One of the annual Beef Backer Award winners is Buckhorn Steak and Roadhouse and attending the convention are John and Melanie Pickeral, proprietors. They won their award for the independent category.

I interviewed them about what this award means to them and their restaurant.

Listen to my interview with Melanie and John here: Buckhorn Interview (4 min. MP3 File)

Or listen here now:

cic-07-19-buckhorn.mp3

John Pickerel, owner of Buckhorn Steak and Roadhouse, couldn’t be happier with his restaurant’s achievement. In 2003, the restaurant collaborated with its servers to create a beef training program, where they learned about the cooking, aging and cutting processes, marbling characteristics and beef tenderness, to help educate customers and promote beef, which accounts for 80 percent of the menu. “Cow School” has since evolved into a mandatory training program for all restaurant employees. According to John Pickerel, “When the server is explaining the tenderness of our 2 ½-inch Baseball Cut, the flavor in our Bob Taylor Cut or the juiciness of our Bone-In 20-oz Rib Eye, they know the why’s and how’s. The customers truly believe we are steak experts, and leave spreading the word. Our best advertising tool is our knowledge and expertise with beef.”

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