What a trip down memory lane with this one. It has been years since I have been to a Ponderosa Steak House. Actually over a decade. Since their numbers started dwindling and locations closing up for good, this looked like a brand that was going to be a forgotten brand. But there are a few that are still hanging in there. This location, I believe, is the last in Pennsylvania. To touch on memory lane again, this place holds a special place in the hearts of kids of the 80s and 90s. You all know what I mean. For those that don't, let me clue you in. If you happened to have perfect attendance for a grading period you would be awarded with a certificate that would allow you to enjoy the buffet at any Ponderosa location. It was the only good thing that came out of attending school when you were bored. You'd get to drown your sorrows in mashed potatoes and gravy because you were able to last every single day of school for that grading period. My brother and I were talking about stuffing our faces with countless rolls, wing dings, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, etc. My whole plan for finishing my Christmas shopping at the outlets all hinged on us coming here for our meal. I clued him into to it and he was on board. Pulling up outside was like our White Castle moment. We made it to the promised land. The familiar looking building welcomed us right inside. We walked down the hallway that leads you to the counter and stopped at the menu on the wall for a minute. Who were we kidding looking over the menu when we already knew we were going to be getting the buffet. Placed our order with the staff at the register, about $16 for the buffet and water to drink. I wasn't going to be a fool and get a soda or tea and fill up with the bubbly in my tummy. When we were led to our table the memories kept coming back. That green carpeting, the wood grain everywhere, and the islands of buffets. We were sat nearly in the middle of the restaurant and our server took our receipts for our drinks and we were let free to attack the buffet. That is after I wrestled with my chair to get it to come out of from under the table. This was quite possibly the worst part about this place. The chairs were heavy, pair that with the carpeting being like Velcro made for moving the chairs really hard. So much so that the lady behind me actually tumbled with the chair trying to get up at one point. (Hope she's OK and nothing was hurt but her pride) The buffet had a mix of items that encompass the chain(s). There were the familiar wings, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, stuffing, gravy, and so on from Ponderosa. But there were a few things spattered in from the Bonanza portion of this chain, Most notably, the BBQ meatballs. After spying everything the buffet had to offer I of course started with a salad. Topping it with just about everything under the sun and drowning it in dressing. I sped through the salad as I wanted to get to the hot food which would lead me to dessert. My brother and I were plate for plate at this point and we both went up for the hot food. We also both came back with two plates to cut back on the trips we were going to make. When I tell you that we sat there and gorged in silence, I'm not joking. Not a single word came out of our mouths as we sat there and just shoveled the food into our mouths. I honestly don't know how I managed to finish off four plates of hot food, but I did. Maybe it was the nostalgia of it all. I rallied and made my way to the dessert portion of the buffet for one final plate...or bowl. I grabbed a soup bowl and decided I was going to make a proper sundae my way here. Put some cookie on the bottom, hit it with the ice cream, and topped it with a ton of toppings. When all was said and done, I was bloated and filled to the brim. I have no idea why I went so hard here, but the discomfort I was going to feel for the next hour was well worth it. I wobbled a bit out the door, but left satisfied. Was it the best meal that we could have come across? Probably not. But did we enjoy it? Heck yeah, my brother and I reminisced the whole rest of the day about our trips here when we were younger. There aren't many buffets like this left out there, so you got to enjoy this place while the doors are still open. read more

I'm not trying to completely bash as the staff were very nice. I was craving the delicious breaded wings from my childhood along with the Mac and cheese. I'm not a picky eater, but todays experience was borderline inedible. The wings have been replaced with bone dry overcooked bar wings. The Mac was congealed as I was the first customer of the day. And my beef tips with "carmalized onion" came with legitimately thick, raw onions. I go to hoss's montly and it's 50x more quality from the salad bar toppings to the sides to the flavor of their beef tips. It's sad as I used to love this place growing up. read more

Ponderosa Steak House - Steakhouses Near Me - Butler, Pennsylvania

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This restaurant is disgusting. An incident happened yesterday where a person in the men's restroom crappedo all over the seat floor and smeared it on the wall of the stall. My husband was in there and witnessed this guy come out with crap all over his legs and clothing. He didn't wash his hands the feces fell off of him and another customer stepped in it and tracked it back into the bathroom. Meanwhile this man went back to the buffet got more food sat back down with his wife smeared it all over the seat and sitting amongst the other customer's while they ate. My husband took an employee aside told him what happened they eventually went over to the customer told him about it told him who complained about it didn't ask them to leave and didn't clean the bathroom the whole time we were sitting there. I couldn't even go up there to get anymorefood my stomach was upset. I hope nobody gets sick from E coli. We will never go back. read more

Classical style buffet. Food was delicious and fresh. Staff was on point and welcoming.

