Cattle Ranch

Best stake I’ve had. The place may look outdated but the food is delicious. I had the ribeye stake, and I can say it was better than the big chain restaurants.

One of the finest steakhouses of Central Florida. It’s not a fancy restaurant, it’s laid-​back, rustic and western. I don’t know when they first opened but they seem to be straight out of the 80’s.
They bring a loaf of bread and butter for starters. We shared a 30 oz steak, and we ordered a house salad and buckskins (loaded potatoes) as sides. The meat was cooked at the right temperature and it’s flavorful. Both sides were huge enough to be a meal by themselves. They are proud of their blue cheese peppercorn dressing; it’s a must try.
The servers are helpful and attentive. Additionally, they are a very affordable restaurant.

Great food! The steaks were amazing. The atmosphere is relaxed and a homey feeling. Two of us got the Tbone and two got Rib eye, cooked exactly as we asked.

I am giving the Cattle Ranch 5 stars for the food alone. Enough has been said in other reviews about the building itself. Let’s just say we felt adventurous just walking in. I doubt anything has been changed in 30 years and it wasn’t fancy then. The food and service, however, was great from beginning to end. Our steaks were cooked perfectly and our waitress was just the right amount of attentive. We had the loaded potato log things as an appetizer and practically licked the plate clean. We were in the area for a baseball tournament and sort of went here as a joke based on the appearance of the place, but we will definitely be back.

I’ve been here at least two dozen times over the last three years. The reason is because this family owned operation does steaks right and for a good price.
The steaks are always cooked right, whether medium rare or medium well and the flavor is very tasty without being too seasoned.
Anytime I want a steak, I know where I am going and that’s the biggest compliment I can give a restaurant. My wife feels the same way and it’s made a great date night on a number of occasions.
The décor is not elite. It has buck heads on the walls, old Budweiser circa 1979 light fixtures and wood paneling. The bathrooms are always clean but they are small. You are not coming here to impress anyone with the sight of the place but you will impress them with the food and this find.
Separate from the steaks, I’ve always enjoyed their potato specialty, the Buckskins. These are crispy fried potato wedges with the skins still on them. They are a tasty side to the meat and I’ve often ordered a second order for the table to share. The house dressing is tasty, too and the drink prices for mixed drinks are very reasonable.
This isn’t an over the top priced restaurant but they are a friendly family if you know what to expect walking in there. They’ve been doing this since the early 80’s so they have their way of doing things but, again, if you aren’t easily shaken by appearances you’ll get a great steak at a great price and a good, casual vibe to enjoy your company like I always enjoy my wife’s company when we go.
Steak, Buckskins and house salad w/​house dressing — wish I were there tonight! Have a great meal!

No bones about it, they’re the the best 80s steakhouse around! It’s the real deal and definitely not a throwback.
We Loved it, everything, even down to the Polaroids wallpapering the lobby of those daring enough to go in for the six pound challenge!!!
Truthfully, I’ve driven by this place thousands of times growing up before the Lake Mary extension came through and don’t even know why we never came in. We heard good things. The parking lot’s always been full. Just don’t know why. And I can tell you we really missed out.
We came in on a lark and after reading the reviews went in on sharing the 32oz cowboy and Loved it!!!
The steaks rank right up there with Morton’s and the Yatchsman which to me are the area’s best, you’ll just have to suspend your disbelief with the décor. They’re not going for an 80s theme, they just haven’t changed anything since the 80s! Outback, whatever. Charley’s, Flemming’s, and Ruth’s Chris, they’re right up there with Cattle Ranch. Long gone are Del Frisco’s, Seltzers, Maison & Jardin, and Houston’s…and maybe they were tonier but Cattle Ranch goes on.
Honestly, cooked to order steak is getting harder and harder to find. Sure, everybody asks how you want it but rarely do they ever deliver — even with a hundo tab. Cattle Ranch does perfectly. Consistently.
Exceptional hospitality to boot and best of all, Great value. $ 2 draft. Strongish cocktails. I can’t wait to come back.

I don’t know how to post with NO stars! So there is one Stopped on as we were driving by. More costly than Outback. Name should be Roach Ranch as my husband stepped on one and killed it on the floor as we were leaving!
Our fault because we know you should leave when: pricy steak is served with microwave heated bread and vegetable spread in plastics instead of butter, when your salad dressing is in a plastic container, when your sour cream has to be squeezed out of paper and you bread plate is a styrofoam saucer.
This is your warning enter at your own risk! Take big bug spray!

