn door handles and walk into the restaurant, you know you are someplace special. Known as "the restaurant that time forgot", it will make you wish that time had forgotten more things. That we could go back, not just to a simpler time, but to a time when quality was more important that profit.

The ambiance that surrounds you is a cattlemen history lesson. The booths in the diner side are a dark red and very welcoming, like your favorite pair of boots. The walls are a tribute to the early days of Cattlemen's, Stockyard City, and the late Gene Wade, founder of Cattlemen's and a lucky man with dice (it was on a roll of the dice that he became a restaurateur). The front windows are still home to his two rocking chairs. One that he sat in to oversee his empire, the other that he reserved for his special guests and favorite friends.

The other side of the restaurant is for fine dinning and depicts the historic Stockyards and the restaurant's passage through time with panoramic scenes and photos. It highlights the timelessness of the cattle business, as well as the long string of famous cowboy and cowgirl greats that have delighted in the prime, aged steaks served here.

Learn more about this author, Wendy Lafond.
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