The Ranch KC — Restaurant in Belton

The main reason to go to the Ranch KC is simple: The food is very good. And it's moving rapidly toward being great. Is it a brand-new restaurant? Yes, it is. Like everything brand-new, are there teething problems and hiccups? Sure. But I have faith that those are going away quickly. My reason is simple: The owner, Jeremy, is absolutely committed to owning a great restaurant. "But Jason, how can you know that?" Well, Jeremy sat down and talked with me and my girlfriend for an hour. And it was an interesting hour.

THE FOOD: The burnt ends were tender. The brisket was flavorful. The fries were crispy on the outside and soft as a cloud on the inside. The cheddar corn was terrific (protip: Stir it up a bit before you take that first bite.) I got the house barbecue sauce. It was tangy and good, but I wished I'd gotten the sweet and spicy BBQ sauce instead. My girlfriend got it and it was absolutely terrific. Her pork belly sandwich is an import from the West Coast. The sandwich comes on a good potato bun that itself has a good flavor. The pork is sliced thin and has a slice of Tillamook cheddar AND a slice of Granny Smith apple. Garnished with garlic aioli and with the sweet and spicy BBQ added by my girlfriend, it was a SENSATIONAL sandwich. She gave me a bite and I want it on my next visit.

We also got the fried pickles. Full disclosure: The first batch we got was soggy and not great. BUT we mentioned it to Jose, the manager, who INSTANTLY swept the plate away and returned five minutes later with a new batch, piping hot from the fryer and crispy-perfect. The resolution of our problem was handled quickly and efficiently and the pickles were terrific with the house ranch. This is the sort of thing I'm talking about. When Brand New Restaurant problems occur, the staff bends over backwards to fix them and to ensure that they don't reoccur.

Every single thing on the menu with the exception of the ketchup and the onion rings is made in-house. Jeremy is a tinkerer and his recipes are perfected in his kitchen at home before making it to the restaurant. The onion rings are from Colorado and they're great. Not too thick, not too thin, with batter that's really flavorful but doesn't completely cover the flavor of the onion.

THE ATMOSPHERE: They spent a bucketload to remodel and the place has a brand-new feel, even if Mi Rancho customers might also feel a vague familiarity. Booths are around the edge and they have a huge open floor plan with lots of four-person tables that can be moved to instantly accommodate big groups. They've been on a hiring binge and were fully staffed up when we went. Our server Aidan (sorry if I misspelled your name!) was attentive. Glasses stayed filled. We were checked on enough to feel taken care of, but not enough to be obtrusive.

THE RECOMMENDATION: It's easy to support a local business when that business is clearly working so hard to EARN your support. Jeremy, the owner, was candid in talking about hiccups that had occurred as the staff was hired and procedures established and trained on and learned. He was also quite clearly proud of his restaurant and excited about what's next for The Ranch KC. And if his staff shares even a fraction of his enthusiasm, the place should be around for a long, long time. Next on my list on the menu is the brisket burger. I heard two other customers raving about it and it sounds amazing. And that pulled pork sandwich is incredible. It won't cure cancer or grant three wishes, but it'll make you VERY glad you ordered it.

It's a new restaurant, but this is crucial advice: If they screw something up or make a mistake, TELL THEM. And they'll make it right. I can guarantee that. The speed with which our soggy fried pickles were swapped out for crispy-perfect fried pickles should tell you all you...

I don’t ever post so this is saying something. We ate here Saturday and I can honestly say it was some of the best BBQ I’ve ever eaten! The smoked meat has the perfect flavor and the sauces are amazing!! The sweet and spicy bbq sauce was our favorite! It’s perfectly sweet with just a small amount of bite (and I don’t like spice). You get free cornbread when you are seated and it’s warm and fresh. The warm honey butter was better than anywhere I’ve ever had. Texas Roadhiuse, you can keep your rolls (and I personally think they put crack cocaine in them - they are addicting). It’s very clear that everything here is house-made! You can taste the quality and freshness. The sides, the meat, the bread. Don’t even get me started on their house margaritas! Also an in-house recipe and you can tell. Everywhere else has a pre-made mix. My wife and I were concerned we were going to have to call a friend to come get us if we kept drinking them.

