This Long-Gone Buffet Still Lives Rent-Free in My Mind

Ponderosa Steakhouse, the buffet-style restaurant that sat just minutes from the Dartmouth Mall, is still living rent-free in my mind all these years later.

The Dartmouth Ponderosa has been closed since the early 2000s, yet decades later, I can still remember how it was my first ever buffet experience.

What Made Ponderosa So Special?

I'd estimate it was between the ages of 11 and 14 that I would look forward to Fridays. My grandparents would pick me up from school, and we would go right out to eat. Every time they would ask me where I would want to go, I'd immediately respond, "Ponderosa!" Yes, dinner on Fridays was at 2:30 in the afternoon, but I didn't mind at all.

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I was young, and I didn't really know any better. All I knew is that I really liked their chicken wings and the endless soft serve ice cream. My grandparents loved that they offered the senior discount. I can even recall our bill for the three of us usually ended up being under $20. Hard to imagine, right? I'm pretty sure this played a part in the massive reduction in locations.

Why We Still Crave the Wings

Ponderosa heavily seasoned and fried those wings but it was the only time you would ever catch me eating chicken, or any meat for that matter, off the bone. They didn't need any dipping sauce. My mouth is drooling as I type this. I wonder if those recipes are still around somewhere, because as I'm writing this, I'm craving those wings!

READ MORE: 9 SouthCoast Restaurants We Miss and You Might, Too

I can't be the only one who has memories of hitting up this buffet. A bank now sits where it used to be, but believe it or not, Ponderosa Steakhouse still has almost 30 locations, with the closest location being in Butler, Pennsylvania, which is a 10-hour drive from New Bedford. That's not a road trip I'm willing to take for the sake of nostalgia.

I would love to hear what you remember of this establishment. Although I do sometimes refer to it as "Pondegrossa" by accident, I may be one of the few that have fond memories of this place.

I would love to see a resurgence of this restaurant.