When I was growing up, there were many Ponderosa restaurants around, and it was honestly always one of my favorite buffet places to go to. As I grew up, all of our local sites dwindled away from poor quality, and other issues that forced them out of existence. Now, there are literally zero remaining, the last one closing over a decade ago. I was looking online one day, and I happened across a post about "one of the last remaining Ponderosa's in PA", and it peeked my interest. Although this last remaining location was well out of our way, my family and I added this as a side-destination one of our trips North that we often make. My family and I have now been here a number of times, and I have to say...if ALL Ponderosa Steak Houses would have kept up their businesses as well as this location, there would still be many restaurants around. I don't know of any other locations locally in our area aside from this one, and I wish I would've known about it years ago. It is clean. The food is always filled, and hot. The staff are always on point, and friendly. I can't say enough positive about the visits we've had. It is literally the Ponderosa of my childhood, but even better. They still have most of the original favorite things, but done right like they used to. The only difference from the "old days" is they don't have the "old style" wings that made them famous. This location uses real chicken wings...but, they're great! Honestly, if you're in the area, and you have an interest in visiting a GREAT Ponderosa, give them a try. I don't think you'll regret it! read more

I'm also posting photos. I spent $36. And I say it was money well spent. I'll let the photos speak for themselves. read more

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Great filling buffet, get steak or chicken with the ayce buffet it is your best value. Steak was cooked to perfection. I would give a 5 star but the desserts were ok. Place was clean, waiter was good. Place is always packed. Good food all around. Will do again. read more

Food was great! The sirloin was cooked to perfection. Fresh salad and fresh everything else out on the multiple numbers of bars set up. Everything clean and wiped down. I will definitely be going again! read more

Worked at this place when I was 16-19 years of age - haven't been back in 20 years. Most of these restaurants are gone but this one survives. Made me feel 16 again - some things on the buffet haven't changed a bit. Configuration of the restaurant is better - dessert area is a good add. This Ponderosa is well maintained - staff is nice and things done with care. It's like a K&W or Golden Corral but doing it's own thing. I laughed they still let the fries get soggy from the mushroom and onion juice when you get the tips. Wings are now boneless but the cabbage noodle thing was exactly the same. WTG Ponderosa for keeping it real. read more

Ponderosa Steak House - Made it - Steakhouses Near Me - Butler, Pennsylvania

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I am a veteran and want to thank Ponderosa so much for the free buffet I had at you restaurant in Butler today. The food was very good and the service was even better. I think I can speak for all the veterans that were there today. It is great to be appreciated for our service. read more

There are so few Ponderosa Restaurants around, was very pleased to find this one in Butler PA. Their salad/buffet bar is fantastic. So many great choices for salads, and foods (fried chicken, haluski, mashed potatoes with gravy and more), and deserts! Their entrees are so good. Pricing is very reasonable. Service is quick and servers are very kind and friendly. Restaurant is clean and the food bar is kept stocked. Everything was fresh with hot foods hot and cold foods cold. I definitely recommend and can't wait to go back again. read more

Just as I remember it from my childhood, really disappointed the wings aren't the breaded wings anymore. That was the reason I drove an hour and a half to go. read more

Ponderosa Steak House - Clearly I was excited when we got there. - Steakhouses Near Me - Butler, Pennsylvania

This might be the last ponderosa that's still operating, and it is everything you remember. I had a fantastic lunch, I was actually highly impressed with the selection for salads, entrees, and desserts. I only wish I lived closer to reminiscence of the 90s-00s buffet fads. The food is probably only worth 3 stars, but the environment is what pushes this to a full 5 star rating. Also the waitress, Hannah, was very attentive and quick. Highly recommend! read more

Road tripping on a beautiful Sunday in Butler .. saw a sign for "ponderosa" .. I wasn't about to pass this up if there was really one still in existence? I remember going to ponderosa when I was much younger to the location on route 65. Walking in .. it was the same feeling!!! We were hungry .. it was a perfect time to go. I got a burger and regretted it but the buffet had everything! Tacos to mini corndogs to fried chicken to chilli even! . . I was just disappointed that I even got a burger because it was pretty much "meh" and I didn't even need it. The steak fries were pretty good. The desserts were ok - was disappointed with the carrot cake but everything else was delicious. I am a fan of pepsi so was pleased the restaurant served pepsi products. I was lucky enough to taste a little bit of the steak and was good just like I remembered. It was a fun visit! Thanks ponderosa for the good memories and decent food ! read more

