The real deal

If you want good steak, go where the cows hang out.

Three of my former colleagues and I will attest Stockyards Cafe, 101 S. Manhattan St., has the best meat in town. Though a bit out of the way for many to think of at lunchtime, the reward makes the trek worthwhile.

We arrived a few minutes past 11. No cattle auction today. The parking lot reflected the crowd inside: a mixture of businessmen and cattlemen.  We chose a seat in the already half-full restaurant and got our menus quickly.

Thanks to Alex Chihak for shooting the food.

I ordered the chicken-fried steak with cream gravy and a baked potato. The others ordered a steak with their choice of a baked potato or french fries. The crispy mixed veggie salad came quickly after the menus.

The interior of the cafe reflects the nature of its lifeblood. A buffalo head, its cowboy hat tilted rakishly, dominates one wall. Photos of celebrities, and those not so celebrated, line the walls above the windows.

For the money, best meat and down-home atmosphere, making a trip to the Stockyards Cafe makes a meal somehow more authentic.

Open 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 6:30 a.m.- to 2:30 p.m. and 5 to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday,