Bona-fried Star

Josh Herrington became an unexpected celebrity after he was featured in a Del Rancho commercial as a pint-sized cowboy in need of a Steak Sandwich Supreme. He might not have the boots anymore, but he has a herd of good memories from those chicken-fried glory days.

As a young man, Josh Herrington made a splash as a hungry kid in commercials for Del Rancho.

Oklahoma Today: Is it true you were paid $50 and a pair of cowboy boots for your work on that commercial?

Josh Herrington: That sounds about right. I was paid somewhere in that range. I remember being so excited because I went out and bought a really nice, new bicycle (I think it was a Huffy). I think my uncle bought the cowboy boots. I do remember, though, having to break them in and I wore them around the house all the time. We kept those boots forever and, sad to say, they, too, have disappeared. We certainly didn’t bronze them and hang them from the rearview mirror.

OKT: What was the process for making the commercial?

JH: My uncle had one of the largest ad agencies in Oklahoma City when I was a kid (my mom was an editor for the Daily Oklahoman, my dad was a photographer, and my other uncle was a graphic designer) and he’s the one who made the commercial. I doubt people know this, but our family did a lot of commercials for Liberty Bank, Furr’s, and there was some Mother’s Day song I did on the radio. I do remember knowing that we were making a commercial and it seemed so crazy to me that we had cameras, lights, make-up, and a bunch of people doing a bunch of different things. Again, if I’m remembering correctly, we filmed it at night at the Del Rancho on Southwest Twenty-third Street (I think) because my great aunt lived down the street. I remember going to her house and then driving to the restaurant with my mom (my step-dad was already there—he was the guy behind the counter who said “it’s his sandwich”). I’ll never forget that I had free reign on the soda machine, and I could drink as much soda as I wanted, which was amazing. I remember they did offer me a Steak Sandwich Supreme and that I didn’t really like it. I was a super picky eater! I had absolutely no idea that it was going to be as popular as it has been.

OKT: Did people ever recognize you when you still lived in Oklahoma?

JH: Weirdly, yes. For some reason I always just kept it to myself. I’d tell my friends, and they’d get a kick out of it and start telling everyone they ran into. People always initially responded with “No way! He’s not the Del Rancho kid,” but then the truth would sink in and they’d really get excited. The weird thing is that this still happens, even in Colorado. A few years ago, one of my co-workers called me freaking out asking if I really was the Del Rancho kid. One of her friends who went to Bishop McGuinness with me told her.

OKT: Are you a fan of Del Rancho and/or the Steak Sandwich Supreme?

JH: I love the hometown feel and local restaurant experience of Del Rancho. I’m so happy that there are still nine restaurants in Oklahoma. They really represent to me what Oklahoma is all about. Braum’s, Belle Isle, Ted’s, Johnnies, The Mathis Brothers, BC Clarks and Del Rancho: All iconic institutions of the state that I’m proud to tell people that I am from. I loved growing up in Oklahoma City and could easily see my wife and I retiring there.

OKT: What have you been up to for the past forty years?

JH: Wow. . . This is a doozy. After college I packed up and lived in Eastern Europe. I taught English in Poland and the Czech Republic for many years and explored all of Europe. I learned French, Polish, and Czech and really enjoyed my time abroad. I returned to the U.S. and moved to Denver to go to graduate school. I “accidentally” became an EMT-Basic (which side-tracked my Master’s for a decade) and eventually became a Paramedic for the City and County of Denver where I ran calls in an extremely busy and chaotic EMS system—shootings, stabbings, cardiac arrests, you name it! I met my wife in an emergency department (she worked in the ED and we’ve been married for fifteen years now) and as we had our first child I decided being a paramedic was too dangerous and applied to, and graduated, graduate school with an MBA in Business. I moved from the streets to hospital administration, had another boy and have just been trying to grow personally and professionally over the years. I’m currently the Director of Product Management for Air Methods, which is the nation’s leading air ambulance company. I get to hang with my EMS peers while doing what I love on the business side.

OKT: What do you think about those commercials today?

JH: I haven’t seen the commercial in quite some time, but from what I remember they were pretty cool. It still blows my mind that people are still interested in the commercial and the kid in the cowboy hat. It has kind of slowed down some over the last few years, but I remember one night getting a bunch of calls and texts saying they just ran the Del Rancho commercial during the local commercial segment for the Super Bowl. I think it’d be really cool if they started airing it again—I even have the mini-me if they ever wanted a new version.

OKT: How do you feel about accidentally becoming an Oklahoma icon?

JH: I think it’s great that people have such a positive affinity towards this commercial and “that” kid. It certainly was fun to make, and I’m extremely proud of all of my family members for contributing to the popular culture of Oklahoma City—I come from a family of amazing creative people, from photography to writing! I don’t really think about it too often, but it is crazy how it seems to bubble up every few years. I do have to say, though, that I’ve been dropping the word “icon” a whole lot more with my wife and boys lately—they’re not sold on it, though! Just another dad joke to them.

JH: As a parting gift, I thought I’d offer up a photo that was used in all the collateral (and that my dad, Richard Herrington, took!) It’s a special photo to me because it represents how my whole family: my uncle who produced the commercial, my mom who carted me to the restaurant, my step-dad who was behind the counter, and my dad who took all the images did something pretty amazing for our hometown.

Written By

Karlie Ybarra

Managing editor Karlie Ybarra loves to explore her home state—and meet many of its animal citizens—any chance she gets.