Pictured is one of the remaining 12 Ponderosa locations is in Butler.

There was a time when there were nearly 700 Ponderosa Steakhouse locations across the country. One of those was located in the Warren Mall. Growing up in the 1980s and ’90s, Ponderosa was an important restaurant to this reporter.

Dinner at Ponderosa meant life was going well. It meant some unexpected money for our family, or a birthday celebration, or a Friday night meal after shopping at the busy mall. Walking down the hallway and grabbing a tray is still a memory of mine. You first walked past the fancy Jell-Os and parfaits that tempted you. When you got to the register, you picked your meal, whether it be a steak, chicken, or just the buffet.

When you got to your seat, you were invited by your server to help yourself to the all you can eat buffet. My favorite item on the buffet was their breaded chicken wings. They were large, crispy, and delicious. As a teen, I would load my plate with these before my main entree arrived. While my parents made themselves big salads, I went back to get their meatloaf, strawberries and bananas, and mashed potatoes and gravy.

I grew up, got married, and had kids of my own. Ponderosa was still there for us, although it wasn’t quite as nice by then and the food was not quite as good. But they still offered an affordable option for our family of growing boys. Like me, the kids loved the chicken wings too. Like a lot of stores in the mall, Ponderosa eventually closed, leaving behind an empty restaurant and a lot of memories.

I forgot about Ponderosa for a long time until I started seeing videos on YouTube about a location still open and doing well in Butler, Pa. So I started researching this a little more and learning more about Ponderosa.

In 1963, actor Dan Blocker co-founded Bonanza Steakhouse, which was named after the TV show that he started on. Block played the loveable gentle giant, Hoss, on the TV Western, “Bonanza.” The restaurant had a western theme and his involvement gave an authentic link to the show’s pioneer spirit. Ponderosa followed soon after, taking its name from Cartwright’s fictional ranch on the same show. The restaurant advertised hearty food and a sense of being home on the range. By the late 20th century, the two restaurants had spread across the country and eventually came under the same ownership.

Today there are approximately 12 Ponderosa locations left across the country. One of those, and the only location left in Pennsylvania, is two hours away in Butler. Last weekend, my son, Nick, and I drove down there to give it a try.

I was expecting a “past its prime” restaurant that was probably struggling. That’s not what we found at all. The building was in great shape and the parking lot was full. The car next to us in the parking lot had just pulled in also and they were from Buffalo. One of them got out of the car and took a picture of the Ponderosa sign on the side of the building. They had traveled just like us, to visit one of the last remaining Ponderosas.

We ordered the brunch buffet, which had all of my favorites — chicken wings, mac and cheese, pizza, fried chicken, fresh salad fixings, and lots of desserts. It also had breakfast favorites like scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage, french toast sticks, and biscuits and gravy. Everything was fresh and delicious. They even had the bananas and strawberries that I loved.

The chicken wings were no longer breaded ones but traditional fried wings, with three wing sauces available. They lost their breaded wings vendor during Covid.

We enjoyed a great brunch and reminisced about the great times we had at the Warren Ponderosa. As the song says, you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone. As we were leaving, an elderly gentleman stood out in the parking lot taking a picture of the Ponderosa sign.

This isn’t just a restaurant but a portal to a simpler, happy time. This isn’t just a road trip but a pilgrimage to a place you knew and loved. If you fondly remember Warren’s Ponderosa Steakhouse, it’s worth the two hour drive to experience it for yourself.

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