When co-owner Don Day initiated the renaissance of downtown McKinney in the early 2000s he said he knew the historic building would be home to a landmark restaurant. He just needed someone to run it. Enter Rick Wells, co-owner and namesake of Rick’s Chophouse.
“As we started to develop this concept in 2005, we felt like McKinney needed a good old Southern steakhouse, and that’s what we set out to do,” Wells said. “We still have a Southern influence and always will, but we don’t just stay in the South today. The menu is a collaboration process with the chef and the leadership team. It’s a group effort.”
Wells said the menu primarily changes in the fall and spring depending on people’s opinions and what is available.
He describes his perfect meal as an appetizer of chilled shrimp ($13) followed by the Chophouse Salad ($7), bone-in ribeye ($42) and Texas Pecan Pie ($5) for dessert.
“We’re known for the Chophouse Salad,” Wells said. “It’s been on the menu since day one and hasn’t been changed in 10 years. And our pecan pie is phenomenal. It’s the only recipe we won’t give away.”
Wells said the restaurant is known as one of the best steakhouses in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and is one of a handful of four-star restaurants.
He believes his customers choose Rick’s because of the hospitality and the way the staff makes everyone feel when they dine.
“I believe they come here first for ambience and second for service,” Day said. “Everyone has a different palate and anyone can find something they like to eat, but they can’t always find a place where [the staff makes] them feel special like Rick’s.”
Day also renovated 12 other historic buildings in downtown McKinney.
“In order to revitalize downtown, it was necessary to make it a destination,” Day said. “I wanted a large, landmark restaurant, and the rest is history—10 years of success.”
Rick’s Chophouse
107 N. Kentucky, McKinney 214-726-9251 www.rickschophouse.com Hours: Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Wed. 5-9:30 p.m., Thu. 5-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 5-11 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
