Ree Drummond — the Pioneer Woman of Food Network fame — grew up on a ranch near Pawhuska, and her Mercantile on Main Street has become one of the most visited restaurants in Oklahoma. The two-story building houses a restaurant, bakery, and general store with Pioneer Woman branded goods. The food is generous American comfort cooking: chicken pot pie, burgers, massive cinnamon rolls, and pies that are worth the wait.
Crowds are heaviest on weekends and mornings, when the bakery cases are full. Come early or late to avoid the worst queues. The atmosphere is warm and the staff efficient — it handles the tourist traffic well. Whatever you think about Food Network celebrities, this is genuinely good food, made well, in a building that has helped put a very small town on a national map.