We LOVE Bucky’s. We LOVE Joe’s. We LOVE Q39. We just LOVE great BBQ. We are BBQ foodies from way back. I assure you that in short time, this place will join the top names in KC BBQ!

The owner came and greeted us and you can tell that he wants to make a difference with his customers! Very easy and pleasing to talk to. He genuinely wanted us to be happy and have a good experience. I can tell you, we did! His staff is also top-notch. Not very long after the owner stopped by to ensure everything was up to par, the GM (David) stopped by. He also has the same goal. It’s clear. My favorite part was the owner’s younger boys were helping. The youngest one brought us our cornbread. The older one helped deliver our food. They were professional, very polite, respectful, and obviously, well trained by their parents (not just for serving but as little people)! I’d be proud if my kids were this well behaved (they are grown now). You could tell they fit right in! My wife commented that she wanted to adopt them (the owner wasn’t so keen on the idea 😂 ). I can say without a doubt, we will be regulars here and we had to drive almost 40 minutes to get here. Time well spent. We’re already planning our next outting. We were going to go yesterday (Sunday) but due to staffing shortages, they aren’t yet open on Sunday. We heard maybe in a couple of weeks. Our friends told us about them and they weren’t wrong. They had a hard start in the beginning (as all restaurants do) but today, that should be long forgotten. The fact that they came back and exceeded expectations in such a short time says everything. They are 6 weeks old and in our opinion (and overhearing all of the tables around us) one of the greats already! If you haven’t had a chance, give this place a try. You WON’T be disappointed!

One last thing…try the Pork Belly sandwich! It’s to die for.!! You do have to like smoked pork belly as there is some fat in it (like bacon) but the pairing of the pork belly, garlic aioli (I want to buy a gallon of this), the green apple, and the extra sharp cheese (imported from Tillamook, Oregon) on a soft potato bun was heaven on earth. I loved it so much I ordered another to take home. I’ve never had it before and initially it seemed odd but it’s the best smoked meat sandwich...

4/18/25 - 7pm I absolutely did read the comments before I showed up. Just to have an idea and yes . They was very helpful. Let's start off with what I ordered and go from there.

Three meat and sides. Sausage, burnt ends and brisket. BBQ beans, coleslaw, Mac n cheese.

So from what seen from comments, the place is dead. Even on a Friday? Correct... You know what that means? Well... I'll proceed.

I seen beef brisket is to be cold and thin sliced. Yes, this was a fact! I asked to stick it in the microwave and I was being serious, but apparently that's rude for this restaurant so she brought me out 10 degrees warmer mean? 🤷 I had like 2 slices and called that out.

Sausage was absolutely my favorite! Can't explain. Try your self.

Burnt ends. Was good. I read how you can't taste flavor or smoke? I had no issues with that. But if you're a talker and eating sides up first, they cool down fast. Watch it now.

The Mac n cheese was .. decent. As I wanted to try because most BBQ places do not have this on menu. I was expecting more maybe? Maybe BBQ chop mixed. I'm not sure but it's was plain but decent. No complaints.

Coleslaw was .. gosh. Vinegar? Had some weird taste to it. Had to pass.

When getting drinks they bring some corn bread out. Well, I don't like cornbread but on this weird day, I actually enjoyed it and had 3.. 🤣 It has to be the butter.

Server(s) both girls was great. They both put up with my humor and nonsense.

Cheese corn. It's . Ok? I didn't try my toast because I got full. I was also excited how they brought sliced pickles and spear. I enjoy them so. There's that.

Price was.. fair. For the amount of food they brought, I'd say fair.

Final note. Everyone knows BBQ is best at lunch. Sure I believe they smoke cook everything there . Early in the morning and they put it all in a container and serve it all day. So obviously brisket and burt ends be as soft and moist 7 hours later. Inside and out was clean. No smell like others said? No dirty tables.

Oh and sauce. For being house made? Was decent. Not my favorites but they wasn't bad. I did try every sauce they make.

I'm not from this area so I doubt I'll ever come back. And that's ok! I hope the owner the best and get everything right and have a good relationship with future customers...