Ponderosa Steak House - Steakhouses Near Me - Butler, Pennsylvania

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Moved to the area from out of state and was shocked to find one still open. These days it's an amazing value at $16.99 for a steak and complete buffet, how could you go wrong? We just take our steaks to go and fill up on the buffet. The staff is absolutely amazing and so kind and responsive. One server truly stands out and that is Lisa, she is so kind hearted and personal and truly makes you feel welcome. Our absolute favorites are the pierogis and the wings. The salad bar is filled with plenty of great toppings and good dressings. The soups alternate daily as do certain items on the buffet. read more

Received great service at this restaurant. The diningroom was full but we got seated fairly quickly. Even though it was very busy, the staff did a great job, keeping up with restocking the buffet. Our waitress, Hannah, was phenomenal. read more

I come here a couple times a year - this is a pretty popular spot with my family who live nearby. It's a buffet with a salad bar, various entrees, some a la carte steakhouse options, and desserts. Nothing on the menu is going to knock your socks off, but some items are better than others: the fried chicken is really good, the soups are good, the fudge brownie dessert is great. My go to is the steak tip entree. Pro tip: ask for A1 sauce - their own sauce is ok but not quite at the same level. For the price it's hard to go wrong, and if you have kids they will probably be thrilled. Plus they have wifi if you want to get some work done. read more

Ponderosa Steak House - Now *that's* hospitality. - Steakhouses Near Me - Butler, Pennsylvania

Friendly service. Food has gotten a lot better than it was in the past. Waitress was prompt at stopping to see if we were ok or needed anything. Very clean. read more

I loved going to Pondo . Was my favorite place . But last few times the salad greens were turning brown the banana peppers were nasty . The worst part and main reason I go , they got rid of the chicken wings and got some crappie replacement. read more

I just had to share with my fellow Yelpers our experience at the Butler Ponderosa across from Clearview Mall. We were worried about our visit as we read the not so great reviews. However, we dont have one near us anymore, so we decided to give it a go anyway. We were greeted nicely by Melissa, a manager. She was very pleasant and inviting. We sat down to see a very clean, organized restaurant, even the ladies room was clean. We all went to the buffet/salad bar and enjoyed everything we selected to try. Very tasty and the temperatures of the food were spot on. Our steaks were good, nicely seasoned and cooked to order. Our server Darlene was such a gem. She kept refilling our drinks without asking. She would remove our used dishes when she saw we were finished without asking. She would even ask if we were ok, if our food was ok and if she could get us anything. 5 star service with a smile. She was so appreciative when we told her how much we appreciated her service. I noticed how kind and friendly the other servers were to other patrons. They had nice short conversations while they had down time after they served their customers instead of hiding in the back. We thought that was really nice to see them interacting with the customers. Thank you Darlene, Melissa and the cooks who made our experience a great one. Be sure to ask for them when give them a try. read more

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This visit was on 12/3/12. While the food I received was cooked the way I ordered it, the food was not what I ordered. I was charged for what I received. The new person at the register said it was her first day (I should have checked my receipt then). I ordered the special, even pointing to the BIG sign next to me. Instead of the 8 oz. top sirloin, I received a 6 oz. sirloin (again, this is what I was charged for). As I stopped eating to write this review and have gotten up to take photos, no one asked if I had a concern or problem... Coming from the good service industry, this is an issue for me. read more

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steak tasted like roasted ass. like they found some dying decaying rat outside and cooked it and served it to the public. i can taste the nastyness in my mouth a year after eating here. dont eat this stank ass "steak" if you enjoy living bc it will take some years off ur lifespan read more

The buffet has many selections. I loved going between breakfast and lunch because they had a mix of meals (I was able to eat breakfast and lunch in one sitting.) The waitresses are on top of things. All of the waitresses I had made sure our drinks were full constantly. read more

When I was a kid I came here somewhat often for the kids buffet which is significantly cheap. However, now that I've come here as an adult, of my own free choice, I've realized something I never have before. This place is disgusting. Maybe some of the worst food you can find in butler county. It's owned by Armstrong cable... A company that has no purpose in the restaurant industry. So you can find these in other areas that Armstrong provides services. Low quality food, equipped with a full high school kitchen staff assure that this business has 0 proper direction. Their selection is pathetic, and the quality of what they do have is dirt tier. Anyone thinking that because it's kinda cheap that it still might be worth going to, I have some advice. Go to the neighboring grocery store, buy a $1 pack of instant potatoes. You're welcome! read more

