Pros: Our server Jenny was the best - super attentive and knowledgeable! Kourtney cashier also friendly Ribeye cooked well Ample buffet - yeast rolls, desserts, fresh fruit Love the Old school buffet vive Solid salad bar Teriyaki wings, Mac and cheese were my faves Cons: Don't come here if you are expecting high end decor. Food is good and the regulars are plenty! Pro tip: Go early and stay for a while! read more

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First of all the staff were amazing. The cashier/greeter was friendly and happily talked us thru the menu and options. Our server, Jenny, was fantastic. She checked on us numerous times, kept our drinks refilled and was very open and fun. The location is very old school like a buffet from the 80s which I love. It's not fancy but it was clean and bright. My girlfriend got the ribeye and it was surprisingly good for the price and was cooked a perfect medium rare. I got the buffet and it was awesome. So many old school type items. Pork chops, fried fish, BBQ, hot rolls, mashed potatoes with multiple types of gravy etc but the star was the fried chicken. It was crispy, moist and perfectly seasoned. The old school salad bar was great. Fresh ingredients with added macaroni and potato salads. Then we had dessert which had so many options, cakes, pies, puddings, ice cream, fruit etc. Again, don't expect anything fancy or modern. This is a very classic old school experience but it's perfect for what it is. I may be a bit nostalgic but I was very happy with the experience and can't wait to go back. read more

Ponderosa Steak House - Old school salad bar. - Steakhouses Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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BLISSFULLY SUBPAR EXPERIENCE. My family goes here every year to celebrate our culture. The food is allergic to seasoning but the salt and pepper provided at each table make it an edible and wonderful time. Will force my partner, my Puerto Rican prince, to come along every year to partake in this meal. Please stay open forever, Ponderosa, for the sake of my family traditions! read more

This place is amazing. They are excellent at refilling the buffet and the Mac and cheese is super good! I did have a good laugh when I took a bite of my roll because it was like 99% air and 1% actual bread tho it was still good. I'm sad there's only 20 left and I have to drive so far for it. The staff is nice and if you order a dish it comes out fast. It is very cozy in there. The bathrooms are quite dirty and the floor was very sticky like my crocs were literally sticking to the floor with every step but it was still manageable. The chocolate cake was very chocolatey (and it's rare to hear me say that) tho I like the self service ice cream machine! read more

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Very expensive and small dinner portions. If I ever go back, salad bar is the best option!

It's been decades since I've been to a Ponderosa. Even then there weren't very many around, and I was a bit surprised to learn we still had one. Way out on the south side, in a fairly rundown retail area. I had a little extra time so I came down. I did not have high expectations. I was pleasantly surprised. I got the sirloin tips because it was just about the cheapest way to get a steak and try the buffet. They were pretty darn good. They were cooked to my requested medium. They were tender, and flavorful. They came with sautéed onions and mushrooms. And a baked potato with sour cream and butter (well, margarine.) Good meal on its own. A wholly separate meal could be the buffet. Lots of different meats, most of them chicken, but still a good variety. Lots of different comfort food sides. A decent salad bar. And a big dessert spread, including quite a few sugar-free. I had a little bit of everything. I couldn't bring myself to copy the man in front of me who put cheese sauce on his mac & cheese. Everything was good. The meatloaf was pretty good. Service was excellent, from the hostess to the waitresses. Prices are reasonable. (An oddity was adding a tip at the register coming in, then them giving me cash to leave on the table.). Asked if I wanted A1 or Heinz 57. "57 please." The place was clean. Not crowded at 1 on a weekday. I'll probably be back, which would've surprised me a couple hours ago. read more

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The only get one star for them chicken wing yall don't miss with them but that buffet TRASH everything on there was trash yall need to erase and re-record. It wouldn't be a bad price if the food tasted and looked like something. Y'all need new cooks but leave them chicken wings alone just fry the for 3 extra minutes. The steak trash it tasted like yall cooked it frozen. My 8 I think little shrimp for $8 sad face trashed. yall need to invest more into the upkeep and cleanliness of this restaurant. And invest more into y'all's workers. they were and are AMAZING and provide hands down great service (all the staff members) but they looked unkempt like they didn't wash their hands at no point of their schedule shift. And this is coming from a place of I know it hard out here but some things is off putting and I'm spend my hard earned money to eat out. read more

Haven't been to a Ponderosa Steakhouse in years. Happened to be on the south side of Columbus and ran across this one. If you haven't been to Ponderosa in a while, I recommend you start going back. Although they have a buffet I went with the Sirloin Tips with all the extras included. Great prices and I just happened to be there for what they called happy hour free beverage read more

Ponderosa Steak House - Dinner Rolls - Steakhouses Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Always brings back that 90's feeling. Always fun to sit with friends and talk about the past times we had over a meal.

