Main Street Marina's Paddle Wheel Pub

BRANSON, MO, March 18, 2013 — Opening to the public today, “The Paddle Wheel Pub” floating on Lake Taneycomo at Main Street Marina on the Branson Landing Boardwalk offers Branson visitors and locals alike a unique entertainment and dining experience. Larry Milton, co owner of Main Street Marina and Main Street Lake Cruises with his wife Lianne said, “The opening of the ‘Paddlewheel Pub’ is another step in making the Main Street Marina an exciting ‘one stop’ activity destination from which everyone can see, experience and enjoy one of Branson’s most precious aquatic gems, ‘Lake Taneycomo.’”

The Paddlewheel Pub is located right on the waters of Lake Taneycomo. Whether sitting inside and looking out through its large glass windows or sitting on the spacious patio decks Pub visitors have one of the best seats “in the house” for watching people walk along the Branson Landing Board Walk, seeing the lake activity on Lake Taneycomo such as the passage of the majestic boats of Main Street Cruise Lines as they depart for their voyages and one of the most unique vantage points available to see the Branson Landing Fountains, including its spectacular $7.5 million synchronized fire, water, light and music show.

In keeping with the overall riverboat, history and nostalgia theme of the Main Street Marina and Main Street Lake Cruises, the Paddlewheel Pub has a riverboat theme and is “Simple Fun and Yesterday Foods.” It features “Nathan’s Famous” hotdogs and Paddlewheel Pub specialty items, along with drinks ranging from milkshakes and soft drinks to a full bar service.

In addition to a variety of Nathan’s Famous hotdogs ranging from their “World Famous” original hotdog to “Chicago Dogs” the Pub features a complete menu of “Nathan’s Famous” items ranging from Chicken and Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches Pretzel Dogs, Corn Dogs lemonade and orangeade and much more. Paddlewheel Pub specialty items, listed in the same menu, but separately from, the Nathan’s Famous items includes a variety of simple fun foods. It offers sandwiches such as Fried Balogna, Gourmet Grilled Cheese and Peanut Butter and Jelly among others, Paddlewheel Mac-n-Cheese, Strawberry Bleu  Cheese Salad, Old Fashioned Tomato Soup, Fried Pickles, Paddle Wheel Wings and much more.

In addition to the Nathan’s Lemon and Orange Ade, the pub offers full fountain service featuring Coke products. In keeping with its “simple fun and yesterdays foods theme” the Pub also serves some drinks not commonly found in pubs such as milk shakes and root beer floats and, although not, a “drink” Snow Cones and Popsicles.

The Paddlewheel Pub also offers a complete bar service. This includes a complete selection of popular beers including some local specialty beers from Mother’s Brewery and White River Brewery and “Moonshine,” “Whiskey” and “Rum” from the locally operated “Copper Run Distillery” along with  a wide selection of “frozen” and other beverages.

Whether it’s a family just looking for a quick lunch or a milkshake and a soda while comfortably sitting on the patio experiencing the peace and beauty of Lake Taneycomo, someone looking for a quick snack or a group just wanting to sip a drink as dusk settles over the lake and watch the Branson Landing Fountain show, the Paddlewheel Pub provides the ideal place to do it. For more information on the Paddle Wheel Pub please call 1-417-239-3980.

Grand Country Buffet is a favorite breakfast spot for visitors and locals alike.

BRANSON, Mo., January 19, 2013 — “Even with people eating Breakfast at their hotel or lodging as part of the amenities offered, one of the things many Branson visitors like to do while in Branson is go to one of Branson’s many restaurants for breakfast at least once during their stay with some having a family breakfast tradition that spans generations,” said Tammy Johnson, the Director of Operations for the Branson Tourism Center. “Earlier this week we asked the question, ‘Where’s your favorite place in Branson to eat Breakfast?’ on our Face Book Page,” she continued.

