The Ranch Hand Cafe

We have eaten here for 2 years and the food is fine. Not overly healthy, mostly fried food. 2 of the last 3 times we have gone we have gotten absolutely terrible service. We thought we were being forgotten but upon letting the young girl know we were ready or out of drinks etc. we were blown off like she was put out from having to stop playing with her friends and do her job.

Let start off by saying maybe it was an off day for them. The portions were huge but they lacked the bam! I was looking for. It was just ok not gr8 like I was expecting. The atmosphere was a good fit and the service was very good. Next time I’m out that way I’ll give them one more chance to wow Me but if they don’t then I won’t be back

First time there. I got the chicken fried chicken and my husband got the chicken fried steak. The steak needed it’s own platter. It was hanging off the plate. It was very tender. Everything was delicious. Service was a little slow at first but it was the end of the lunch rush. But once that was over we had 3 or 4 waitresses checking on us. We will be back.

This place is excellent. That real down home cooking like Ma used ta fix it. I always go with the corn nuggets and the Philly cheese steak. It’s huge and loaded

Ranch Hand is the kind of restaurant you bring your out of town friends when you want to prove to them that everything is bigger in Texas. From the portion sizes to the giant drink cups, everything here is super sized!
The food:
— Fried pickles: we got a half order to split between 3 people and it was definitely enough. These were the BEST fried pickles I have ever had. Vinegary pickle medallions inside coated in a thin coat of well seasoned batter, fried to crisp golden perfection with ranch dressing and ketchup to dip the min… they were heavenly! They were greasy but not too greasy… definitely get a half order if you’re splitting between 2 or 3 people.
— Chicken fried steak: We split a SMALL chicken fried steak between 2 not so hungry people but it would have definitely fed 2 hungry people, too. The steak itself was not tough and had the right amount of chew, the batter was copious and fried to a golden crisp, but both the batter and the white gravy were lacking in seasoning. I remedied this with some shakes from the salt/​pepper shakers and it tasted much better. I got a side of mashed potatoes (pretty bland, tasted instant) and the veggie medley which was actually amazing. It was broccoli, carrots, and squash and it was grilled in butter… I would get 2 sides of the veggie medley next time, not only cause it was delicious but to also offset all the fried food!
— Monte Cristo: This was the most fried, giant monte cristo I’ve ever seen. It was HUGE ham/​cheese sandwich battered then deep fried, coated in powdered sugar, and served with a side of really tasty homemade jam. Tasty but also heart attack inducing! The tots it came with were PERFECT.
Service was great! Super polite. Took a while to get seated/​menus but orders were taken quickly and our food came out surprisingly fast given the restaurant was packed at around 12:30pm on a Saturday.
Prices cannot be beat for the amount of food you get. Every entrée is seriously enough food for 2 or 3 people (see pics for proof!). This place is no joke!

Stopped here on our way back to Houston from Lake Livingston State Park with my fellow elite Unilocaler Ann C. who wrote just below (hi Ann!) and her husband. It’s more of a cozy house than a restaurant. It has the feeling of someone from the country side of TX inviting you over to fill you belly with a good, hearty southern meal.
We started with fried pickles– got the «small portion» and it was perfect for the 3 of us. We all unanimously agreed it was the best fried pickles we ever had! Such light, crisp batter and the taste was just right.
Ann and I weren’t that hungry, so we decided to share a «small» chicken fried steak. The theme of Ranch Hand Café is to redefine the word small. Everything here comes in gigantic portions! When in doubt, go small… you probably won’t finish it anyway.
The other thing ordered was the Monte Cristo, which was a unique ham/​turkey/​cheese sandwich that was battered and fried with a side of raspberry jam. You also have the option for tator tots, which were perfectly fried! Although delicious, the batter was overwhelming and it made it hard to finish. It comes in 4 «small» pieces, if you get my drift…
Overall, I would come here again. The servers all seemed like one big family, and were nothing but warm and welcoming. There are fun, amusing signs and art hung on the walls and it’s a unique place to stumble upon for eats.

No more French dip sandwiches! I thought I would cry. I’ve stopped by here for a year now. they had a great French dip! I won’t have any reason to stop there now! I love the girls who work there! The service is really good, and they are friendly and helpful! Although that’s all well and good, but, no French dip, no me!

Place was great. Had heard about from family for a while but it’s so far from where we live. Parents suggested we go for my birthday this last weekend. Wondered where the heck we were going but the food and staff made it well worth it. Had the steak special was cooked perfect med rare and super flavorful and tender. My wife ordered the cobb salad and I was worried she wouldn’t have enough haha her salad was big enough for a family of 8. Had a great time and great food.

