Ponderosa Steakhouse in Rutland, Vermont

With the price of gas these days, if you decide to drive and go out for dinner, you might as well get your money's worth. If you go to your local fast food restaurant, you would pay anywhere between $6.00-$11.00 for a burger, fries, drink and dessert. Instead of eating the same slop, check out the Ponderosa Steakhouse in Rutland, Vermont. The parking lot is joint with the Foxrun mall parking lot. There's plenty of parking to start. When you walk in, you're greeted by a colorful menu that shows the photos of some of their popular entrees. If you order a meal, you are entitled to the buffet. You have to buy the drink separately but the refills are free. For those only looking for a snack with a friend, they have appetizer available.

After deciding what you'd like, you order and pay before being seated. You are given a receipt that a waitress will take once you have decided where you'd like to sit. There's the option of sitting in chairs of a booth. I highly suggest sitting in a booth if you plan on getting your money's worth. The drinks were promptly received. The size of the drink is decent. Once you're ready, you can stand up and start at any of the buffer carts. One was a salad bar filed with chili, salad, and other condiments. They also offer a fruit bar and two soups to choose from. The next two buffer carts offer everything from chicken wings, crab cakes, mashed potatoes and pasta. There's even a dessert cart which offers soft ice cream, cookies, cake and even slices of pie. The topping on the lemon pie was stuff but can easily be removed. The atmosphere is nice with dimmed lights and green carpeting in both areas.

Through the meal a waitress will ask if you' like more to drink and if they can clean up any used dishes. Unfortunately there were no napkins on the table. You'll need to make due with the one you are given when you first order. Tipping is appreciated even though they do not necessarily serve the food to you. At the end of the meal you are given a handful of peppermint kisses.

For $11.00 and some change, I ate 3 plate fulls of good and walked out unable to eat for the rest of the night. The hearty buffer is a good choice since you're allowed to eat as much as you want. But you can always get a steak meal that includes the buffer if you love meat! If you're a big eater, check out the Ponderosa!