The top five listed, out of the 24 people named, in order were:

Grand Country Buffet, 1945 West 76 Country Boulevard – Known for the quality of its food and wide choice, its breakfast is no exception. As one local poster said, Grand Country Buffet “has the best tasting breakfast around. I live in Branson and I have ate in a lot of places for breakfast. The best place and friendless place in town. Every time we have company come in that’s the only place I will take them for breakfast.”

Billy Gail’s Café, 5291 Hwy 265 – It’s the only one of the five not on the Branson Strip. Billy Gail’s is particularly noted for its humongous pancakes, is a favorite of locals and tourists alike. One poster opined, “Billy Gails, is always the best if you can get in the parking lot.”

Bob Evans, 801 West Main Street (Highway 76) – Ok so technically, it is two blocks south on Highway 76 of where most people consider the Branson Strip starts. Bob Evans, a national chain, is noted locally, for the variety and quality of its breakfast offerings and its specialty breakfast items as reflected by one poster who said, “Bob Evans for their sausage gravy and biscuits- unlike any other!!!”

IHOP Restaurant, 3120 West 76 Country Boulevard – A national chain, located on the western edge of the strip at the junctions of Routes 76 and 376, IHOP is famous for the variety and quality of its pancakes and French toast.

Belgian Waffle and Pancake House, 3120 West 76 Country Boulevard, – Another favorite of locals and visitors alike. One poster noted, “I love their French toast!!”

Only two of the top five are national chains. Interestingly, even with the addition of “Cracker Barrel” there are only three national chains listed in the top 10 which includes “Clocker’s Cafe,” “Silver Dollar City Breakfast Buffet” and the “Farmhouse Restaurant.” Johnson suggests that while the answers to the question do not constitute any kind of valid scientific study there is a correlation between the answers and the names of spots where locals and  visitors eat breakfast commonly appearing on other reviews and forums such as the 1Branson.Com Dining Forum. One thing appears certain however, a great Ozark Breakfast is never  very far away in Branson!

OK, so it's not a turkey, but it is the Great American Steak & Chicken House one of the Branson restaurants that will be open Thanksgiving Day not requiring reservations.

BRANSON, Mo., November 20, 2012 –”With a lot of Branson’s Restaurants being open Thanksgiving Day, visitors to Branson should have no trouble having a great Thanksgiving meal,” said Tammy Johnson, the Director of Operations for the Branson Tourism Center. Johnson goes on to point out however, that many require advance reservations and are booked solid.

Here’s a list of 12 Branson Restaurants that will be open on Thanksgiving Day and do not require reservations with contact information and sorted alphabetically:

Andy Williams Moon River Grill
11 a.m.-8 p.m.
417-337-9539

Baldknobbers Restaurant
Thanksgiving Dinner
11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
417-334-7202

Denny’s Restaurant
Open 24 Hours
417-339-3670

Fall Creek Steak House
11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
417-336-5060

Florentina’s Italian Ristorante
11 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
417-337-9882

Golden Corral
Thanksgiving Buffet
10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
417-336-6297

Grand Country Buffet
Thanksgiving Buffet
11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
417-335-2434

Great American Steak & Chicken House
Breakfast: 7 a.m.-11 a.m.; Lunch & Dinner after 11 a.m.
417-335-6699

Lone Star Steakhouse
12 p.m.. – 8 p.m.
417-336-5030

McFarlain’s Family Restaurant
11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
417-336-4680

Montana Mike’s Steakhouse (Hwy 76 and Hwy 248 Locations)
11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Hwy 76 – 417-334-2766
Hwy 248 – 417-334-5893

Paradise Grill and Steakhouse
Thanksgiving Buffet
11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
417-334-5405

Branson Tourism Center’s Johnson reminds Branson visitors that, at times, there can be long lines and suggests factoring that in when planning Thanksgiving Day activities. “And there’s a lot more to factor in,” she said, “because with all there is to see and do in Branson There’s more than turkey cooking for Thanksgiving in Branson.”

Branson's newest restaurant, the "Burger Shack" opened this week on the famed Branson Strip.

