The Texas BBQ Forum

Has anyone purchased from them before? Any good? They are in Ponder, TX..

I have never been there. But maybe some of the members have. CF

I believe I have had Syracuse sausage before. Had no idea they were just up the road in ponder…hmmmm


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They had a booth at the North Texas State Fair (Denton) and I'd say the sausage was good.

Ponder is definitely worth a stop in. Bonnie and Clyde once went in to rob the bank on the corner there (last time I saw it was still in pretty original shape inside) but I think they had actually gone bust and were out of money to the great surprise of Clyde, which I think is the scene replayed in the old movie.

And the old Ranchman's Steakhouse just down the street is REALLY worth a stop in. Last time I was there 'bout 5 years ago it too was still pretty well preserved inside. Used to have the best pie for 30 miles around. When I was a kid, my Dad the Original Boots and I would stop in and pull up for a piece of mile high chocolate meringue pie and a Dr. Pepper. Place was always pretty deserted (and Ponder itself was pretty much the sleepiest place you ever saw in the '60's, you could throw a rock across the entire town without trying and never endanger anybody). Little old woman would roll out from the kitchen when we'd amble through the old screen door with the tin bread advertisement handle on the front, her head all in curlers with one of those old hairnets on. She looked about 90. She'd shuffle over to the pie case and haul out a slice big enough to choke a pig, about 8 or 9 inches tall. Best stuff you ever ate in yer life.

Fast forward to about '89, and I'm out on a business assignment in the country around Justin, so I decide to go through Ponder to have a look. Sure enough, bank's still there, Ranchman's is still there. I'm feeling hungry and thirsty, just the ticket, I amble in through the old screen door with the tin bread advertisement handle still on the front, still has the same squeak from the same old rusty spring. I go up to the counter and give out a hello to the kitchen out the back... and sure enough, looks like the same exact little old lady who rolls out to serve me, still looks about 90. If it wasn't her, they musta cloned her. And man... pie was still just the same, flakey good with a big ol' meringue and about the size of a single bottom moldboard plow. The little old lady walks up as I'm finishing my pie, asks me how it is and I tell her, it's great and just like I remember it from when I was a 7 year old kid. She looks at me with a big smile and says, "I thought you looked familiar."

Fast forward again to the Oughts, and I took my wife and son by there on a trip to the Stockyards so they could sample the pie, but the old lady was of course gone to the Good Place now I was told. Place still looked the same, pie was still good.

Some change is good, but some ain't. Hope she's still cookin' pie if I get to the Good Place.

Based on the website, looks like they've added some special vegetables to the menu, namely ones from the science fiction movie where nuclear fallout has had an influence on the size of the crop. I can see a new drive in movie being filmed there now, "Bonnie and Clyde II; Attack of the Killer Squash". Hope I get an invite to the premier.

always a fun read from da BOOTman

So many stories, so little time.

Boots wrote:So many stories, so little time.

made that statement a few times myself but I don't think it was about stories

I always love a tale from you Boots ... and I did a quick search and was able to put a name to your pie lady ....
We still use the original "made from scratch" recipes that Evelyn "Granny" Stack made famous here at Ranchman's for over 34 years
This is from the menu a Ranchmans... I am gonna make a road trip up that way next week to try their Quail and a nice slice o' Pie

+1 on Ponder
We went to the steakhouse some years ago on Saturday just for fun. There was a waiting line in the street probably half hr to 45 min. so we decided to wait. The manager came around and said next time bring your beer cooler to sit on and enjoy then when we call you just lug it inside, we don't serve beer but you can bring your own... We ordered CFS and it was great the first time ever I've had CFS that was a breaded steak, not a cubed steak but and honest to goodness steak.

They have a gift shop where you can buy home made soap made from the fat rendered from the steaks.
There was a bumper sticker that said "Ponder TX, think about it.."

She looked like a Granny all right, LOL, but my Granny never cooked like that. Grandad did all the cooking, including great biscuits. Don't think my Grandma could have boiled water, even if she dumped it in the fire.