Lunch at the Ranch
Looking for a diversion from the endless gray skies, Dave and I went to Pizza Ranch for lunch. No cooking, no clean-up, and … pizza!
It’s an oddball place. I mean, mashed potatoes and pizza don’t go together. But, the restaurant has been way more popular than I thought it would be.
Customer service is something they’ve got going on in this restaurant. They’re all over you to pick up empty plates. And when you come in, they tell you that if you don’t see your favorite pizza on the buffet, they’ll make it for you. That’s how we came to try the sauerkraut/Canadian bacon pizza (pretty good, I have to say – and I speak as a non-sauerkraut eater.)
So the shift manager comes up and asks how our food is and reminds us again that we can order a special pizza if we’d like. Dave remembers a pizza they had during their Kyle Busch/NASCAR promotion – a Bucking Bronco pizza. The manager said since they don’t make that anymore that they didn’t have the chorizo sausage, but they could make it without chorizo. So they did. Jalapenos on pizza. Good stuff.
Bucking Bronco pizza
Pizza Ranch has a western theme – wagon wheels, buffalo and saguaro cactus upholstery on the booths, farm tools hanging on the walls. And they play country music. Not necessarily classic country, but not the top 40 either.
Riding in the car listening to the radio when I can’t figure out who a male vocalist is, I’ll ask Dave, “Who’s that singing?” And Dave responds with his default answer, “Clint Black.”
It may be Tim McGraw or Leonard Cohen, but Dave will give me “Clint Black.”
So, we’re eating our pizza and mashed potatoes in Pizza Ranch today and a Clint Black song comes over the speakers, a little whiny as is his way.
“Hey, it’s Clint Black,” I say.
“Oh, so that’s what he sounds like.”
Gravy and pizza. Why am I not surprised that this is from Kansas? I miss that place! EFH
LOL! Clint Black just doesn’t sound like anyone else. It’s funny, too, because I’m alright with his kind of whiny, but there are others who drive me nuts for that same reason. Willie Nelson comes to mind. I just don’t care for Willie.
I’m ready for a nice spring salad! Greens, bits of red onion, boiled egg, sliced mushrooms, OK, stick some real bacon bits in there too…
Was the Pizza Ranch formerly a Ponderosa?
No, but Onnalee can tell you all about it. I don’t think there was anything there before the Pizza Ranch–right next to the Pizza Hut/Wings. I think it’s the only one in Kansas.
I’m curious about the 2 a.m. aftereffects of sauerkraut/bacon/jalapeno pizza with mashed taters and gravy. And people tell me I eat weird stuff.
I always eat jalepenos on the side with my pizza. Yum. When I ask Curt who that is singing, he always responds Randy something. Must be a Leiker thing.
My first impression of the Pizza Ranch was that it was like walking into a giant playset. Plastic wood and wagon wheels and all. Sticker sherrif badges.