A West Palm Beach restaurant team that raises its own cattle is opening a steakhouse named after one of the first Wagyu bulls ever imported to the United States. Rueshaw, an upscale but approachable live-fire American steakhouse, is set to open at 424 Park Place in the Flamingo Park District, built entirely around Florida-raised Akaushi beef from Rancher's Reserve.
The project comes from Rancher's Reserve, Fern, and Steak Shop by Rancher's Reserve, with construction expected to begin this month and an opening targeted for spring 2027, according to a report from Markets of Tomorrow. Rueshaw is being developed in partnership with Welteroth Property Group and Soma Hospitality Ventures, and will sit alongside a neighboring butchery called Steak Shop. Nick Scalisi, a Rancher's Reserve co-founder, restaurateur, and rancher, leads the project.
Rueshaw was one of the first two Kumamoto Red Wagyu, or Akaushi, bulls brought to the United States from Japan in 1976, alongside a bull named Judo, according to the American Akaushi Association.
From Downtown Wine Bar to Okeechobee Cattle Ranch
Rancher's Reserve didn't start as a ranching outfit. Scalisi launched Fern in downtown West Palm Beach in 2019, and the team later acquired land in Okeechobee to raise cattle after customer demand for higher-quality meat led it to buy its own cattle farm, per the South Florida Insider. The group established its Florida ranch in 2021 and opened Steak Shop, a butcher and grocer selling its beef in the district, in 2025. Today Rancher's Reserve raises Akaushi cattle on two Florida ranches near Okeechobee, managing everything from genetics and animal husbandry to nutrition and finishing.
That location puts the operation at the center of the state's cattle country. Okeechobee County leads Florida in cattle inventory with more than 100,000 head, while the state as a whole ranked ninth nationally with over 860,000 beef cows as of January 2024, according to USDA NASS data cited by UF IFAS Extension. The same research notes Florida's beef cattle operations shrank 15.8 percent between 2017 and 2022, down to 15,568. Over that period, operations with 500–999 head increased 30 percent, those with 1,000–2,499 head increased 37.5 percent, and those with 2,500 or more head increased 12.5 percent — a consolidation trend that direct-to-consumer ranches like Rancher's Reserve are navigating in their own way.
Orange-Fed Beef and a New Florida Cracker Crossbreed
Rancher's Reserve has leaned into regional flavor by finishing its cattle on a custom diet that blends local Florida citrus pulp with corn and pasture grass, branding the result “orange-fed Akaushi,” according to the group's Instagram. The ranch also has an Akaushi-and-Florida-Cracker breeding program pairing Akaushi bulls with heritage Florida Cracker cattle, aiming to combine Japanese beef quality with the heat tolerance and historical pedigree of Florida's native stock, which traces back to Andalusian cattle brought by Spanish explorers in the 1500s.
Genetics heavily influence marbling and carcass quality. Purebred Akaushi cattle remain rare nationally, with fewer than 10,000 in the United States, yet carcass evaluation data shows Akaushi beef achieves 51.4 percent USDA Prime and 47.4 percent Choice ratings, per the American Akaushi Association's breed overview — grades that help explain the premium price tag on beef like this at upscale steakhouses.
A Scratch Kitchen Built Around Live Fire
Rueshaw's menu will be scratch-driven and designed to go beyond standard steakhouse fare, mixing familiar and lesser-known beef cuts with Florida seafood and seasonal ingredients, according to the Markets of Tomorrow report. The restaurant will serve Rancher's Reserve beef cooked over solid fuel in a fully exposed kitchen where diners can watch the live-fire cooking happen. Plans also call for an indoor-outdoor bar, an expansive wine selection, a cocktail program, and an intimate private dining room.
“We're really excited about the opportunity to bring everything we've learned through our ranch and restaurants together,” Scalisi said, according to the outlet's report. He added that Rueshaw lets the group build on its work, challenge itself creatively, and aim to create something special for West Palm Beach.
A Site With Michelin History
The address carries some weight in Palm Beach County dining circles. The building at 424 Park Place previously housed Konro, which became the county's first Michelin-starred restaurant before closing in 2025 following the arrest of its chef-owner on attempted murder charges, according to Wikipedia. The space was then converted into Emelina, a 16-seat Cuban tasting-menu counter from chefs Osmel González and Camila Salazar with APM Restaurant Group, which opened in February 2026 and earned a Michelin star in May 2026 — becoming the first Cuban restaurant to do so.
APM's footprint in the district is expanding further with Niwa, a 20-seat Japanese concept pairing Ogawa's Masayuki Komatsu with González, planned next door to Rueshaw with an outdoor tea garden. Steak Shop sits at 513 Park Place, while Loot, the district's organic grocer, is located at 521 Park Place. A Pumphouse sourdough donut shop is also planned for the district, with a targeted spring 2027 opening.
A Growing Restaurant Row in Flamingo Park
The Flamingo Park District already includes Buccan Sandwich Shop, Table 26, Grato, Hive Bakery & Cafe, Civil Society Brewing, and Tacos del Cartel, with Döner Haus, Salt & Sugar, Martha's, Rakki Hi-Fi, Pizzeria Luca, and Deia Casa among the forthcoming businesses. The district runs along the Dixie Highway cultural quarter in the historic Flamingo Park neighborhood of West Palm Beach, and is curated by Gregory Welteroth of Welteroth Property Group.
Beyond restaurants, the district has drawn design and wellness brands, including SWD Bespoke's first U.S. showroom, a Ro Sham Beaux flagship, and the Hästens Palm Beach design showroom, alongside wellness operators Higher Order, The Wellthy Method, and The Tox. A Padel X location is also coming to the area. Rancher's Reserve beef is already sold at Steak Shop on Park Place, giving shoppers a taste of the same supply chain that will anchor Rueshaw's kitchen once it opens.
