Excellent | Worth a Detour
Kumback Cafe | Legendary Oklahoma Town Cafe
Review by: Michael Stern
Historic Town Cafe
Kumback Cafe was founded in 1926 in a town created by the 1893 Cherokee Strip land run. Today it holds the honor of being the oldest cafe in Oklahoma with the same name and in the same location. So says the very informative menu. The menu also notes that among interesting moments in the history of this legendary Oklahoma town cafe is the night in the early 1930s when gangster Pretty Boy Floyd came in. He brandished a gun. But he did not intend to rob the place. He made all the customers leave, locked the front door, then pointed his heater at proprietor Eddie Parker and told Mr. Parker to cook him the biggest steak in the house.
In the 1940s Mr. Parker gained fame for his custom of giving free steak dinners to soldiers returning home after World War II. He also treated sluggers on the town’s semi-pro baseball team to steak every time one hit a home run.
Cafe Cuisine
We first came to Kumback Lunch mid-morning and enjoyed a meal that other sorts of eateries might call brunch. Our several plates held a stack of brawny pancakes, a crisp-crusted chicken-fried steak with creamy/zesty gravy, a swirly warm cinnamon roll, biscuits and sausage gravy, and a couple of pieces of lofty meringue pie. Later in the day, customers choose from among a dozen different hamburgers, barbecued ribs, and brisket. A selection of Mexican meals includes a baked potato stuffed with seasoned beef, cheese and salsa. We wouldn’t necessarily call any of this home cooking, but we do call it fine cafe cooking.
Where Locals Eat … and Visitors are Welcomed
Beyond recommending its good food, we suggest a visit to this legendary Oklahoma town cafe for its home-town feel. Everyone in the town of Perry considers Kumback Lunch theirs. Almost any time of day, eaters, coffee drinkers, conversationalists, and first responders occupy its counter seats and tables. Strangers feel welcome, too. Here you find a real slice of life. Look at the beautiful old EAT sign above the recently-added marquee. Pictures and memorabilia reflecting “Perry Heroes” cover the walls. The heroes include local athletes, several governors of the state, and Highway Patrol officer Charlie Hanger, who captured Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh and brought him to the county jail in Perry.
Directions & Hours
Information
| Price | $ |
| Seasons | All |
| Meals Served | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Credit Cards Accepted | Yes |
| Alcohol Served | Yes |
| Outdoor Seating | No |
What To Eat
Kumback Cafe | Legendary Oklahoma Town Cafe Recipes
Discuss
What do you think of Kumback Cafe | Legendary Oklahoma Town Cafe?
2 Responses to “Kumback Cafe | Legendary Oklahoma Town Cafe”
John
September 22nd, 2022
Wife and I ate here we got sick with food poisoning. On our return trip home we stopped back in town to fill up and we asked several locals at the gas station what they thought of this place. Each and every one said they have not eaten there in years because of the low quality and horrible food. One even stated she had gotten sick there and never went back. From reading Yelp reviews I see there have been other who have gotten sick eating at the Kumback.
Rich Froid
January 5th, 2008
We only dine at Kumback Lunch about once a year as we travel between Nebraska and Texas. But we keep coming back. I have had the chicken and noodles dish (delicious; the pasta seems homemade to me) and the short order of ribs (wonderful). However, I also have had the meatloaf (not so good). The meatloaf was sort of “pasty” and just not very good, although all other parts of the meal were tops. Be sure to have a slice of homemade pie; it is only $1.89 (in 2007) and is delicious also. A wide selection of pies can be found on a large chalkboard on the wall.
Food presentation is simple and basic; there are no frills here. You can judge the atmosphere from the photos; we like it. Every time we go, we find something on the wall that went unnoticed before. The waitstaff and customers are nice people. On more than one occasion we have had a local visit with us (“Where are you folks from?” and “Have a safe trip!”)
Is it perfect? No. But for hungry travelers along Interstate 35 north of Oklahoma City, it is still a good place to stop.