It is with a heavy heart and saddened stomach that I rate good ol' Ponderosa so low, simply for the fact that this is the last one I know of in the (greater) Pittsburgh area. For that reason, I want to see this place do well so that it can stay in business. I always get sad when places shut down. Although this one might be here to stay, considering the decent crowd it drew on the Wednesday night my husband and I came here with his parents. We all ordered the buffet, no steaks. Maybe we should've because the buffet wasn't all that great that night. The selection didn't seem like it was switched out in a while so things were looking dry. In terms of taste, everything was what you might be familiar with from the average buffet fare: low quality and overcooked. Although my meal wasn't all too satisfying, the main reason for my low rating is for the cleanliness of the place. The smell in here reminded me of an old wash rag and the place was swarming with fleas, despite it being in the dead of winter. I shouldn't be swatting away at bugs inside a restaurant and especially in mid-January when we were there. My in-laws are a fan of the restaurant so I may (or hopefully may not) be back. I have many childhood memories in Ponderosa so I'd love to see them step up their game by making some updates to the space and to their menu. Praying for a miracle. read more

Not a bad place to eat, but not great. Atmosphere was casual, waitress was friendly and buffet was clean. The downside here is unfortunately the food. The food on the buffet was pretty standard fare, which isn't great only considering they focus their advertising on the if buffet. The salad bar was good, but lacked variety. I will probably eat here again if I'm looking for a buffet near the mall, but only for that reason, not because I'm impressed. read more

Pretty bad food. I haven't ordered a steak here in years because they'd always be a weird grey color and full of gristle. The buffet is mediocre at best. I come here once a year or so because my dad actually likes the buffet. So we bring him here for his birthday or father's day. I've eaten worse food but this place isn't that good. read more

My family loves this Ponderosa. The nicest Ponderosa we have ever eaten at. We drive the 45 minutes it takes to get there from where we live. We think the food is very good! read more

Now I love buffets and remember the good old ponderosa from when I was a kid. Went here for my birthday and had the Sirloin tips with mushrooms and onions medium rare. I could of swore the buffet was bigger guess that is from a child point of you. Got what I wanted off the buffet and waited until my steak got to my table. When it showed up it was gray in color and when I cut into it it was well done. Like I said I ordered medium rare. If I could eat a steak still mooing I would. But this steak was just horrible complained to my waitress who came over and apologized to me and asked me if I would like another steak. I said no I never send food back ( thanks to the movie waiting) so I ate it. The waitress said she would get it take off my bill. She took my bill and walked off. Her manger walked over attitude and all and said I can't take this off your bill you need to return the steak. Pissed off at this point I said never mind and ate the steak. The waitress came back over and said if she was the manger she would of done it. Will not ever come back here again. Sad to because this is not what I remember ponderosa being for. read more

This restaurant engaged in bait-and-switch advertising on veterans day 2015. The corporation advertised free buffets for military and veterans from 4 PM - close. Expecting to enjoy this buffet with my family, we arrived at 4:30 and found out that the franchise was using their discretion to limit the free buffet to 11 AM - 4 PM, conveniently ending the deal immediately before veterans arrived based on their advertising. This franchise made no effort whatsoever to inform local veterans that they would not offer the deal after 4 PM, and so we were forced to rely on the NATIONAL ADVERTISING, expecting the deal at 4 PM. I went to Texas Roadhouse and had a better free meal, anyway, but I was inconvenienced in having to re-plan my family outing at the last minute. When I reached out to the corporation, I was told this all was simply "franchise discretion," but I saw other complaints about other locations doing the EXACT SAME bait-and-switch, so it appears more like a corporate-wide scheme to screw veterans. Needless to say, this company will have to try awfully hard if they want to earn my business again. read more

Ponderosa Steak House - This ad was shared nationally, but the local franchise used a bait-and-switch scheme. - Steakhouses Near Me - Butler, Pennsylvania

We love this place! Go there frequently. There is a good selection and it varies of the course of the week, so it don't seem repetitious . the price is reasonable and %he staff is attentive. I love the chicken wings and the tacos! read more

The way the business is ran is completely horse shit and the food comes all outta bags NOTHING is made the way it SPOUSE to be and it's an all around terrible restaurant. If zero stars were an option it would be selected read more

The food ranges from bland and sloppy to plain disgusting. This restaurant really is a trip to the past, where pizza sauce has no seasoning, and all foods are covered with a slimy sauce of some kind, that sauce ranging in color from yellow to brown. It really is not worth the money. The one saving grace is that is is cheap for a buffet so you do get a lot of inferior food for the price, and the place was clean. read more

we was there on feb.14,2016 for valentines day and the food was excellent...the people was polite and the waitress was nice and prompt....great place to eat for the money... read more