Memorable | One of the Best
Juniper Valley Ranch
Review by: Michael Stern
What to eat at Juniper Valley Ranch in Colorado Springs, CO
A low-slung adobe house on the old road to Canyon City, open only in the summer, only for dinner Wednesday through Saturday, as well as Sunday afternoon, and only if you have a reservation in advance (generally three to four days in advance), Juniper Valley Ranch serves some of the nicest food in the west. In a region where so many culinary highlights are four-alarm hot or frontier-crude, here is a place to sit down with a serene meat-and-potatoes meal and a glass of iced tea. It is a family-style retreat with antiques around the fireplace and a menu that lists the same two entrees every day.
What to eat at Juniper Valley Ranch
Start with curried consommé or spiced cherry cider. Then choose either skillet-fried chicken or baked ham in an oval casserole. These satisfying entrees are accompanied by hot biscuits and apple butter, cole slaw, okra and tomato stew, and delightfully fluffy riced potatoes. Help yourself to seconds, thirds, as much as you like, then top things off with the dessert of the day — bread pudding, fruit cobbler, cake — or a hot fudge sundae. It is a simple meal, virtually unchanged since opening day in 1951, served on calico tablecloths and seasoned with the rare and irresistible ingredient of tradition’s charm.
Directions & Hours
Information
| Price | $$ |
| Seasons | Summer, Spring |
| Meals Served | Dinner |
| Credit Cards Accepted | No |
| Alcohol Served | Yes |
| Outdoor Seating | No |
What To Eat
Juniper Valley Ranch Recipes
Discuss
What do you think of Juniper Valley Ranch?
One Response to “Juniper Valley Ranch”
Lisa Vicek
December 19th, 2005
This used to be a favorite of ours when the previous generation ran the retaurant. You would make a reservation and show up at that time for a wonderful family style dinner of ham or chicken with a chicken broth starter with two Cheez-It crackers on the side. Your meal comes with riced potatoes / gravy and coleslaw, okra in rice and heavenly biscuits with apple butter. The ham has several candied apple rings on the plate. The chicken is fried and crispy good. The food has always been hot and delicious. Dessert is also included and is usually a “crumble” or pie or ice cream.
The problem is the lack of graciousness with which the restaurant currently operates. They have switched to a seating concept where the arrival times are dictated. We were one of three parties who arrived one weekend evening and we were all clumped together by the door even though there were two other rooms with tables available. We felt seated for their convenience. In the small front room we were all but included in the two other parties’ conversations. With empty tables in both side rooms, we asked to be reseated but were refused.
The ham was three half-pieces for our table of three, and when we asked for the traditional “more please” we were brought an even smaller piece and a half for the three of us! Attitude came with the “seconds”. In the past we have been served at least five slices of ham as a start for three people. When requesting seconds previously, as the restaurant advertised and allowed, we were always asked “who” as in how many needed another piece, and a full piece was always brought for those who asked. The price is for the fixed meal and is slightly different for chicken or ham.
The easy pleasant service and treatment of customers as guests has passed with the previous generation so we have also “passed” on going back.