Ross, 71, is retiring and will sell Ranchman’s due to poor health and the labor shortage despite strong business for the rustic little backroad steakhouse that inspired late author Larry McMurtry and hosted sports, movie and TV celebrities includingThe restaurant served lunch Monday but Ross has been unable to hire cooks and servers to serve dinner, he said.
“It’s for sale if someone wants to buy it,” said Ross, Ranchman’s owner for 31 years and an operator off and on since 1986.In an emailed announcement, he cited the economy, “recent health issues” and the lack of staff.
Ranchman’s Cafe owner Grace “Pete” Jackson paid tribute to actors Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway in 1966 after the filming of “Bonnie and Clyde.”McMurtry, the quintessential Texas novelist, has told how Ranchman’s was his favorite restaurant and he would often make the 100-mile drive from his home in Archer City near Wichita Falls.“If ever I had an epiphany it was at that moment: I had, at last, found a title for the trail driving book” he was writing.
Their photos still hang on the dining room wall, along with those of sports stars, racing drivers and other celebrities who found their way to Ponder.“What’s important about this place is the unique sense of community it brings,” Ross said. “People at different tables talk to each other. People from across the country come here and say, ‘This feels like home.’ “Eats BeatBud Kennedy is a Fort Worth Star-Telegram “Eats Beat” dining columnist and restaurant podcast co-host. In print since 1985 and online since 1992, he has written more than 3,000 columns about Texas cafes, barbecue, burgers and where to eat.Eats Beat