Ranchman's Ponder Steakhouse

My mother decided that she was tired of waiting. She pulled the birthday card and off to Justin, Tx we went. So worth the drive a very inconspicuous building that if you drove by too fast you might pass it. Lucky for me my mother was driving. She hit the breaks and made the turn in. Immediately I was excited it said BYOB. Are they serious??? I just had gotten a nice bottle to celebrate later. Now I can enjoy with my meal? Happiness 😊 walked into the little building. We were cheerful greeted by Lizzy our all in one (very sweet and courteous) server. My mom picked a booth near the front door. Our server Lizzy came to our table pleasant, smiling and amazing attitude. She pointed out a dish my mom hadn't had in over 35 years. I saw the smile on my mom's face. I asked her to bring my mom some. They arrived looking 😍 amazing. My mom was so excited, now I had never heard of Calf Fries aka Sweet Bread. I tried one interesting flavor. I asked my mom "what type of meat it was?" Soon Lizzy walked up. My mom asked me to repeat the question. I do and they look at each other and laugh. My mom says "should I tell her or do you want to? Then says you know what? She smart let her guess. I guess..." Cow Balls" yes I was right. Cow Balls. I had no questions I immediately started cracking jokes. They were good. Back to the meal the special was chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, corn and green beans. All handmade that day flavor was amazing, portion size was huge and the price was great. First bite was full of flavor. Definitely would come back and would order something else. All around amazing experience. A lot of history in the building, food was outstanding and the atmosphere was quaint and friendly. All things good about small Texas towns. My mom was impressed and wants to take her friends. We drove from. Azle to Justin. Again, worth the drive. We took home a slice of pecan pie. Delicious 😋 as well as some homemade soap they make with the fat from the cooking. In a variety of scents. A hidden gem 💎 that needs to a stop if you can.

We had marked this place to go on our next trip to Oklahoma from Austin but saw they are closed when I went to add it to our map. To the soon to be new owners please keep it the same? Maybe it will work with a Thursday to Sunday shorter schedule? Also Texas Bucket List is a trusted source, many others will disappointed but you know that you will have a dedicated local fan base and will really attract the travelers like us. Best of Luck I hope to see good news soon. My thoughts, appreciation and prayers are with the current owners for your Yeats of service.

Glad to have them back after a three year hiatus! Went there for a late lunch. Great friendly service. Food was every bit as good as I had remembered. Don't forget to save room for pie or cobbler for dessert!

They’re baaack! And as good as ever. Charming - every bit of it, from the place to the people. The chicken fried steak was excellent. The grilled quail had outstanding flavor. I’ll be back to try everything else on the menu.

Not the fanciest place, but that's part of the charm. Good Steaks & sides, very reasonable prices. They treat you like they know you.
If you are seeking "Fine Dining" or Perry's, this is not the place. We love this restaurant, go once or twice a month ! They close early so plan accordingly.

Everyone is very welcoming and friendly. The food is always delicious. And the service is excellent. My husband loves their chicken fried steak. He gets The Hoss, which is as large as the platter it's served on. I love their burgers. They are so fresh tasting and juicy. And my in-laws love the steaks. There is definitely something for everyone in the family. Oh, and definitely try to save room for the home-made cobblers and pies. Delicious!

Been coming here since the 90’s. I am glad I was ask to comeback for the reopening after Covid. The place has never lost its charm. Dave still owns the place. This is a true Texas country restaurant. Come on in sit down and relax and enjoy the conversation. This is not a fast food joint, this is sit down at home food. The staff is great the food is fantastic . They make chicken fried steak fingers like my mom makes. It is so nice that I can travel out of the city to come in relax. I have have a couple hundred burgers here, yes a couple hundred burgers. The fried zucchini and green tomatoes are fantastic as well. Durning the week they have a lunch special, but I got for burgers or fried steak.

The best and the cleanest restaurant I have ever been in. Very organized and the ambience is excellent. The staff and the owner are all very welcoming and friendly. Great service. Their restrooms are also very clean. It’s cozy and comfy. Enjoyed and loved the food too. Love this restaurant. Please try dining in.

Food was amazing and staff was very friendly! Very unique menus, looked like the local newspaper. Steak was cooked perfect and was juicy to the last bite. Homemade dressing and desserts were so good we got some to go. Staff was so helpful, friendly and genuine. It was a little out of our way but it was 100% worth the detour!

Had the chicken fried steak... really good! I was the only one in my party who liked their rolls. The fries were fresh cut and made to order...

The pies looked amazing.. I didn't try any ordered since I'm still in a food induced coma..

Day tripped out here from grapevine Texas for a little excursion. Interesting area, Ponder Texas! The food at this restaurant was really delicious , down home country style, great fried chicken and take away baked goods and pies.! They have a piano so we played a bit. The service was excellent, prices were too cheap for the food! High quality !!

I have wanted to eat here for years hearing about the gluten free Thanksgiving Dinner. It was true to its word. Tasted like it was cooked at home. All you can eat, full menu, just like mom made. Pies galore, mmmm, and they were delish. And I had. no stress, no family arguments, and no holiday resentments because I didn't have to clean up afterwards. Great service from someone that had to sacrifice her holiday so I could have mine.

Valerie waited on us and she was so nice and friendly. We ordered the chicken fried steak and it was fantastic. Thanks so much! Bryan Cole

The food is fabulous. Everyone will just start up a conversation with you at the table next to you. It's a great place.

This is my husband's favorite place to eat in all the world. He was heartbroken when they closed for the better part of 3 years. Now that they're back in action, they seem to have the kinks worked out, food back to it's usual greatness, and a few of our favorites back! So glad to see Valerie and Dave. We go for the fried zucchini as an appetizer and burgers and fries for the meal. So good.

It is good to see them open again! My wife and I split a porterhouse steak. There was plenty of meat for two of us. I added a baked potato (which you need to order a day before) with all the toppings. All the staff was very nice. They gave us a taste of the lunch special (meat loaf) along with the cooked carrots. I know what I'll be looking for next time. We finished off lunch with coconut meringue pie. It was very good too. The 45 minute drive from North Dallas went quick.

I am so sad that Ranchman’s is closed. I sure hope it comes back in some form. They were my go to place for chicken fried steak.

Such a unique dining experience! Quick and kind service. The food is like none other! From scratch and extremely delicious!! Everything was to die for (we had rolls, mushrooms, chicken fried steak, T-bone steak and blackberry cobbler)! Couldn’t be happier that this place is up and running in Ponder!

Best cheeseburger basket period.
The hand cut fries are great! The pies are...addictive!

They are back and even better! Good food and great service!