At Blockman’s Chophouse, The Ingredients Matter

13 weeks ago, a new neon sign popped up on America’s beloved cross-country route. Its luminous red marks the arrival of Arcadia’s own steakhouse and butchercase, situated just past the town’s famous round barn on Route 66. Blockman’s Chophouse specializes in wagyu steak, alongside high-quality poultry, rotating seafood options, and some of the largest wine and bourbon lists in the metro area—125 different bourbons and a 250-bottle wine list.

Contrary, perhaps, to the Route 66 ideology of journey over destination, the thesis of Blockman’s Chophouse is best understood by the way it ends each meal.

“We give you a piece of cafeteria sheet cake,” said James Kraham, one of the four owners of Blockman’s Chophouse. “My mother-in-law taught at Northern Hills Elementary School for years; she is a legend there. She would make [this cafeteria sheet cake] with margarine and super unhealthy ingredients. It was terrible.” he laughed. “So, we took it to a friend at Route 66 Bake Shop. She used King Arthur Flour, Callebaut Chocolate, and these fantastic ingredients. All of a sudden it was like, ‘Hey, that’s how a chocolate sheet cake should taste!’”

Blockman’s is defined by the quality of its ingredients. Maybe, though, this should be expected of a steakhouse ambitious enough to only serve wagyu.

For those less familiar, wagyu––also known as Kobe Beef––is the richest and typically most expensive beef available. Made exclusively from cows raised in Kobe, Japan, wagyu steak is known for its “marbling,” the intramuscular fat that gives the steak its distinct buttery flavor.

What Blockman’s serves is called American Wagyu, which is the cross between a wagyu bull raised in the U.S. and a more average Black Angus cow. “It is 50% as good as the real deal in Japan,” Kraham explains. “Now, that doesn’t sound like a sales pitch, but if you were to have real Kobe, you could only eat a little because it’s ultra rich. This wagyu [on the other hand] is designed for the American palate, so it still has that rich, buttery, beefy flavor, but it’s not so overpowering that it wrecks your stomach.”

Most steakhouses will have one wagyu steak featured on their menu, usually being the most expensive offering. Given the price of the high-end beef, a menu comprised entirely of wagyu is mostly unheard of. So, how does Blockman’s pull this off? “I run a Wagyu beef company, so we just have access to it,” said Kraham. “I don’t know of any 100% wagyu steakhouses in the country. So, why not put one in Arcadia, Oklahoma?”

Kraham’s proximity to the wagyu industry has allowed the restaurant to be flexible with its pricing. While $75 for a 14oz steak certainly isn’t a casual Friday night dinner, the same cut would easily go for double that price at bigger name steakhouses. And, on top of that, those $200 wagyu steaks wouldn’t include two side dishes and Oklahoma’s best sheet cake.

Even Blockman’s side dishes boast impressive grocery lists. Their most popular non-meat dish is their mac and cheese, which is made with fresh pasta from Oklahoma City’s own Pasta Pizazz and award-winning 15-month aged Beecher’s Cheese from Seattle. “It’s a very simple menu, and I don’t think it needs to be complicated,” said Kraham. “If you’re going to make a mashed potato, make it the best mashed potato. Just simple, and perfectly executed.”

The ethos of their food being defined by quality ingredients is embodied in their butchercase. Everything they cook, from their steaks to poultry to cheese, is available to buy. The ability to see the actual meat they cook with gives the restaurant a farm-to-table feel.

This, of course, is accentuated by the 100-year-old building that houses the restaurant. “It’s kind of ugly, but not really, right?” Kraham laughed. With historic wooden walls that have been accentuated with butcher knives, the building adds an unmistakable character to the steakhouse. “We fell in love with this building. We love this location. We love this little town. We love where it sits, in conjunction to Edmond and Oklahoma City,” Kraham continued.

The structure and its location prove to be an essential component to the restaurant’s atmosphere. Once the site of Hillbilees Cafe and then a Chicken Shack, the spot has offered various foods to those venturing down Route 66. In the mere months it’s been open, Blockman’s has hosted a variety of people—from Russians to Californians—driving the famous road ahead of its big anniversary in November. “There’s just a whole lot of randomness that comes through here,” said Kraham.

The ingredient that truly defines the restaurant, though, is not its high-end steak, quality cheese, or prime location. Rather, it’s the unique combination of expertise and friendship found between its four owners. John Carrell, Daniel Crowell, Bogie Ramirez, and Kraham have a “combined 100 years of food experience,” and each with their own strengths, as said by Kraham.

“If you stand back there by the meat case at six o’clock with the four of us, it’s a lot of talk,” Kraham said, laughing. “We just like each other. We enjoy being here, and we’d probably be here just for the heck of it.”

This sense of friendship reverberates to the guests and regulars. “I have made more new friends in the last 10 weeks than I have in the last 10 years,” said Kraham. “I have probably picked up 50 phone numbers of just new friends. That’s been the most fun thing.”

So, what is the result of all of these high-quality culinary and atmospheric ingredients? For fans of classic American sitcoms, Sam Malone’s Boston bar in “Cheers” likely comes to mind. “If you think about the best moments of your life, there was a high probability that food and alcohol was involved. All the best things in your life took place in the ‘Cheers’ bar,” Kraham explains. “[Blockman’s] has that vibe, too.”