Sirloin Stockade offered 'great food' and 'great memories' | Marshfield restaurants our readers miss most

Jamie Rokus, Marshfield News-Herald
·4 min read

MARSHFIELD − Last year, we asked readers which former restaurants they missed most in the Marshfield area. Readers suggested almost 20 restaurants that they miss in the community. Over the next several weeks, we will finish highlighting the top five restaurants our readers miss most.

We recently featured Thomas House Restaurant at No. 5, Marshfield Family Restaurant at No. 4 and Hudson's Classic Grill at No. 3.

The Sirloin Stockade restaurant opened Oct. 21, 1974, at 2001 S. Roddis Ave. in Marshfield. A large brown-and-white steer statue stood in front of the restaurant advertising its specials and hours.
The Sirloin Stockade restaurant opened Oct. 21, 1974, at 2001 S. Roddis Ave. in Marshfield. A large brown-and-white steer statue stood in front of the restaurant advertising its specials and hours.

No. 2: Sirloin Stockade

The Sirloin Stockade opened Oct. 21, 1974, at 2001 S. Roddis Ave. The cafeteria-style restaurant featured various cuts of steak, chicken, lobster and shrimp. The local restaurant was part of a nationwide chain of about 200 locations, and it was the first Sirloin Stockade in Wisconsin.

Managed by Ken Hunze, of Marshfield, the restaurant employed about 35 people when it opened and could seat 175 diners, according to Marshfield News-Herald archives.

The franchise corporation, which organized eight years before the restaurant opened, selected Marshfield for a location because it felt the city had the best potential for growth of any place in the state, restaurant operators told the News-Herald.

An ad that appeared in the Dec. 13, 1974, News-Herald advertised a New York-cut steak for a regular price of $2.59 and with a coupon for $2.19 that was served with baked potato or french fries, hot Stockade Toast and a free ice cream cone. A sirloin filet steak cost $2.49 regular price or $1.99 with a coupon, and a quarter-pound hamburger was only 39 cents with a coupon.

Customers who responded to the News-Herald survey seeking the most-missed restaurants in the community remembered its "great food" and that the Sirloin Stockade served "the best bread pudding with vanilla sauce."

"It had a wonderful salad bar, reasonably priced steaks, and a kids menu so the whole family could enjoy a nice meal," one reader wrote. "The kids dubbed it 'The Big Cow' in reference to the huge concrete statue of a steer near the entrance."

A thread on the Marshfield & North Wood County History Facebook page asks followers: "Sirloin Stockade...who ate there?" It includes more than 450 likes and nearly 300 comments from people who enjoyed dining at the restaurant when it was open in the city and others reminiscing about working there in the past, with many sharing stories of their time there when they were high school students.

"Ha! Worked there as 'the Salad girl' my 1st job when I turned 16," one poster wrote. "I LOVED the steak n stuff!"

Another shared: "We made lifelong friends!! So many memories!"

The giant steer that stood in front of the restaurant was a fond memory for many as well. And several people shared that the former brown-and-white statute is now a bold green and white and could be found between Abbotsford and Curtiss on the north side of State 29.

The vast variety of food items offered was also a highlight for many who shared on the Facebook page.

"We didn't eat out too often but this was our family favorite," one person wrote. "Great place, great memories. Didn't hurt it had the ice cream machine."

Developer Ken Staab transforms the former Sirloin Stockade restaurant on South Roddis Avenue in Marshfield into an office and restaurant condominium in this March 1997 file photo. The existing 4,400-square-foot restaurant was preserved and upgraded and nearly 14,000 square feet of new office space was added in the back of the building.
Developer Ken Staab transforms the former Sirloin Stockade restaurant on South Roddis Avenue in Marshfield into an office and restaurant condominium in this March 1997 file photo. The existing 4,400-square-foot restaurant was preserved and upgraded and nearly 14,000 square feet of new office space was added in the back of the building.

Sirloin Stockade got its start in 1966 in Oklahoma City as a family-style, all-you-can-eat buffet steakhouse serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The original location had a giant 1,800-pound plastic ornamental cow at the location. There are still nine Sirloin Stockade restaurants operating in four states: Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas, according to the company's website.

News-Herald archives show the restaurant was still open in Marshfield in 1995, but in October 1996 Ken Staab, of B&K Builders Inc. and Green Roof Investments, purchased the property and renovated it, adding 14,000 square feet of office space to the back of the building, which became known as Park Plaza. Café China rented out the space that formerly housed the steak eatery. Other tenants included Remnant Church, which had office space and classrooms, and TTC, an Internet provider using space as a regional center.

The Pearce Plaza business complex at 2001 S. Central Ave. in Marshfield, pictured on Jan. 24, holds multiple small businesses. The building was once home to the popular Sirloin Stockade restaurant, which opened on Oct. 21, 1974.
The Pearce Plaza business complex at 2001 S. Central Ave. in Marshfield, pictured on Jan. 24, holds multiple small businesses. The building was once home to the popular Sirloin Stockade restaurant, which opened on Oct. 21, 1974.

Staab told the News-Herald in March 1997 that the project provided approximately 18,000 square feet of new office space on the south side, and "that side of the city doesn’t really have that."

The business center, which is located directly across South Central Avenue from Marshfield Utilities, again has been renamed as Pearce Plaza and it now provides space for small businesses such as Gypsie Hollow, Salon Flair by Nadeen, Thrivent, Girlfriend's Corner Boutique, CRC Tech Services and more.

Editor Jamie Rokus can be reach at jrokus@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter at @Jamie_Rokus.

This article originally appeared on Stevens Point Journal: Marshfield restaurants: Sirloin Stockade offered great food, memories