Pappas Ranch Steakhouse & Bar

Revisited by General Managers Invitation

I received an invitation from Alex Stevenson, the general manager at this location, through my Review on Yelp to return to this restaurant for another try on him. I called him in advance as per his request on an early Sunday evening for dinner for my wife and I. When we arrived I asked for Alex at the hostess stand and he was standing nearby, he greeted us with a smile and a handshake. This time we were seated to the left of the hostess station towards the kitchen. The booth we were seated at was the last booth before the kitchen. It is a standard booth as opposed to the booths that were located in the bar area last time we attended which are decorated with cow skin, complete with hair. This time there were no springs in the seats poking up at me, thank goodness. The lighting in this restaurant remains horrible and way too bright. It's a shame really with this kind of theme Pappas could easily add small table lamps to each table which would match the chandeliers and really give it a homey feel. In the end we did suggest that to Alex, hopefully something is done about it. There was a spotlight to the left of me in the hallway that is "designated" by some large carpet/tapestries hanging from the ceiling that was pointed right at my face, in addition to the already bright lighting above the booths.

The service this time around was much better. Our server's name was Kelly she was quite attentive, smiling and efficient. There was really only one moment that I didn't feel very welcome and that was when I had asked her for a side of Greek dressing to go with our individual chopped Greek salad, when she returned with the small plastic cup of dressing she merely dropped it at the table and kept going. It's the little things really, as any good restaurateur will tell you.

We did manage to get a basket of bread this time though which was quite good although it is served cold, the butter was whipped which allowed for easy spreading. The bread was fresh with crisp outside and a nice soft inside, perfect.

We opted for sharing and individual chopped Greek salad as I mentioned earlier. It is served in a bowl and it is such a large portion that it is heaped in the bowl and way more than enough for two as a side salad. Highlights of the salad include really good anchovies and big hunks of feta cheese. Disappointments include; not enough beets, potato salad, and tomatoes, and a Greek dressing that's flat and somewhat sour.  In my opinion, no one beats Little Greek rendition (see my review) of this item.

For an appetizer we tried in off the menu recommended potato skins. Since I love potato skins we decided to give them a whirl. They arrived on a larger oval plate accompanied with garnish and a small plastic ramekin of sour cream. There topped with melted cheddar and real bacon pieces. There's plenty of potato in each slice however we found all to be quite dry and overcooked. What a shame really these would've been splendid had they have been cooked correctly. When Alex came by and asked I did tell him and show him visibly.

On to the entrées, my wife ordered the prime rib (12oz) medium rare and I ordered the smaller (6oz) filet also medium rare, both recommended by Alex. We each ordered green beans or what is classified as the fresh vegetable of the day. When they arrived they were both cooked to perfection. My wife ordered fresh horseradish and was not disappointed. The prime rib was served in a large oval plate and swimming a little bit of au jus. My filet was topped with crispy onion straws that were perfectly battered and whose taste complemented the steak nicely. My filet was a great cut of meat tender and buttery. The green beans were slightly garlicky but crisp and fresh. Both portions of green beans were quite adequate in size. Overall the entrées were above average however they are also priced above average, with my small filet and the prime rib both ringing in at $18.59 each.

We finalized our meal with a recommended dessert from Alex the cranberry bread pudding ($5.49). I could sum this up with one word (unbelievable), but that wouldn't really be fair to you, my readers. Arriving as a 6" x 6" x 1.5" tall piece of buttery, melt in your mouth goodness, it was perfect. The right amount of cinnamon, butter and cranberry kept it from being overly dry which is the most common problem with bread puddings. It's all too easy to go overboard and go really, really moist having the cake fall apart as well, but fortunately this was not the case. Each forkful, even though we were full; found us wanting more and more, it was truly the highlight of the entire evening.

To summarize my overall opinion I take in consideration, the service, the decor and atmosphere, the price, and of course the food I still feel this place is at best just average or slightly below. I did add an additional star from my original review for the handling of my review by the management team.

**as of 4/8/13, both employees and customers of pappas ranch were given zero days notice that the restaurant is officially closed and the building is being sold**

just an fyi to anyone who may have wanted to check it out**

Food is okay, service is good. Worth a try to determine if YOU like it.

It's a large establishment with lots of different levels of seating areas. GREAT outside seating area.

I got tacos, (I know... tacos at a steak house)  they were nothing to write home about, but just enough to write Yelp about.

I have had their burgers as well and they are good. I love their chicken pot pies.