We had not been to a Ponderosa in many years thinking they were all gone so when we found out this was open and just a couple hours away we decided to give it a try on Sunday with nothing else to do - not worth the long drive although for the most part it was edible - we ordered steaks/baked potatoes and buffet with each meal - ate the buffet offerings w/the baked potatoes for lunch and took the steaks home for another meal - so overall a good value - but the offerings on the buffet were "meh" .. the mashed potatoes obviously instant (which is why we ate out baked potatoes) - husband enjoyed the pot roast and the pork chops - the fried chicken was decent - salad bar was underwhelming as were the dessert offerings - the ladies room is in need of a total deep clean not to mention a new container for discarded products - the one in the stall is totally rusted out - GROSS read more

This was a (past time!) favorite. When I still lived in Columbus my children and I would come about once a month the variety the buffet offered for kids and for me the chicken liver & onions, chicken wings, and a favorite for all the desserts. THAT being said we now live a hour away so when we visited Ponderosa on south High St Sunday 4/29/25 5:08 pm I left not only disappointed but hungry too! The parking lot was unusually empty as was the dinning room & I know why! My excitement quickly ended up on entering.Our party included 2 adults and one child for the buffet $48.86. Idk, how else to explain the uncleanness of the inside it just was as though people stopped caring. My first mistake was overlooking the cleanliness of the restaurant and proceeding as to expect the food to be better, as good as it had been when we last frequented (2016 ish) Big mistake HUGE MISTAKE! SEE The few photos I thought to capture before leaving. Upon starting at the hot food end of Buffettone of two items I loved to eat Liver & onions was unrecognizable it appeared to be burnt and old in fact all of the food upon seeing even daring to try some of it, tasted as though it had say under the heat lamps for days! It was beyond terrible it was inedible ! When the our server asked how everything was I was honest and said idk if it's the cook and or the food is old but the liver and onions were extremely old hard and burnt the chicken wings didn't taste like anything and hard old without any flavor that I then tried other items on the buffets as did my child NOTHING was edible. She explains that they changed the chicken recipe and can get the original chicken wings via takeout 10 for $14.99 I explained we had already spent almost $50 and we're going to have to leave drive an hour home and get something else to eat. The server also explained how slow they had been that day and that the food was the same food that had been but out that morning & that they wouldn't make new food to put out and throw out the food that was still there due to business being slow that would be wasting food. I said that explained somewhat how bad all the food was. She also mentioned they were under new ownership & again apologized but did not offer any substitute or resolution. I at some point had to refill my son's drink myself . By this time we were all ready to go, hungry irritated and disappointed. On my way out I decided to ask for the owner or GM's contact information before host you can tell she was new had no idea what to do she ran back and forth each time I asked which was numerous times each time with a rebuttal from her manager yet the manager never appeared. Repeatedly asking for contact information I asked them just for a name that I would find their contact information myself I was told to wait that the manager was busy cooking I explained we were all still hungry and had an hour drive home and then she came back with a generic Yahoo address. ****I DO NOT NOT RECOMMEND THIS IS NOT THE PONDEROSA YOU ONCE KNEW AND LOVED!!!*** Under new ownership that has cut as many corners as possible and it shows from the old tasteless terrible food to the ducktape holding the carpet down ,!!! Will try and post pictures! read more

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Visited after church on a Sunday. The salad bar and buffet were clean and food was fresh. I wanted to try a little of everything...especially the desserts! Our waiter was nice and attentive. They give a senior discount. There were a few sugar free dessert choices. They have week day specials...I remember there was taco Tuesday and I think Wednesday was Italian day. read more

Ah.. it's been 15 years since I visited a ponderosa! It's sort of the same but updated some what. The menu signs are brightly lite instead of chaulk. The buffet was pretty well stocked with delicious hot foods. There were plenty of desserts and a nice salad bar. I ordered the salad bar and a tee bone steak. It was very good and perfectly cooked! $33 was very pricey! Service was fine. It was a seat yourself kinda place read more

