John Wayne Ate At This Historic Steakhouse Known For Aged Steaks

In the worlds of restaurants and cinema, few people and places are considered undisputed icons. On occasion, big-name players in both industries cross paths, creating a memorable combination of food and fame. A perfect example is the pairing of legendary Western actor John Wayne and Cattlemen's Steakhouse, a longtime fixture in Oklahoma City.

It's not clear exactly how often "the Duke" visited, but the well-known restaurant is nearly as old as he would be today. Wayne was born in 1907, while Cattlemen's got its start in 1910, making it one of the oldest steakhouses in America. Both were known by different names at the start. Cattlemen's Steakhouse began as Cattlemen's Cafe. Wayne was born Marion Morrison.

Although food trends come and go, it's likely that Cattlemen's current core menu is similar to the one The Duke ordered from. The menu is heavy on beef, a testament to its location in Oklahoma City's Stockyard district. Steak options include sirloin, New York strip, Porterhouse, prime rib, and ribeye. Wayne was known to be a fan of bone-in ribeye, also known as a "cowboy steak." All of the restaurant's cuts are aged using a technique that Cattlemen's menu calls a "closely guarded house secret" that is "impractical to duplicate at home", resulting in a more tender and flavorful steak. Cattlemen's steak dinners allow diners to eat like (Western) royalty, with salad, rolls, and a choice of steamed vegetables, fries, or popular baked potatoes included in the meal.

John Wayne was a titan of the silver screen, but he certainly wasn't the only world-famous celebrity to chow down at Cattlemen's Steakhouse. The restaurant has a "Wall of Fame" commemorating notable diners, including country music icon Garth Brooks, basketball and broadcasting star Charles Barkley, food personality Guy Fieri of "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" fame, and even former President George H.W. Bush. The elder Bush is specifically mentioned on the menu – the description for the "Presidential Choice" T-bone steak mentions Bush ordered it while visiting. 

Wayne was also a regular at other beef-focused eateries, including Gulliver's in Irvine, California, a steakhouse the Duke loved for big steaks and prime rib. Like Cattlemen's, Gulliver's remains open today for those who want to follow in Wayne's culinary footsteps.

Although John Wayne enjoyed high-end restaurants in his decades of film stardom, in many ways, he retained his down-home roots, often preferring to grill at home with family and friends. The hearty,  charcoal-seared meat served at the similarly unpretentious Cattlemen's fits right in to his distinguished life.