“What began as a vision became a meaningful part of our lives because of the incredible support of our community,” The Flying Cow wrote on social media. “We are sincerely thankful for every visit, every shared meal, and every moment of connection that filled this place with life.”
Both the Flying Cow and its associated beef supplier, The Oda Ranch appear to have opened between 2017 and 2019. According to the Flying Cow website, Musashi “Mike” Oda opened the Oda Ranch in Richmond with a dream to bring traditional Japanese wagyu to the U.S.
But since you can’t import Japanese wagyu directly to the U.S., The Oda Ranch raised its own “Wodagyu” cattle, certified by the American Wagyu Association, and descended from the Tajima black line. According to the ranch’s Instagram account, it supplied beef to several Houston restaurants, including Henderson & Kane and the now-closed Counter Common.
The Flying Cow had an impressive menu of burgers, sandwiches, tacos, appetizers, sides and milkshakes. Sans the drinks and the sides, everything featured Oda’s signature Wodagyu beef. According to videos on social media, the restaurant even used robot servers.
We still don’t know why they closed, but we’ve reached out to the Oda Ranch and the Flying Cow for more information. As suppliers, they were likely impacted by the ongoing price increases that have affected overall beef consumption across the U.S.
While most people can tell you that wagyu comes from Japan, American wagyu might trip up some grocery shoppers. According to the American Wagyu Association, Japanese ranchers exported wagyu cattle to the U.S. in the 1970s. In the ’90s, Japan started imposing strict limitations on the export of its wagyu to other countries. Today’s “American wagyu” cattle are descended from those early imported cattle that were crossbred with Black Angus breeds.