NASH—Nashville, the Northwest Oklahoma rural community not the Tennessee country music capital, has been pickin’ and grinnin’ since the Land Run of 1893. Just east of the Oklahoma 132 and U.S. 64 junction, this agricultural town sometimes referred to as Nash-Ville on the west edge of Grant County continues to truck along even though it’s tiny.
In 1911, the town’s name was changed (not shortened as some might assume) to pay homage to its first postmaster Clark Nash. Thriving along the railroad line, Nash was a booming community at the turn of the century with plenty of businesses and residents. Then the Great Depression hit followed by World War II, and the population decreased. Nash saw a brief revival with the oil boom in the 1980s but now has less than 200 people who call it home.
At some point in the 1960s, an entrepreneur moved in a railroad dining car on the highway and opened a café. This homestyle restaurant—which later expanded to include more dining space with tables and chairs in addition to the barstool seating as well as indoor plumbing so no more outhouse—has had several owners through the years, the most recent being Joe and Susan Parks.
This couple met while they were students at Oklahoma State University in the 1970s, him having been raised in Nash where his ancestors homesteaded during the Cherokee Strip Land Run and her having grown up on the cattle ranch trails of the Pacific Northwest.
They wed 47 years ago and have three sons, four human grandbabies, and six fur grandbabies. Early in their marriage, the Parks family resided elsewhere before returning to the area to live in his great-grandparents’ home and farm.
Susan worked in Enid at the time, but felt the pull of something more.
“I knew I wanted to do something with food,” she said, so in November 2000, “I birthed this place.”
The previous cafe owner, who had operated it for 17 years, was ready for retirement so she sold it to Susan. Technically the name of the restaurant is Ranch House Café, but locals call it Gripey Joe’s or simply the Nash café.
Why Gripey Joe’s, readers may be asking?
“I went from showing champion Hereford cattle to washing dishes,” Joe retorted as he grabbed silverware and carried out a tray of desserts to hungry customers.
Susan only grinned as she rustled up pork chops on the grill and scooped out mashed potatoes, green beans, and corn onto plates.
She serves the “whatever” plate on Wednesday, pork chops on Thursday, and burgers on Friday if it’s fish night or Mexican specialties if not.
Many of the regulars eating at the café have been coming in for generations. They enjoy Susan’s homecooked meals, but numerous patrons admitted it’s the conversations with family and friends, and above all, Joe, that keeps them coming back for more.
“People want the nostalgia,” Susan said, adding several have commented, “’We want a piece of what my parents’ had.’”
The Parks used to offer comfort foods all week as well as cater, but they got busy doing other things, then the pandemic happened, so they reverted to only being open three days a week. Joe’s father also passed, therefore, Joe took on more responsibility with the land and cattle.
And now “we’re old,” Susan mentioned as she glanced at Joe decked out in his cowboy hat and boots waiting on customers. He turned 70 this year and she’s not far behind.
The café has been feeding folks in and around Nash for over 60 years with the Parks owning it for 25 of them and counting.
They don’t have any plans of turning over the reins in the near future.
“We make enough to survive,” Susan said.
She knows her dream of running a restaurant wasn’t on her husband’s radar, but as he sat and joked with fellow farmers in the dining room, she just smiled and went back to dusting the pork chops with flour.
Gripey Joe’s Ranch House Café is open Wednesday through Friday for the lunch hour between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sometimes the Parks open the café for Friday fish night from 6-9 p.m., but travelers ought to check out the Facebook page (Facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063746732878) before driving over or call (580) 532-5331.