This post contains affiliate links. All photos and opinions are mine and should not be used without written permission.
My mom and I were having a normal conversation a few months ago and a crazy idea came upon us – why don’t we go visit the Pioneer Woman’s (Ree Drummond) Mercantile and Lodge where they film her show? And just as soon as that idea came about, we had our bags packed and our itinerary planned.
We were excited to see the small, rural town where Ree Drummond and her husband’s extensive family ranch is located, eat at the fabulous Mercantile and shop her fabulous kitchen items. So if you’re thinking about planning a trip to this dot on the map, I’m going to break down the entire trip for you here.
The lodge and Mercantile are located in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. The closest metropolitan city is Tulsa, and it’s still about an hour away. Pawhuska is about 9 hours drive for us here in Southeast Texas, so we planned our stops and set out on our trip.
Pawhuska is very much a small town. With a population of a little over 3,400, you don’t have a ton of options when driving through the fields of crops and cattle. Native American influences can be seen everywhere with the names of the county, towns, and shops.
The Merc
This little town is so cute. It had a similar feel as the Magnolia Market Silos when the hoards of women flocking in, but is not nearly at that same amount of people. We arrived around 10am and went straight into the Mercantile shop. It was floor to ceiling cute items for all of you cooking needs. Some items there are being sold at Wal-Mart and Amazon, but a lot of them are exclusive to the store’s location.
Also compared to Magnolia, the prices are super reasonable. I’ve been to Waco’s biggest attraction a few times and never bought anything there because it was so overpriced. This place was great. Ton of selection and neat little items. If you go, don’t forget to open the drawers in all of the displays because they also have items for sale in them.
I ended up coming home with a jade green mixing bowl, pink silpat, a small blue baker, and a little odds and ends jar. The prices online are a little more than in store, so you’ll definitely get a deal if you buy something while you’re there.
So, one thing to know is that you can visit the Lodge that the Pioneer Woman shoots her videos for the Food Network at. All you have to do is ask a store employee for a “ticket” while you’re in the store. And it’s free – you just have to ask!
Deli
Before you leave town, make sure to eat at the deli. I’m not sure why they call it a deli, because they have far much more than sandwiches!
These biscuits are the best biscuits I’ve ever eaten. Seriously. I’m not a biscuit person and these things were GOOD!
I also had a coffee called the “Spicy Cowgirl” and it’s definitely something that grows on you. First sip – what am I drinking? Second sip – hey, that’s kind of good. Third – Where has this been all my life?
You can see my full review here.
My only regret is that I was there for breakfast instead of lunch time. Their soups and salads looked tasty!
The Ranch
The Drummond family (the family Ree married into) has had their ranch in Pawhuska since The Great Depression when Frederick Drummond purchased 25,000 acres and Hereford cattle. The ranch has since grown to 433,000 acres of land making the family the 23rd largest land owner in the country. If you’re like me, you can’t even fathom that kind of amount of property. We drive for over 20 minutes, just on their land. That’s crazy.
But once you get to the ranch, you realize what a different life they live than the Americans who watch her show. The home is built on the edge of hill, overlooking rolling hills of acreage. There’s a couple lazy dogs sunning themselves on the porch and it really does feel like you’re walking into someone’s home for lunch.
Not many people know about visiting the Lodge I guess, because while we were there only 4 other cars were in the driveway. I do recommend that you visit early in the morning because we did pass more people coming in as we were leaving.
The Lodge is one big long house. It has several bedrooms (I lost count) and each bedroom has it’s own in-suite bathroom.
The kitchen, of course, was my favorite part. The huge walk-in pantry even has a ladder in it! Crazy!
And let’s not leave out the prep kitchen and prop room. These are the things my dreams are made of!
Bakery
Upstairs at the Mercantile is the bakery. They also have an elevator if you need it. All of your sweet dreams will come true up there! They have cupcakes, croissants, muffins, truffles, and everything in between. You can see what I got here:
See the full review here.
Boarding House
This 8 room boutique hotel is right in the heart of Pawhuska and just down the block from the Mercantile. Each room has it’s own theme it’s designed around. There’s the Emerald room and the Tack Room for examples. They book up fast though, so if you’d like to stay here, make sure to plan WAY in advance!
Pizza Joint
Adjacent to the Boarding House you’ll soon be able to enjoy the Pioneer Woman’s wood fired pizza place as well. It should be opening within the next month!
If you’d like to see more travel tips, follow me on Pinterest!
