My niche in our little circle seems to be diners in Oklahoma. I love traveling our state and stopping into local diners, cafes, coffee houses and restaurants is one of the joys of those travels. One of my fascinations is the diversity, and sometimes collision, of cultures represented in our diners. When you eat in an Italian restaurant in Krebs you may find southern fried chicken served up along side ravioli, or, like this blog’s subject, where you can find Jagersnittzal & Spaetzle next to the okra and tatter tots in the menu.

One of my wife and mine’s favorite, and regular, stops on old Route 66 is the Rock Cafe in Stroud, OK. On a recent vacation trip, we began and ended our vacation dining at this landmark diner. Opened in 1939 the Rock Cafe, according to the official history in the menu, was constructed from stones removed to carve Route 66 through nearby Kellyville laid upon a concrete foundation which was mixed and poured by hand.

The cafe is a living history of Route 66, Stroud and the Rock Cafe itself. When you enter your eyes are immediately drawn to the various Route 66 paraphernalia on the walls. You will also notice references to the animated Disney/ Pixar movie “Cars”. Dawn Welch, the owner of the Rock Cafe, was the inspiration for the character of “Sally” in the movie. When you arrive at your booth (or you can sit at one of the two counters) you receive a copy of the “Rock Reader” which serves as menu and official history of the Rock Cafe.

Be aware, though, the Rock is a small cafe. The five booths will seat five to six very friendly folks each (and they have enlarged them since the last time I was there). In addition there are a number of seats at the counter and a table which looks as if it was constructed from a previous counter, complete with bar stools. Like every good cafe the Rock has an “employees table” and the counter / table seems to be that table at the Rock.

The same personal craftsmanship is evident in the offerings of the Rock Cafe. From hearty breakfasts, incredible burgers (of all strips) for lunch and a diverse dinner menu the Rock Cafe offers an astonishing assortment for a cafe of its size, particularly when you see the size of the kitchen.

Personal favs for me...

Breakfast: The plain ol’ one or two egg breakfast and any of the omelets. The sausage or bacon is spicy and cooked right. Most importantly, at least for me, any breakfast comes with a choice of biscuits and gravy, toast or silver dollar pancakes. For this brunchero there is only one choice ... biscuits and gravy. The Rock Cafe passes the Norman’s Own gravy test, nice and thick with a hint, and sometimes actual pieces, of sausage. I also have it on good authority, in fact the authority I trust the most, my wife Sheryl, that the silver dollar pancakes are great too. Plus, you get Hash Browns or, for the most Southern among us, grits. I can testify the hash browns are done right, crispy on the outside, steaming soft on the inside. I don't do grits.

The coffee is good standard cafe coffee, not to strong, not to weak. And, they give you a big Rock Cafe mug of it.

Breakfast prices are very reasonable, ranging from a $2.35 one egg (no meat) to $5.99 for the steak, two egg. Omelets range from $3.99 to $5.99.

Other breakfast offerings include Crepes (yes, crepes), breakfast burritos,pancakes/waffles and beignets. $1.99 to $5.50.

Lunch: Any of the burgers are great. Personal favorites for me are the Small & Big Burger, the Bacon Cheeseburger and, a real Oklahoman indigenous special, the Buffalo Burger. All are well grilled, the buns toasted on the grill and presented piping hot and steaming. The Buffalo Burger is particularly well prepared, not overcooking a lean meat such as Buffalo is an art form in and of itself.

Two other lunch offerings I have never tried, but which intrigue are the Alligator Burger and the Shrimp or Crawfish Po-Boy. The Alligator Burger is prepared much like the salmon patty many of us ate as kids. The po-boys sound interesting just because of their ingredients. The menu also includes Oklahoma standards such as BBQ sandwiches (pork & brisket), Patty Melts, Guac Burgers, Grilled Cheese and a few northern influences such as Philly Swiss and Ruben.

Sandwich and burger prices range from $1 (for the Small Burger) to $4.50 for some of the sandwiches. The Big Burger is $2.80 and the Buffalo and Alligator Burgers are $4.15.

We’ve never come through Stroud at dinner time but the menu sounds great, ranging from good ol’ chicken fried steak to stir fry(chicken or shrimp) to a shrimp and crawfish entree and finally to our ol’ friend Jagersnitzal & Spaeztle (which, by the way, is nothing more than a fried pork cutlet with a bacon, onion and mushroom sauce over handmade (hand cut) noodles. (Yum!)

Another nice touch at dinner is the fact the Rock Cafe offers Oklahoma wines and an Oklahoma beer. The beer is good old Choc Beer, from down Krebs way. Anyone who ever ate at Isle of Capri or Eddy’s in Krebs may have been treated to a pitcher of Choc with their meals. Today, you can buy it by the bottle (is this a great country of what!). The wine is very local, from Stapleridge Vinyard and Winery right there in Stroud. I’ve had the pleasure of stopping off at Stapleridge for a tasting on several occasions and would whole heartedly recommend this local vintner, especially their Pinot Grigio.

After a lunch or breakfast at The Rock Cafe I would suggest a walk through downtown Stroud. There are a number of good antiques shops and a tasting room for Stapleridge, if you did not get enough with you meal.

The Rock Cafe gets a thumbs up from this brunchero. It is one of the most down home but diverse diner I have every visited. Well worth the drive from where ever. For more information on the Rock Cafe go to rockcaferoute66.com/.

Enjoy!

Labels: Breakfast, Burgers, cafes, Choc Beer, Oklahoma landmarks, Route 66, Stapleridge Vineyard, Stroud