Ponderosa Steak House - Buffet - Steakhouses Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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We've been coming here for years, although not as frequent as we used to; maybe twice a year now. We only come here for the buffet because it's quick, reasonably priced and the food is pretty good. Over the last few years it's hit or miss on whether the food will be fresh, hot and properly seasoned. It is very nostalgic as well because the restaurant hasn't changed after all these years. We were able to pay and pick our seat very quickly and the buffet was fully stocked and clean. We tried their chicken wings (always a must when we visit Ponderosa!), bourbon chicken (it was a little on the tough side. The chicken was overcooked), pulled pork (tasty but needed salt), and then a few rolls and some mashed potatoes, which were both great. The hubby had some fried fish which he enjoyed. We also sampled their dessert buffet; it has a huge variety of items to pick from. Pretty much anything you can think of for dessert, they have it; cookies, ice cream, pie, cake, brownies. Everything looked fresh and delicious. We were able to enjoy our lunch quietly and go. We had a nice visit this time and will be back in about six months, I'm sure. read more

Stan, our server, was very attentive. The tables were bussed. Made sure our drinks was replenished. We come from Sandusky, Ohio. Look forward to going there. But, the GM wasn't very nice. A little crabby. We will still come back. The food is amazing . read more

Wife and I visited and had a wonderful meal.....Sirloin tips and baked potatoes....next time, we will attack the buffet....The cheesecake for dessert practically melted in our mouths...Worth the drive!!!!.....let's keep this one going!!!!!!! read more

I give four stars judging it against other similar buffets. We went at noon and were given the senior discount without having to inquire which was nice . I really enjoyed the chicken livers and all the vegatables available. I did have a spicy wing which was pretty mild and kinda dry but hey, I've had worse. Great selection of desserts! The cherry pie was so good! I also had a soft snickerdoodle cookie. If we were in the area, we'd probably go back as the employees were very nice and the price was right. Plus, not many Ponderosa's left so it's a nostalgia thing for me. read more

Ponderosa brings back good memories. They have most of the old Ponderosa menu and a lunch/dessert/salad bar buffet. I do believe this is one of the last remaining Ponderosas in Central Ohio. Glad to see they survived covid. They did so by re-organizing the place to improve traffic flow and people contact. I'm glad to have a buffet type place survive and still operate. Food was good, service good. We don't get to Great Southern that often, but will have a nostalgic lunch on occasion. Wife got the steak tips she always liked and I had a good visit to the buffet. read more

Golden Corral 100 times better! I'm not a picky eater but everything was total crap except for the deserts. They were average. Little selection and just nothing was good. Total waste of money and won't be back for that slop they called food. Golden Corral beats out Pondersa in quality, taste, and atmosphere. Service was average and nothing to crow about. read more

Placed an online order for pickup, the worst food ever. Ordered two steak tip dinners, the steak was like a chew toy and the chicken wasn't even good. Thought I'd support a local restaurant and it was a mistake and a waste of money. read more

You can't put bacon bits on top of mashed potatoes and call it loaded mashed potatoes. Didn't expect much here and it was horrible. Ever hear of salt or seasoning? Not worth the money read more

Just to reminisce from my childhood made the journey down to the South Side and was pleasantly surprised. 1. Was much cleaner than I ever expected. Much more than some of the nicer restaurants in town. 2. The food was hot and had decent flavor. 3. The price was about $20 for the buffet and a drink. 4. The wait staff was very impressive and attentive. read more

Food was horrible. I did eat three bites of salad. It wasn't that bad all of the Buffay hot food. However, not so much the waitress was great actually seen we didn't eat any of our food and asked the manager for our money back which they did I didn't even ask I was just going to leave. Used to be very good food here since Covid has went downhill like a rock. Hopefully they get back on track. read more

I hadn't been to a ponderosa for a couple decades, and I wasn't sure what to expect. I had the 6oz Sirloin and was very, very happy with it. It was a quality piece of meat, was cooked as I like, and was seasoned very well. It was the best steak I've had in awhile. I would say better than I've had at O'Charleys in Georgesville Square and Longhorn in Hilliard. My husband was very happy with the buffet - the sides, the meat and the desserts. The hostess/cashier was very pleasant. Our server was very pleasant and also attentive. She was the 20% tip kind of lady. The faculty is old and could use some remodeling, but it was clean. Our only complaint was my husband waiting for the men's room to be open; there was only one. I have physical difficulty going out, so I don't know if we will go there again, but I see they offer delivery for $1.50 and we will most definitely be ordering from them. read more