The food is good, the folks are friendly and the prices are dependent upon your appetite. A large chicken-​fried steak dinner can really feed two people! Depends on how hungry you are. The waitresses work hard to make sure you’re taken care of. The parking lot is always full when they are open. This is the BEST home cooked menu anywhere near Cleveland.

Staff is friendly and clean, place is clean and Country, food is awesome

Let me start with this.
When I walk in the staff great me like family. They know our names and make it a point to ask about the kids. The only dealing we have with them is from the restaurant. Their food is amazing! The portions are big and hearty and their desserts are wonderful!
There was 1 commenter on here that said horrible things about them but it has to be about a different restaurant because they don’t take the check to the table so idk what they are talking about.
I have never had a bad experience with them and if something is wrong they fix it right away and they acknowledge their mistake. The noise level is loud at times but that’s because there’s always a good bit of people at the restaurant and nobody is quiet when they eat anywhere. I love the staff and the owners are always so sweet. If you are in the area and want some delicious home cooking I would go here. Their Caribbean salad is amazing and their fried pickles are the bomb! My husband gets the chicken fried steak and he loves it, get the small! My youngest gets fried okra and never complains and my oldest gets a hamburger that he can barely eat.

I brought my colleagues here after working all day at the old lumber mill and we were all pleased with our meal. The only negative we had was the overall price… nearly $ 22 for what all I ate.
The food really hit the spot though, everything we ordered was homemade I believe, but the fried okra. This place is a ramshackle of a place, a building that seems to have several additions to it over the years, with uneven floors in some areas. Our table was sitting at an angle due to the floor and I was afraid my colleagues were going to fall into the table the whole time.
All 3 of us ordered the lg chicken fried steak, which was moderately priced at 12.99 with 2 sides. I also added on an iced tea and a chocolate eruption cake at the end for another $ 4 or so. Yes I ate it all… no I didn’t eat another meal the rest of the day!!.
Service was alright at first but tailed off toward the end. We would have like to have gotten another refill, but after the server said we pay at the front when we are ready, she never really came back to the table.
I will be back if I’m ever in the area.

The southern hospitality is as amazing as the southern cooking! Fried Green Tomatoes are a must as well as the chicken fried steak! Felt like I was eating in a larger version of my grandmas old house. Comfortable and authentic — especially appreciate being wished a blessed day every time I leave!

If you’re ever driving through the small town of Cleveland and searching for a good restaurant The Ranch Hand is an excellent choice. Cleveland doesn’t have much to offer when it comes to decent restaurants, but The Ranch Hand is a gem. Plenty of choices and plenty on your plate.

This place is really good. It has Great home cooking. I had one of the best hamburgers I have ever eaten there. The people are friendly.

Great local place. Everything is fresh. You won’t leave hungry, but don’t go if your in a hurry.

Ok so I wanted to take my granny to someplace besides the only restaurant we ever go to on our Walmart trip. So I pulled the directions up to this place and our family was off! When we pulled up we were a little scared to go in. But once inside I felt like I was at home.
The food here was really really good. We got a very good variety of items from the burgers, fried pickles, onion rings, and my favorite the Monte Cristo. I loved that sandwich. I will be dreaming about that sandwich until the next time I visit granny’s house.

This is place serves good, hearty country fare. The Monte Cristo was great and the French dip was too. Good food, good price and excellent service make this a great place to eat.

Now serving a proper club sandwich! Very nice!
This club rivals Dot diner’s (one of the best world wide) I eat clubs all over the world, so I know! Flav on!

This place was unexpectedly good!
We stopped by for dinner while driving down Highway 105 last weekend.
My husband wanted the fried corn poppers as an appetizer. I didn’t think that sounded great, but I went along with it and was pleasantly surprised by how tasty they were! My only previous corn popper memory was from college and it wasn’t anything worth writing home about.
He had fried shrimp with a baked potato, I had a junior cheeseburger (¼ lb) with fries, and my mother-​in-​law had a turkey wrap. They had a surprisingly diverse menu. We all loved our food and the portions were quite large. For all 3 meals + the appetizer we paid under $ 40. The food also came out very quickly, which was surprising because it was a Friday night and they were busy.
I’m only giving 4 stars since it was a little difficult to flag down our waitress to get refills on our drinks.
Overall, this was a really good choice and a nice break from the fast food restaurants that await a few miles ahead in Cleveland.
One more thing — Don’t expect them to bring the check to your table. It’s already at the front of the restaurant with the hostess.