Ranchman’s, the small-town Ponder steakhouse that once lured Larry McMurtry and generations of North Texans off the highway, is back in the saddle as Ranchman’s by Marty B. The doors swung open again this weekend, with the familiar oak-paneled dining room and walls of memorabilia intact, plus a Western-style saloon, a sprawling patio and a new music stage. Locals lined up when the place opened at 3 p.m., and the menu still leans on griddled steaks and oversized chicken-fried steaks, now joined by hand-packed burgers and house pies.
As reported by the Fort Worth Star‑Telegram, owner Marty Bryan bought the original building along with seven adjacent lots to stretch the operation out, and the paper notes the patio can hold as many as 500 customers. Bryan told the outlet, “We’re basically cooking the food the way they always cooked it,” and the reboot folds in his mother’s pies alongside the diner’s longtime specialties.
Menu And Look: Old Bones, New Additions
The restaurant’s own site still features the classic Ranchman’s lineup: chicken-fried steak, quail, steak sandwiches and pies, plus a promise that renovations will keep the nostalgia while carving out new service areas. According to Ranchman’s, many of the old cooking methods and core menu items remain in place even as the team gears up for more live music and expanded outdoor seating.
Buyer Pledges To Keep The Soul Of The Place
Local reporting traces the deal back to 2025, when Bryan, who owns Marty B’s in Bartonville along with several other Denton County venues, laid out his plan to revive the landmark without sanding off its character. The Cross Timbers Gazette detailed Bryan’s vision for a saloon and live-music patio, and Ponder Mayor Nick McGregor told the outlet he expected the project to pump fresh economic energy into the town.
A Corner Of Texas History
The current chapter of the cafe dates back to owner Dave Ross, who bought Ranchman’s in 1992 after working there for about two decades. The building itself goes back to 1903, and the restaurant first fired up as a cafe in the mid-1940s. The Fort Worth Star‑Telegram notes that Ranchman’s welcomed visitors during the filming of Bonnie and Clyde and that author Larry McMurtry counted the spot among his favorites.
What To Expect And Where To Go
Ranchman’s by Marty B is now open in downtown Ponder at 110 W Bailey St., bringing steakhouse traffic back to the town’s core. The restaurant’s site and Marty B’s channels carry menus, operating hours and an events calendar for that new stage out back. For practical details and the latest updates, check Ranchman’s and Marty B’s.
Why This Matters
The reopening puts a longtime anchor back on Ponder’s Main Street and adds a supersized gathering spot for the wider region, building on Bryan’s run of Denton County projects. A recent profile of Bryan notes that he has focused on venues that mix live music, big patios and community programming, a formula that could pull more North Texans back to the small town for dinners, shows and weekend hangs. CoServ has covered Bryan’s broader expansion in the area.
