Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series (“The Quick Bite”) of Hill Country restaurant reviews featuring simple, affordable, and tasty food.
We’d driven past it a dozen times last summer en route to Schlitterbahn. Still, it wasn’t until near the end of summer that we decided to pop into Spud Ranch (a.k.a. “the Ranch”). As it happened, I was in New Braunfels on business, and it was close to lunchtime.
“We should go to the Ranch,” said my young companion. “You kept saying that you want to try it.”
Throwing my relatively low carb diet to the wind, we popped into the cozy eatery. Inside, wooden tables and Hollywood Western kitsch greeted us, offering respite from the blazing heat. (This was back in August, after all.) Since it was lunchtime, the place was packed with tourists, local families, and a trio of blue-collar fellas who looked knowledgeable about affordable (and tasty) Hill Country cooking.
The staff at the counter was friendly and efficient, going out of their way to help us with a serious food allergy question. With our choices made and the bill paid, we scored a table in the back.
Before long a cheerful employee came out with our order: my son’s plain-and-dry cheeseburger on buttery Texas toast and my “Frito Pie Spud.”
Honestly, there was enough food in my little green basket to feed three to four people, loaded as it was with Fritos, chili, butter, cheddar, and chives. (I asked for the sour cream on the side, but you can have that piled on as well.) With a quick dash of Cholula sauce, I dug into a tasty meal.
My tween-age companion gave the burger and a side of hand-cut fries the thumbs up. There were kid’s meal options for the twelve-and-under set along with salads, various burger variations and more delicious spud combinations than you can imagine. Brisket? Hot wings? Veggie? Chicken-fried steak? Yes, those were all on offer as potato toppings. You could go old school with a traditional spud (butter, cheddar, bacon bits, chives, and sour cream) or a broccoli-and-cheese combo.
Checking out other tables, we could see that chicken tenders were popular, and I noticed the menu featured an affordable green salad that you can eat alone or with various meat toppings. Dessert options included a small selection of baked goods and Bluebell Ice Cream.
Frito Pie-stuffed spuds. Bluebell. Chicken tenders. Could there be a more Hill Country lunchtime spot? If there is, I wanna see it.
Story and photograph by Pamela Price
Explore More:
Spud Ranch
SpudRanch.com
118 Common Street
New Braunfels, Texas
(830) 387-4466
The restaurant has a drive thru and caters, if you’re in the need of such services. There’s also another location in San Marcos on Aquarena Springs.