BRANSON, Mo. When I noticed that the Burger Shack had opened, diet or no diet, I had to stop by and try it. I very seldom write restaurant pieces, but as I was eating my burger, facing back toward the “fry” station and noticed the way it appeared that they were making their fries, I realized that it was just possible that I was looking at the equivalent of the “Branson Trifecta” for burgers, fries and shakes. That piqued by curiosity and I decided to check it out after I finished eating.

As things worked out, I talked with Jon Rasmussen, the General Manager of the Burger Shack and the son of one of the partners, who was kind enough to sit down and chat with me for a few minutes even though it was the lunch hour. When I asked him why they decided to open another burger place in Branson he said, “Burgers are one of those things that everybody likes. Everyone wants a good burger. There are good burgers in town, but we thought we could do things our own unique way.” As the interview progressed, it became very clear that burgers are not the only thing done in a unique way at the Burger Shack.

Everything at the Burger Shack involves high quality ingredients and freshness. Every Burger Shack Burger is made from 100 percent fresh ground chuck that is ground locally; is always fresh, never frozen and is cooked after it is ordered. This takes about eight minutes and is one of the primary reasons they don’t have a drive through. Another unique feature of the Burger Shack is that they have free peanuts guests can help themselves to while waiting for their order.

The burger is just under a quarter of a pound uncooked. Rasmussen said, “Gentlemen should get doubles and the ladies singles. From my perspective, the cheeseburger, with mayo, green peppers and grilled onions I had, along with an order of fries and diet coke, was plenty big enough.

As you order your burger there is a list of about 15 condiments and other things that you can top your burger with from the standard catsup, mustard, mayo, lettuce and tomatoes to mushrooms, grilled onions, green peppers and more; the possible combinations are endless. Rasmussen said you can add as many as you want without any additional charge.

Typically, to me, a burger’s bun is just to keep my hands from getting greasy while I eat the burger, but in this case the bun was delightful. It was warm and soft yet not soggy and really noticeably added to the overall enjoyment of the burger. When asked about the bun, Rasmussen said that it is all part of what makes a Burger Shack burger unique and special and it didn’t just happen. He said, “I have eaten a lot of buns in the last three months.”

The in house start of the Burger Shack's "famous "natural cut fries.

About 50 years ago this writer worked part time in a McDonald’s when they made their fries from scratch, that’s right, from the raw potato to the finished fries right in the store. Well, those days are back again at the Burger Shack.

When asked what makes their fries “famous” and so different from most others, Rasmussen said, “The amount of effort we put into them. Those boxes of potatoes that you see stacked when you come in are the potatoes that will become the fries that we serve.” Rasmussen took me back into the kitchen where the potatoes were being washed, sliced and made ready to go out for the multiple step “frying” process. The one difference between the McDonald’s fries of 50 years ago and the Burger Shack’s is that McDonalds took the skin off the potato, but the Burger Shack’s fries leave the skin on. One thing for certain though, the Burger Shack’s process sure adds new meaning to the term “natural cut fries,” and, speaking from personal experience, they were delicious.

Even their milk shakes are made the old fashioned way. Each is made from ice cream, not mixes, that is hand dipped. In deference to my diet, as I scoffed down the cheese burger and fries with gusto, I washed it down with a Diet Coke and did not get to try a milk shake, but they looked really really good. They also have a full selection of soft drinks and will be offering, bottled beer within a couple of weeks.

The Burger Shack is located in the building where Schlotzsky’s, followed by Gloria Jean’s Coffee, used to be, on the south side of Highway 76 across from the Grand Country Complex. It is open seven day a week from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. right now, but will have extended hours during the summer and holds about 88 inside. Rasmussen said that during the summer they will also have patio seating and special parking up front for “cool cars” and hot rods.

It is basically a self serve restaurant with the customer placing the order, getting a number and drink cups which they fill themselves. When their number is called they go up and get their order. Although the Burger Shack serves some other items such as a Salmon Burger and has a kids menu, it’s the burger, fries and shakes that their menu emphasizes. The single cheese burger that I had, with a soft drink, regular order of fries came to $8.81. The cheese burger alone was $4.49 without tax.