MEERS STORE AND RESTAURANT 26005 OK-115, LAWTON
Distance from Oklahoma City: 87 miles WHAT TO EAT You can hardly throw a rock – or a hamburger patty – around here without having it land somewhere close to a restaurant that lays claim to the best burger in Oklahoma. So prevalent are tasty burgers, one could argue that a suitable replacement slogan for the Sooner State might be “Hamburgerland.” And while it is true that the streets of many Oklahoma cities and small towns are (metaphorically) paved with beef and grilled onions, no burger, nor eatery, quite compares to what you’ll find in Meers. With a thin patty and a diameter of an impressive seven inches, Meers burgers are made from extremely lean, locally raised, grass-fed longhorn ground beef procured from the owner’s family ranch. WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL While a trip to Meers is worth it for the burger alone, there are few tourist experiences in Oklahoma that can rival a visit to the roaming buffalo herds and prairie dog towns of the Wichita Wildlife Refuge, one of the state’s most popular destinations. Visitors can work up an appetite exploring a local trail or climbing Mount Scott for a sweeping 360-degree view of the state before heading to Meers – located just 15 minutes away – for a well-earned burger and a cold local brew.
GRILL 125 125 E MAIN, PAWHUSKA
Distance from Oklahoma City: 147 miles WHAT TO EAT This nondescript steakhouse located on Pawhuska’s Main Street isn’t fancy-looking, but serves some damn fancy steaks. Whether the ribeye, the chicken fry or the bacon-wrapped filet, there is no better place to get a steak than from Grill 125. For starters, the fried cheese curds are the way to go, and for the brave, Grill 125 serves up calf fries – and while I’m not brave enough myself, the word is that they are delicious. WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL Pawhuska is to good steak what the coast of Baja, California, is to fresh fish. With its proximity to the Pioneer Woman’s famed Drummond cattle ranch, the Tallgrass Prairie and some of the best cattle grazing in the world, it seems only appropriate that one might be able to find a good steak in a cow town like Pawhuska. To do so, look no further than Grill 125. This is where real cowboys go to eat real steak, and if you’re in the mood for a cold beer, they’ve got that, too.
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405 MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2016