Ponderosa was awesome when I was a kid and is still awesome today. I thought Ponderosa's were gone until I saw one if my friends post their plate from Ponderosa on facebook. I made it a point to take my family there matter of fact we've been there twice in 4 months and the buffet is awesome. My wife and kids love it we eat about 3-4 plates each before we eat dessert. read more

I was surprised to see there was a Ponderosa still open. The food was all very good that we had from the buffet. The restaurant was very clean. Our waiter was top notch. He was very friendly, personable, and professional. We would definitely recommend this restaurant if you are passing by. read more

Man and Bone were seen kissing and eating spaghetti here. Must go, great cheese and salad bar, couldn't ask for more

My wife and I stopped by Ponderosa Steak house in Columbus, Ohio on 5/27/2024 on or about 12:00 pm. They advertised "all you can eat wings". There were regular, garlic and Parmesan, sweet chili, and Nashville hot wings! I love wings of varying flavors, and these were a big disappointment! There was hardly any flavor to the wings, hardly any garlic flavor, same either sweet chili, and barely any heat to Nashville hot! But my biggest complaint is the cold noodles on the buffet! I got some noodles but when I went to eat them, they were COLD! I told the waitress that they were COLD, and she told a woman working the buffet. She took a thermometer and tested the liquid if the noodles! Now you can use a thermometer all you want, but if a customer was to tell me the item was cold, I would get a sample and test it to see what was wrong! Of course that's just my many years working in a restaurant. Nothing was done to the noodles, and when I got another small bowl of noodles, they were also COLD! I really like Ponderosa and their buffet, but today was really a wasted time! The wings did not live up to the hype of advertisements! So I'm only giving them a 3 star review today! Place was clean and service is good! read more

I know it is a buffet. But I buy the half price hookups from 610 wtvn. So we usually only spend about five bucks after using the coupon/gift card. The fried chicken is great and the regular wings are very good. The chicken noodle soup is good as is the vegetable beef soup. The pork chops are good but the other beef steak and roast beef is a little bland. Of course that is expected as it is a buffet and you can't make it all taste great. The mashed potatoes are good but of course they are better with the gravy which is almost as good as KFC. The mac and cheese is pretty good also. I always finish it off with an cone of ice cream swirl of chocolate and vanilla. Some with sprinkles and somr times without. read more

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The Ponderosa around me have been gone for many years, so decided to travel and try this one. It is obvious why this location is still going, lunch specials and the amount of food on bar. I ordered a steak and fries with the bar, my wife and son got only the bar. The bar had salads, fried chicken, chicken wings, ribs, soups and desserts. Service was good food was good and price was great. Stopped in at about 2:30 and was very busy. read more

This place reminds me of a Lower version of golden coral. The price is a bit too expensive, $15 for dinner plus a drink. The food is sub par. Reminds me of cafeteria food...MCL is way better. But they do have good variety and the staff is very friendly. The most impressive part was the dessert bar. I think next time I'll take my chances on the Chinese buffet across the street or the skyline chili down the way. read more

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Running errands with my sister and stopped in for lunch, probably more for old memories of Ponderosa Steak House than for anything else. We shared old family stories and trips to other Ponderosa locations that are now long gone. Surprised to see that there is a location around in the Columbus area. Walk in and order what you wish to eat from their posted wall menu. We opted for their lunch buffet. Seniors receive a discount. Seat yourself here. Table service is a friendly waitress who will take your drink orders and bring your utensils. She regularly checked up on us. I believe she was the only one serving tables at lunch time. The restaurant was clean. Walk up to the buffet tables. Masks required. Sanitize your hands with the convenient hand sanitizer. Walk along the buffet table selecting whatever options you wanted. I started off with their vegetable beef soup. Really seemed more like a vegetable stew, than a soup. Its base was more of a beef gravy than a vegetable broth. It was fairly thick but packed with a variety of veggies. I could have just kept coming back for their soup as it was pretty tasty. I also choose grilled chicken, baby carrots, green beans and mashed potatoes topped off with chicken & noodles. Carrots and green beans were pretty tasteless. I selected a grilled chicken breast. Had the skin on. Good taste, but slightly dry. Mashed potatoes were like box potatoes and were okay. The chicken & noodles were really good. For the price and all you can eat, its a pretty inexpensive meal. I hadn't hit their salad or their desert bar. Pretty filling for lunch time. Looking for an inexpensive meal that is different from fast foods? This is a decent choice. read more

