Formerly: Cattlemen's Cafe · Cattleman's Drive-In (early to mid-1950s)
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma · Founded 1910
A 1910 Stockyards City steakhouse whose most famous ownership story turns on Gene Wade's reported 1945 hard-six dice roll.
Cattlemen's Steakhouse began as Cattlemen's Cafe in Oklahoma City's Stockyards City in 1910. H.V. "Homer" Paul acquired the already-established restaurant in 1926, followed by Hank Frey in 1929 and Gene Wade after the restaurant's famed 1945 dice-game transfer. It remains an active steakhouse at 1309 South Agnew Avenue.
Cattlemen's Cafe opens in Oklahoma City's Stockyards City to serve cowboys, ranchers and cattle haulers.
Source: Oklahoma Tourism, "Cattlemen's Steakhouse"; Cattlemen's Steakhouse, "History"
H.V. "Homer" Paul takes ownership of the already-established Cattlemen's Cafe.
Source: Cattlemen's Steakhouse, "History"; The Takeout, "How A Game Of Dice Transformed An Oklahoma Steakhouse," February 6, 2025
Henry "Hank" Frey becomes owner of Cattlemen's.
Source: Cattlemen's Steakhouse historical account; published ownership chronology
According to long-repeated accounts, Gene Wade wins Cattlemen's from Hank Frey in a Biltmore Hotel dice game by rolling a hard six, or two threes.
Source: The Takeout, "How A Game Of Dice Transformed An Oklahoma Steakhouse," February 6, 2025; Cattlemen's Steakhouse, "History"
The business operates for a period as Cattleman's Drive-In before becoming Cattlemen's Steakhouse by 1957.
Source: Published ownership chronology for Cattlemen's Steakhouse
Dick Stubbs purchases Cattlemen's from the Wade family.
Source: The Takeout, "How A Game Of Dice Transformed An Oklahoma Steakhouse," February 6, 2025; Cattlemen's Steakhouse historical account
Cattlemen's is inducted into the Steak House Hall of Fame, according to Oklahoma City civic reporting.
Source: Velocity OKC, "Oklahoma City's Historic Cattlemen's restaurant inducted into Steak House Hall of Fame," May 30, 2024
An unnamed individual investor acquires Cattlemen's Steakhouse, Inc. and its real estate from prior owner Dick Stubbs.
Source: Generational Group, "Cattlemen's Steakhouse, Inc. Acquired by an Individual Investor," August 4, 2025
Every claim gets rated. A business's own website can never earn "documented."
Oklahoma Tourism, civic reporting and the restaurant's own history consistently date the Cattlemen's Cafe opening to 1910. The restaurant acknowledges that ownership between 1910 and 1925 is unclear, so this review does not identify a verified original founder.
The restaurant's history, a 2025 account quoting operations director David Egan, and ownership summaries consistently say Wade won the business from Hank Frey with a hard-six roll at the Biltmore Hotel. This review did not locate court files, a deed transfer, or a contemporaneous 1945 news account, and sources differ on the exact transfer timing.
The restaurant's current history describes the "33" brand on the Hereford Room wall as a symbol of Wade's reported two-threes hard-six roll. This documents the restaurant's commemoration, not independent proof that the dice game happened exactly as retold.
Oklahoma Tourism and Oklahoma City civic reporting identify Cattlemen's as the city's oldest continuously operating restaurant, dating to 1910. The candidate's claimed municipal health, commercial-license and historic-preservation records were not reviewed, so the comparative continuous-operation claim is not rated documented here.
Cattlemen's opened in 1910, but the restaurant's history says its ownership from 1910 to 1925 is unclear. Paul took ownership in 1926, so he should not be identified as the verified 1910 founder.
Dick Stubbs bought the restaurant in 1990, but Generational Group reports that Cattlemen's Steakhouse, Inc. and its real estate were sold to an unnamed individual investor on January 29, 2025.
Oklahoma Tourism and the restaurant's active official site list Cattlemen's Steakhouse at 1309 South Agnew Avenue in Oklahoma City's Stockyards City.
H.V. "Homer" Paul founded Cattlemen's Cafe in 1910.
Cattlemen's Cafe opened in 1910, but the ownership record from 1910 to 1925 is unresolved in the restaurant's own history. H.V. Paul acquired the already-established business in 1926.
Source: Cattlemen's Steakhouse, "History"; Cattlemen's Steakhouse, "Route Magazine"
Court filings and a recorded deed conclusively document Gene Wade's 1945 dice-game purchase.
The hard-six dice-game story is repeatedly reported and commemorated by the restaurant, but this review did not locate court files, a recorded deed, or contemporaneous newspaper reporting confirming the candidate's claim of a legally tested deed transfer.
Source: The Takeout, February 6, 2025; Cattlemen's Steakhouse, "History"; The Oklahoman, January 27, 2022
Dick Stubbs owns Cattlemen's Steakhouse today.
Stubbs purchased the restaurant in 1990 but sold Cattlemen's Steakhouse, Inc. and its real estate to an unnamed individual investor on January 29, 2025.
Source: Generational Group, "Cattlemen's Steakhouse, Inc. Acquired by an Individual Investor," August 4, 2025
The 1910 restaurant opening proves the current building was built around 1910.
The reviewed sources establish a 1910 business origin but do not establish the construction date of the current 1309 South Agnew Avenue building.
Source: Oklahoma Tourism, "Cattlemen's Steakhouse"; Cattlemen's Steakhouse, "History"
Cattlemen's outlasted the changing Stockyards City economy by retaining an identity tied to livestock trade, hearty meals, and a recognizable ownership legend. Its story includes multiple ownership transitions rather than static family control: Wade expanded the restaurant after 1945, Dick Stubbs acquired it in 1990, and a new unnamed investor acquired both business and real estate in 2025.
Cattlemen's began as Cattlemen's Cafe in Stockyards City in 1910. The restaurant's own history says the ownership record from 1910 through 1925 is unclear, but H.V. "Homer" Paul acquired the already-established business in 1926.
The longstanding Cattlemen's story is that Hank Frey wagered the restaurant against Gene Wade's savings at the Biltmore Hotel in 1945. Wade reportedly won by rolling a hard six—two threes—and the restaurant still displays a "33" symbol commemorating the story; this review did not locate a contemporaneous deed or court record.
Oklahoma Tourism and Oklahoma City civic reporting call Cattlemen's the city's oldest continuously operating restaurant, dating to 1910. The designation is credible, but this review did not inspect the municipal licenses or citywide comparative record needed to independently document it at the highest rating.
Cattlemen's Steakhouse, Inc. and its real estate were sold to an unnamed individual investor on January 29, 2025, according to the transaction advisor Generational Group. Dick Stubbs, who had owned the restaurant since 1990, is therefore a former owner.
The business began as Cattlemen's Cafe in 1910. Published ownership histories say it operated briefly as Cattleman's Drive-In in the early-to-mid 1950s before becoming Cattlemen's Steakhouse by 1957.
Yes. Cattlemen's Steakhouse is operating at 1309 South Agnew Avenue in Oklahoma City's Stockyards City. Oklahoma Tourism and the restaurant's official site list the current restaurant at that address.
1309 S Agnew Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73108
(405) 236-0416
The restaurant is in Stockyards City; verify current menus, breakfast hours and reservations directly before visiting.