From one blogger to another, I couldn’t pass through Oklahoma without driving by The Drummond Ranch and of course, planning a visit to the famous Pioneer Women Mercantile. With hopes of catching a glimpse of Ree Drummond (and secretly hoping she would invite me over to the ranch for a homecooked meal), I arrived in Pawhuska, Oklahoma with high expectations for the visit. After finding out that Ree was in fact vacationing in Aspen and not in Pawhuska during my visit to her store, I pivoted. But I didn’t let that slow down my adventure though, to my satisfaction I was quickly distracted by all of Ree’s fabulous treasures, cookbooks, dish towels, and apparel.
Downtown we were greeted with lots of activity and even the filming of the Martin Scorsese movie, “Killers of the Flower Moon.“ Half of the downtown was transformed into a 1920’s film set, including dirt roads. While we did not catch a glimpse of cast members Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons, and Native American actress Lily Gladstone, we loved the busy streets and activity that surrounded us during our visit.
The Mercantile General Store
The Mercantile General Store is inviting and perfectly curated with gifts, home goods, and souvenirs, fit for tourists of all ages. I enjoyed browsing the wide selection of dishes, kitchen accessories, and tea towels… I’m completely obsessed. The Mercantile is a great spot to cool off from the warm weather and wait for your table at the deli.
Deli + Bakery
If you are planning a road trip to the Mercantile I recommend arriving in the morning to place your name on the waitlist to eat at the deli. Guests should be prepared to wait for one to two hours for a table, keep in mind this also depends on your party size. The deli has a great text messaging system so once your name is on the list you can simply spend your time shopping at the general store or around Pawhuska downtown. You will receive a text message when your table is ready. Upstairs, above the General Store, you will find a scrumptious bakery and a large seating area to retreat to as you wait for your table. I always say, “life’s short, eat dessert first.”
The Boarding House + Lodge Tours
While you are planning your trip to Pawhuska you might decide that you would like to stay the night. Conveniently located in the action and next to The Mercantile is the Boarding House. At a quick glance, to make a reservation you will need to plan your trip fairly far in advance. If you can’t secure a room at the Boarding House, there are many other options in town that Ree lists on your website for you to choose from. Click HERE to start planning your stay in Pawhuska.
During your visit, plan to take a tour of the Lodge located on the Drummond Ranch. The Lodge is where Ree films her Food Network cooking show. I did notice on her website that she cautions guests about traveling with their fur family members. While she loves dogs, they won’t be allowed to take the tour at the Lodge, so be sure to make accommodations for your pets ahead of time before making the trip to the Lodge.