This place is the best. When yOu first enter there is a menu on the wall and a greeter, she was really sweet. The steak is made to order which is not part of the buffet. They have a lot of choices for the 4 of us ( 2 adults and 2 kids) it was 51.00 and some chance. I really enjoyed it. Kids under 3 eat free read more

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Really good place to go if you are looking for a cheap date. The servers are very friendly and made sure our every need was attended to. I ordered a steak and was not cooked the way I ask so without a fuss it was taken away and a fresh one was made. read more

The last 3 times I've ordered the Ribeye from this location (before that I've walk into/out of Ponderosa 1x/decade) it was an amazing surprise. The ribeye was 3/4" and melted in my mouth. Seems no matter how you order it you get it cooked medium. Rare/well the cook knows how to do it one way medium and it's delicious. All three times were delivered and other than needing a slight warm up everything was there and consistently good. [LH and OB are my usual go to steak houses but no delivery to this address] I've found this ponderosa to be a better quality of meat and at a cheaper 1/2 the price of those two. Idk if they just got a good batch of non-chewy melt in your mouth cuts of meat or if they've changed. I hope they've upgraded their quality of meat. This is reminiscent of the Ponderosa of the 1970s back in their hey day. It was honestly that good. Bottom Line: The price for delivery of a good size steak/potato/lg drink/pie delivered was equal to the cost of chipotle delivered. The steak melted in my mouth , the coconut pie warmed my heart while the Soft Drink/baked potato and condiments were all fresh. All 3x - consistent and good. Highly recommend specially if you're on a budget. read more

Oh my God, what the heck was this I just had for dinner... is this happening in Columbus?. I thought I was teleported to a war zone country. This place has the nerve to make their employees wear a uniform shirt that say on its back: healthy, fresh, etc. Wow wow wow.. forget fresh. If you call canned food fresh. But Healthy?? Nah man.. I actually like unhealthy food. I enjoy consuming greasy unhealthy carbs and feel my arteries getting blocked one at a time. But come on... at least offer me good unhealthy food. By the way I gave it 2 stars because staff are pretty nice. Well they have to. Something to make up for the "obvious" - slaps forehead. ‍ As I was leaving I thought to myself: My first time ever at a Ponderosa I was 17. Since then haven't we evolved as species not to step back in here again? Apparently not. I shall now seek forgiveness. read more

One of the best restaurants in Columbus. A++ for the food, B+ for the atmosphere. One of the few places in Columbus that actually knows how to make a steak to order, and gets it right. I'm hungry just thinking about this place. The whole family loves it, and it gets my highest recommendation! read more

Let's start out, it should be called PonderGrossa. I have heard the funny-talikng manager talking this place up on the radio a few times. He stated this is the last Ponderosa in Franklin County. He said they have the best wings in town. it has been on my list for a while. Upon entering the place I thought it was going to be good, very clean and neat. Some of the clientel looked a little shifty, but that is to be expected on the South Side of Columbus. Food. Nothing great. The regular fried chicken was not bad. The wings were some of the worst I have ever tried, they were just food service wings. Most everything was room temperature at best. Most food was cold. I did not bother with the salad bar. I was disgusted enough, I did not even look at the dessert bar. Gross gross gross. read more

I went to Ponderosa for the first time in many years today. The selection and care taken in presenting the food on the buffet was noticeable. It is quite nostalgic. The manager and waitress seemed to take pride in their work. The patrons were blue-collar workers and seniors. There were chicken livers and onions on the buffet. I was instantly sold. I highly recommend this place. There's a huge selection, multiple soups, tacos, fish, meatloaf, full salad bar, ice cream, hot cobblers, and many more desserts. It's a very American restaurant. read more

Loved Ponderosa back in the day! Things have changed and the quality of the food has really slipped. Lots of food displayed but most is tasteless. Save your money and eat at another restaurant. read more