October 31, 2026
I have been traveling throughout SW Kansas for YEARS and it wasn’t until a few months ago that anyone told me that the Winter Livestock Inc. sale barn in Dodge City has a cafe. It’s called “Stockyard Cafe” and you won’t go there unless you know it is there.
You turn in at this sign off the highway and then pull up to this weird ass building that looks like a nuclear war bunker. But inside is a cafe that pumps out some home cookin’. The special that day was Liver & Onions, which I know some people like, but I think it is disgusting so I didn’t get it. But the manager told me she loved the Hot Roast Beef with mashed potatoes, so I ordered that. It was excellent!
The gravy was made in house and you could tell. Deep, rich flavor. Unfortunately the mashed potatoes were not homemade, but they were still good especially with that gravy. Just so you know, normally the Hot Roast Beef comes with sliced roast beef, but they had run out and only had some of the shredded beef left. Not a problem for me as I think it worked better that way to ensure complete gravy saturation.
A smart person once declared “The Kansas Gastronomist there is nothing better than eating a Hot Roast Beef with the smell of cow shit nearby.” Until now, I never knew what he meant.
What a cool experience.
— TKG
