Have a Cow Cattle Company combines homey café and modern general store

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

The Whole Farm burger with a sunny-side-up egg.

Walk in to Have a Cow Cattle Company and you catch that comforting aroma of wood smoke that seems to invite one to sit awhile. Things only get better from there.

Co-owner Steve St. Pierre, who has a cattle ranch near Rolla, found a place just off I-44 and Jefferson that was begging for both renovation and burger baskets to parlay cows into cash. The first task is a beautiful success. 

A high-ceilinged industrial cavern with concrete floors has been filled with widely spaced tables, and some magnificent oak beams were rescued from another old building. The fireplace itself looks like one in a resort lodge, with natural stone and a hearth wide enough for diners to perch on. A garage door rises along one side, leading out to an acre of Missouri flagstone pavers that serve as the puzzle pieces for a building-long, partially covered patio, which can also be accessed via a gate in the split-rail fence surrounding it. Bedecked with an assortment of firepits, a small pond, and random groupings of chairs, all that’s missing is the smell of alfalfa, a dinner bell clanging, and a farmhand beckoning visitors to sit down and set a spell.

On the other side of the restaurant, St. Pierre and his wife, Lisa St. Pierre, got ambitious, adding “urban farm supply” to the business. So at Have a Cow Cattle Company, there’s an intriguing stock of everything from beekeeping supplies to birdseed to weather vanes, plus sweatshirts, toys, mugs, and books. (Remember Winslow’s Home? This will look familiar.) I can honestly say that this is the best place I’ve ever eaten where I also purchased an engrossing book on the history of axes.

And then came another idea: In addition to the beef, how about serving breakfast, with eggs, bacon, and pancakes all day? Then add more than a dozen craft beers and some cocktails, along with some coffees and espressos. Sounding even better? It is.

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Quiches beckon. Individual pies, the crust flaky, tender, stuffed with egg and, on our visit, spinach and a mild cheese. (There’s a special quiche each day.) Being in a rural-centric mood, we focused on a more down home platter of scrambled eggs, a couple of bacon rashers, and thick slices of toast, the last still toasty enough to melt the patties of cold butter we applied. (Seriously, how often does a restaurant breakfast achieve that?) The kicker, toast-wise, was a ramekin of blueberry compote for dipping that is the very essence of the fruit.

After breakfast, the idea of hanging around the fireplace until it was time for lunch or dinner was appealing. Instead, we made another trip, several days later. Later in the day, the emphasis is on sandwiches and burgers, the latter juicy and flame-broiled, decorated with onion, tomato, and a slice of kosher dill on a brioche bun. The half-pound burger, topped with bacon, cheese, and a fried egg, is even more ambitious, and then there’s The Triple S, Have a Cow’s take on a Philly cheesesteak: a toasted hoagie packed with shaved steak, grilled onion, peppers, and pepper Jack.

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Steak fries are fine as a side, starchy and crispy, but don’t miss the Hominy on the Range. The recipe is a family holiday staple from the owner’s mother-in-law. Think mac and cheese but with hominy instead of macaroni, swirled with cheddar and topped with breadcrumbs. The corny goodness of the hominy is sublime.

We had our eye on a big glass case filled with an array of alluring pastel-hued fudge slabs. Imagine our disappointment when they turned out to be artisanal soaps. Though we were tempted to give them a nibble (one was Lavender Peppermint, another Oatmeal, Milk, and Honey), relief came in the form of another case packed with pastries. It’s a nearly overwhelmingly rich environment for the dessert lover. Softball-sized cinnamon buns are spackled with salted caramel icing. A puffy, crumbly scone is scattered with blueberries. The desserts are superior.

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

House-made cinnamon roll with cream cheese icing.

Oh, and one other great idea from St. Pierre: You can buy beef from the Have a Cow Farm here. We’re going back soon; we saw a 3-pound sirloin with our name on it. While we’re there, we might also try the BLT. And an Owensville Fog tea. And we really need that winged porky fridge magnet that reads, “I pigged out at Have a Cow Cattle Company.”

The Bottom Line Breakfasts and burgers are served in a delightful urban farm supply setting.