Branson Food

[Zephon]

He's been gone a few years.  They don't really have what they call the "head chef" anymore, at least not like it was with Zader.  I'm not sure what they're going to do at the C&C building.  They were looking for the type of person who could fill that kind of position for it, not sure if they've found one yet.

[DalesDaMan3]

I love to eat at Chesters! I am wanting to try the Acapulco Taco grill, based on Tripadvisor.
Has anyone tried it?

[Firstvisit1967]

No one has mentioned the restaurant at the IMAX.  We have found that to be one of the best.   Shorty Smalls is one of the worst.  We have tried that place three different times.

Joe's Crab on the landing is cool.  What a great place to work that would be.

[oldsdcer]

The world's largest Golden Corral Is great across the street from the Imax. Also there is Red Lobster next door.

[slow_walker]

The world's largest Golden Corral Is great across the street from the Imax. Also there is Red Lobster next door.

These are basically the only two restaurants I eat at in Branson because they're on the edge of town so they're much easier to get to. Plus, the food is fantastic at both places. Since I'm a local I don't have to spend the night in Branson, so generally don't have any reason to go down the strip and get tangled in all that traffic.

[rubedugans]

Breakfast at Billy Gails for us is second only to the Mill. It is hearty, wholesome, and cheap. From the outside it looks a bit rough, and well lets face it, from the inside it does too!!! but the food and service is wonderful. Pancakes that are bigger than the plates, biscuits and gravy, all of it is there!

We frequent the salad bar at Ruby Tuesday's only because then we won't feel too guilty afterwards when we gorge ourselves on Andy's. I managed a frozen custard store/branch in StL for a little over 6 years, and I can say for a fact that Andy's is my favorite. We NEVER miss it.  Other dinner locations are

We also hit up the Olive Garden during the winter for soup after we see the lights/parade. Other than that, Altenhoff Inn on Indian Point has great views, but average food/ service from my visits. We eat in at the cabins a lot during our stays to save $$. We shop at Jubilee, and the people know us since we are there so much.

[HollyAnn]

My family loves the Grand Country Buffet.  It is pricey but the best day to go is for Sunday brunch. We also love the Hard Luck Dinner.  The food is pretty good but the atmosphere is great since all the wait staff sings.   Thinking about all this Branson food makes me hungry!! Maybe a trip down there is in my near future! 

[Twinsmom98]

I second the Grand Country Buffet - that is the first place my girls want to eat at as soon as we check into the hotel.  They love the meatloaf and mashed potatoes.  Of course, they like the ice cream and cookies.  They prefer to sit near the picture that have the grandma and grandpa talk.

Also, I like the hawaiian pizza athte Imax and enjoy Andy's too.

Of course, before we leave to go home - it has been tradition to eat breakfast at IHOP. 

I cannot wait until April!!!!

[Junior]

Grand Country Buffet, STARVIN' MARVIN's, Landry's, top three picks....in SDC Lucky Silver Mine, the Mill, Springhouse, Lumbercamp. FUNNEL CAKE, I NEED A FUNNEL CAKE...hurry opening day!

[History Buff]

Taco Bell on the way in and Pizza Hut on the way out (both in Branson West) - I'm not sure why; it just seems easy.  Boring, but easy.

[Firstvisit1967]

Lucky Silver Mine is a cool place to eat.  The food is average but it a neat place.

[rubedugans]

I have to say that I have been to Cracker Barrel so much that whenever I go to one here at home, when leaving, I feel like I am going to walk outside onto the strip, and I am let down that I am at home again! That would be a great "Twilight Zone" moment. A wormhole here in St Louis that immediately leads from A restaurant to Highway 76! I do love me some CB Chicken and Dumplings.

[Swoosh]

AVOID:
Applebee's.  They have the absolute worst service I've ever seen at a restaurant.  I cannot even begin to put into words how frustrating this place is.

Olive Garden.  Forget getting a table within an hour of arriving.  You might as well put your name on the list and then go watch a show and come back.  You might actually have a table by then - and even then the service sucks.

[PastorDon]

This isn't exactly "Branson", but we always look forward to eating at least once at Lambert's in Ozark either on the way in or the way home.  Love those "Throwed Rolls", with sorghum!  Their Fried Taters are the best, and I always older the hog jowl.  It's like deep fried bacon!  Decadent but awesome! 

[Junior]

Did have a real bad experience a few years ago at Branson Red Lobster. It was a busy night. We had a large group. They forgot about us for over an hour and a half. When we got a table, service was lousy, orders messed up. They gave us a discount on the tab, but not a satisfactory one.

Regarding Lamberts...go to the ORIGINAL location at Sikeston, MO. (Just off I-55) I lived in Sikeston in my post SDC years while attending college at SEMO University just north of there at Cape Girardeau. My parents were frends with Norman Lambert, the owner, the original guy who started throwing rolls. He was a nice fellow, very funny. Always entertaining. The current building they work out of in Sikeston was built in the 80's, and is kind of set up like a Cracker Barrell, but with the Lambert's charm. Plenty of pictures of mules, and business cards hung up all over the place. If you leave there hungry, it's nobody's fault but yours. The restaurants at Ozark and in Alabama are run by Norm's kids, and they apparently do a very good job with the places they have, too.