Back in the 90s when my husband and I were first dating we would go to this restaurant. I wasn’t sure they were even still open but low and behold they were ! When you walk in the door it feels like you have stepped back in time to the 7os. Everything was the same as I remembered it from years prior. Ordered a margarita which was quite a strong one and for 500 dollars incredibly refreshing. My husband and I shared the cowboy a 32 oz porterhouse prices around 28 dollars! Publix’s porterhouse was on sake for 11.99 pound so not much more to have it cooked and served with two sides. We each had a salad served with this awesome house dressing of ranch mixed with garlic and I think even a little blue cheese in there. We ordered the potato loaded which we shared and it was covered with bacon bits and cheese. Our daughter had the hamburger and buckskins which came covered in cheese and bacon (a party the server called it). It was delicious good quality food. The steak was a little grisly but overall stil amazing. Beer prices are very reasonable as well. In the end our bill with one margarita three beers and diet coke was around 54 dollars ! Just as good if not better than Ruth Chris or Flemings. It’s a casual family style steakhouse that takes you back to a simpler time of good quality good at a great price! Thankyou for staying consistent over the years!

Great local steak place. Buckskins are my favorite. I’ve only been a handful of times and each time was great. I plan on more. Id love to see this restaurant around in another 30 more years.

We love coming here its family owned. We love Rhonda. Great steaks and I love the green beans. Great cocktails too!

Reading the reviews, you will learn the food is incredible, and the décor is lacking. This will summarize my opinion as well. THAT BEING SAID, I love the Cattle Ranch. If meat and fire is what you desire, you will be at home here. Dont come for the ambiance, or the wine list. This is basic no frills dining, but the price reflects that.
My favorite for special occasions is the 32 oz Cowboy, a baked potato, salad and a half pitcher of beer. you get all that for the price of the ribeye at a chain steakhouse, and this is a good cut of meat, seasoned and cooked to perfection.
If you are particular about your wines, you will be disappointed, but if ordering house cab does not offend your palate, that is what you will get. I opt for the beer for that reason.
Some may find the décor distasteful, I like to call it retro. If you go into it with low expectations and a sense of whimsy, you can have fun with it… and it wont affect the food quality whatsoever. It is an honest throwback to a day gone by… good old 70s style steak dining at 90’s prices.
See you there for meat and fire.

We arrived a little after 5PM and there were already a few diners, not many. The building is old and not very appealing — a dive. The inside is as bad as a the outside: old, scraped-​up, dark paneling, 1970s beer signs and awful flooring; it used to be carpet, I guess. There are Poloroid pictures of the slobs that took the «6 pound challenge’ all over the foyer. I wonder if they have a stash of film or if no one has won in a while?
We were promptly seated at a table that wobbled. I really hate that; especially at a steak house, where cutting your food shakes everyone’s plate around.
Our server took our drink order while we checked out the menu. We ordered the Cowgirl (a 16oz t bone) and 2 8oz strip steaks. My friends wanted the Buckskins for apps, but I chose them as a side and salad. Buckskins are skin-​on, potato wedges that are a staple at Cattle ranch. If you get them loaded, its +$ 3.50, but they come covered in some kind of cheese food, imitation bacon bits and about a ¼ teaspoon of green onions. This is not health food!
The dinners come with bread, a ramekin of apple sauce and two sides. My friends went with salads and a potato and green beans, one for each. The salads were a nice garden salad: iceberg lettuce, red onion, a couple of baby carrots and tomatoes, green pepper and croutons. Their house dressing is a Parmigiana/​Blue Cheese mix that one friend picked. I went with Ranch. Not a bad salad. A little spinach or other greens would have been nice. The bread was a small loaf of pumpernickel and was decent.
The steaks took a while to come out, even though they were not busy. Everyone at the table agreed that they were cooked perfectly. They put a dry rub on that is pretty good, although you can order one without. I was disappointed that one end of the steak was nothing but fat and gristle, about 3 oz worth. My friend said his green beans tasted like vinegar and sent them back.
Another thing I must bring up is the uniform shirts of the wait staff. They are sleeveless, tank tops. I prefer the armpits on my food servers covered. I know, I know… if I was at Hooters, I wouldn’t be complaining. You’re right, but this isn’t Hooters… it’s Droopers. Get my drift? What’s wrong with a T-​shirt?
This place has seen it’s glory days come and go. The owners need to refresh the inside and outside, it’s completely dated and worn out. Maybe they could contact «Restaurant Impossible» and get a fresh coat of paint…

Very dated, smells like mildew. They really need to update their décor and. wait staff… alway a long wait and food is nothing to write home about. To many other good steak houses locally for them to act the way they do to people.

Amazing steaks! This place was great. A very casual feel. It’s dated, but don’t let that turn you off. You will not be let down.

You can’t say you live in Sanford until you’ve been to the Cattle Ranch. What you think they may lack in ambiance they make up for with good food. It’s really an all around experience. You may think you’re walking into a diner in North Dakota in 1978, and you know what? That’s fantastic.
You’ll get a great steak at a fair price and the service isn’t bad either. Support local.

This is probably one of my kids favorite places to go for steaks. They are never disappointed from flavor to taste with nice size portions and very friendly service. It is a little bit off the main road from the usual restaurants but definitely worth the extra drive. I have tried several of their steaks and most of their appetizers. I do enjoy the amount of cheese they put onto their wedges and fries. One word — delicious. The only negative I can find about the restaurant is the décor (somewhat outdated); however, that’s a personal choice. Otherwise, spot on and worth coming back for!

