Posted by Michael Stern on June 29, 2009
This extremely well-worn cafe has been remodeled many times since it originally went up in 1939 as the last of Route 66 was being paved. Roy Rieves built it out of rocks removed as the highway was constructed, and from 1959 to 1983 it was operated by Mamie Mayfield, who became a legendary hostess among long-haul truckers and road trippers on the old Mother Road. For the last thirteen years, the proprietor has been Dawn Welch, a prodigious cook whose legendary hamburgers are still sizzled on the old original Rock Cafe grill.
Among Dawn's menu innovations are a fabulous chicken fried steak she makes out of a pork cutlet rather than a slab of beef. It is thick and juicy and fallapart tender, sheathed in a luxuriously brittle crust. Having been married to a man from Switzerland, she also broadened the menu with spaetzel (topped with melted jack and cheddar cheese) and apple streusel crepes. There are Mexican dishes, stir fries, po-boys, beignets, tall stacks of pancakes, and a short bowl of beans with cornbread on the side.
A cool destination halfway between Tulsa and Oklahoma City, the Rock Cafe is a cozy diner with curious booths that remind us of automobile bench seats and a couple of counters with low stools from which customers carry on conversations among themselves and with the kitchen through a large pass-through window. Every inch of cedar-paneled wall is packed with nick-nacks, souvenirs, and silly kitchen homilies. With the menu (which is in the form of a multi-page newspaper), customers are given a guest book to sign. "We are from Oslo," wrote Greta and Stein. "This is the only place between here and there," another customer contributed. Someone else drew a map of Corsica with a star marking home.
Please note: after being closed by a fire in 2008, the Rock Cafe has reopened. In June, 2009, we received this note from Rebecca Williams: "Just wanted to let you know, the Rock Cafe in Stroud has re-opened after the devastating fire last year. The food is as good as ever, and they now have twice the seating (the kitchen has moved to an addition on the back)."
Overall: Worth driving from anyplace
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Reviewers "Must Eats" List
Chicken Fried Steak
($7.00)
Hamburger
($3.00)
"Here's a fine Route 66 Breakfast: chicken-fried steak with gravy, hash browns, and a couple of sunnyside-up eggs. The steak is unique because it is made not from beef, but from a pork cutlet."
Michael Stern
"Here is a close view of the pork chicken-fried steak. Luscious isn't a luscious-enough word to describe it."
Michael Stern
"For 67 years, Rock Cafe has been an oasis for travelers along Route 66."
Michael Stern
"The old interior was a cozy spot to come for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Since the fire, the kitchen has been moved and seating capacity has doubled."
Michael Stern
"Not to be confused with the Hard Rock Cafe, this place is one-of-a-kind."
Michael Stern
