Chuckwagon Cafe Media
The Chuckwagon Benny: Turner Valley restauranteur and cattle rancher develops a following
When Terry Myhre found himself unable to source a consistent beef suppy for his Turner Valley Restaurant, he embraced the farm to fork concept and began raising his own beef supply.
In March 1999, Terry Myhre bought the red barn in Turner Valley. The barn is a local landmark, and has been a series of restaurants since 1973. When Myhre bought it, it had most recently been a Korean restaurant. Myhre had no idea at that time how the business would evolve.
“My glamour idea was that I'd cook and have a waitress,” says Myhre. “That first year, I had nine employees.” Today, the Chuckwagon Café keeps 15 people busy. A typical Sunday sees five people cooking more than 350 breakfast and lunch meals.
Serving only the breakfast and lunch crowds, there's no question it's the beef that draws people to the restaurant. Myhre had grown frustrated with the inconsistency in his beef orders. “I couldn't get what I wanted from the packers. Especially on a breakfast plate, you need an 8 ounce steak. You can't serve a 16 or 18 ounce steak.” Myhre signed up for Olds College's Beef School to learn more about the beef he was buying, where it came from and what affected quality.
“At that first class at Olds College, I realized I'd have to do it myself,” he explains. Myhre looked at different beef breeds and settled on Murray Grey, in part because of their consistent top finishes at the Calgary Stampede Carcass Competitions. Their smaller size was also a draw as Myhre wanted smaller carcasses.
“A steak needs to be an inch thick to cook properly,” he says. “I have an eight ounce New York steak on the menu, but sometimes that cut was too big to cut—either it's more than eight ounces or it's only three-quarters of an inch thick. No one can cook a thin steak properly and the
customer is disappointed.”Myhre began purchasing steers and finishing them himself. He feeds 15–20 animals at a time, three times a day, at his ranch just west of Longview (about a 10-minute drive from the restaurant). Every two weeks he processes an animal and uses every bit of the carcass. The brisket is smoked and brined and becomes flavourful, tender, lean beef bacon. Trim goes into beef barley soup and gravy. Myhre admits it was challenging learning how to use the entire carcass. “I had to learn how to cook all over again.”
The challenge lead to creativity and to the Chuckwagon Café's specialty: the Chuckwagon Benny. This popular breakfast dish is two poached eggs on grilled tenderloin served on a toasted croissant, all smothered in hollandaise sauce with a side of homemade hash browns. It's available every weekend but sells out quickly. A popular alternative is the Flat Iron Benny made with grilled flank steak instead of tenderloin.
Nearly everything served is made fresh by the cooks. The pancakes, which are made from scratch, are almost as famous as the beef. But the beef is what brings people in and what brings people back. “The story is what it's all about. Once people know the story of my beef and my dishes…they keep coming back,” says Myhre.
Myhre even sells his customers roasts to make at home. That has been another success. He has had to limit the number of roasts his customers can buy, and even at that he is lucky if they last more than one day.
“Since I've started finishing my own beef, it's made it fun again and interesting,” Myhre smiles. “It's been so good. People just love it.”
Myhre is quick to share the credit. “I've had lots of help — Olds College, the Canadian Angus Association's Breeder Accreditation Program, Alberta Agriculture — all have been fantastic.”
“I have the greatest customers in the world,” smiles Myhre. His customers really do come from all over the world. Canadian Airlines once mentioned his restaurant in their in-flight magazine, and many people sought him out after that. Local beef conferences mention his restaurant and the customers flock to check it out. He even has other restaurateurs visit so they can learn how to better utilize beef carcasses.
Myhre admits that the success of the restaurant has exceeded his expectations. He is happy with his success and has no plans to change what he's doing. “I'm really happy with life the way it is,” he smiles. And it's no wonder. Including counter seating, the restaurant can seat 48 people at one time, and there is always a line up on the weekends.
The Chuckwagon Café is located at 105 Sunset Blvd SW in Turner Valley. The phone number is 403.933.0003.
Reprinted from the Stampede Agriculture Magazine
Driving Directions to the Chuckwagon Cafe
Chuckwagon Cafe & Cattle Co
105 Sunset Blvd,
Turner Valley, AB,
Canada
Telephone: 403-933-0003
Hours
Mon - Fri: 8am - 2:30pm
Sat - Sun: 8am - 3:30pm