I think a review should be written in light of what a business is trying to be as opposed to our preconceived notions of what we want it to be. If you go to the Cattle Ranch expecting Ruth’s Chris you will be sorely disappointed. However, if you are looking to spend about as much as you would at Longhorn then this is place to be.
It’s location is a little weird but there’s plenty of parking. I love that the interior hasn’t changed one bit since the day it opened decades ago. It’s right out of 1970’s Nashville. One of the reasons I didn’t give it 5 stars is the lack of 1970’s country music playing on the system. Hell I couldn’t detect any music at all. I just think that some George Jones or Conway Twitty would add greatly to the overall experience. I don’t really like country as a music genre but the Cattle Ranch screams to have «Hello Darlin» playing in the background.
The menu is basic steaks and some other items I can’t fathom why anyone would eat at a steakhouse. Why in gods name would anyone with half a brain go out to eat at a steakhouse and order grilled chicken breast. I don’t care if it’s perfectly done it’s still an idiotic choice! I digress. The steaks are limited to a ribeye, two different sizes of strip, two different sizes of filet, a t-​bone and a 32 ounce Porterhouse. They are char-​grilled as opposed to broiled which does add a different flavor profile. Most importantly they train their grill cooks right. I have never nor have I ever heard of anyone sending their steak back because the cooking temperature was wrong. I’ve never seen it happen at any table around us when were there. I cannot say this for any other steakhouse I’ve ever been to at any price. That’s some mighty fine focus on what counts if you ask me. The salads are iceberg lettuce and the butter for your potatoes I believe to be margarine but that’s another reason it’s not a 5 star place. It’s steak and everything else is just along for the ride.
If you live within 10 miles of this place and don’t want to spend a fortune for a steak then give it a try. I think you’ll agree they desperately need some Hee-​Haw playing but you’ll not get a better steak or stronger drink at anywhere close to the price you’ll pay here.

So, we’ve passed by this restaurant a hundred times. It’s a little scary looking, but we like to be brave on occasion. I read the reviews here on Unilocal and decided to take my chances. I like supporting local restaurants!
We came in on a Monday at 5:30. You park in the rear and that’s where the entrance is, as well. There was one other person in this HUGE restaurant, and the first thing I noticed was the overwhelming smell of cigarette smoke, which was funny because there are No Smoking signs everywhere. Perhaps they forgot to tell the staff?
We contemplated leaving, but decided to stick it out. They have a full bar, so my husband ordered a cocktail and I ordered a glass of Chardonnay. There are no names of wine, just type. Merlot, Chardonnay, etc. It wasn’t awful.
We ordered our steaks, both petite strip steaks, both with salads and buckskins. Now that I type that, I realize that’s never happened. We never order the same thing! Weird!
Our salads came first, very cold, very crisp salad, and served with brown bread. The salads were on the smallish side, but very fresh and tasty. The bread was served with butter. The ends of the bread were a little stale, but the rest seemed nice.
Then our food came. When our server set our plates down, she asked if we wanted any steak sauce or ketchup. I usually eat my steaks with A-​1, so I asked for that, as well as ketchup for the buckskins. By the time she came back with the A-​1 sauce (which was about 60 seconds) I told her I didn’t need it. The steak was THAT good. Perfectly cooked. Perfectly seasoned. Perfectly perfect.
The buckskins were fried and crispy and delightful. The apple sauce was ice cold and delicious. I ate everything on my plate, which I never do. It was SO good.
For dessert, our server told us they had homemade peach cobbler with ice cream. Oh boy. My husbands favorite. He had to have it. I will say this… their peach cobbler is second only to my own. Very, very good.
I WISH WISH WISH restaurants like this would update their restaurant and give it a face lift once in awhile to bring in new customers. It’s such great food… but sadly, most people won’t give it a chance because it looks scary (and frankly, smells scary because of the smoke smell).
For us… we’ll go back. Most definitely.

No it has not been redecorated in years but that is what makes this place great. I feel like I am walking into a Tammy Wynette Country song when I go here. She should be in the corner singing stand by your man or something!
Never had a bad steak and my wife and I love this place. If your into places where snobs go then don’t come we don’t want you here. lol

This is a straight Sanford steakhouse. Either good or bad, depending on how snobby you happen to be. Just sayin’.
The steak is toothsome, savory, perfectly seasoned and grilled to your specifications. All steaks come with 2 sides and I usually order a baked potato and a salad with house dressing (which I also put on my potato-​yum). I also add a bowl of whole sauteed mushrooms that are a perfect compliment to the steak.
Seriously, the 70’s era dank steakhouse décor has not changed since I first dined here in 1980-​something, and it probably never will. That’s fine with me as long as the steak doesn’t change, either.
Oh, and they’re home of the 6 POUND challenge. It’s free if you don’t die first. The walls are lined with pics of the many challenge winners, quite a few of whom are female.
Open for dinner only, after 5pm.