Where Not to Eat in Branson, MO: Baldknobbers Restaurant

Branson has become a top vacation spot for families and couples alike. There are so many shows, attractions and places to eat that every man, woman and child is likely to come away happy. But not everything is picture perfect in this Ozark hot spot.

The Baldknobbers Restaurant is located right on the main strip - 2845 W. 76 Country Blvd. It is right next door to its famous show and hotel. The show may be a crowd stopper, but the restaurant could only stop your appetite.

We arrived at the Baldknobber's in time for the lunch buffet and were famished after a long day of traveling to Branson from our home. Just about anything would have satisfied our cravings for, well, food. Notice I said, "Just about anything." Although we had not eaten since early that morning, we lost our appetites as soon as we caught sight of the buffet.

There were about three different "meat" options, two different canned and floating "vegetables" and a mediocre salad display featuring wilted lettuce. There were two types of gravy available and each was protected by no less then an inch worth of skin. It was obvious that the food had sat there for quite some time.

The interior looked like they had made an attempt to decorate in a hillbilly style, and then just let nature take its natural course. Everything looked and felt sticky and gritty. The booths themselves were moveable and presented an awkward state of affairs when we tried to get the right table and seat distance.

I can not comment on the taste of the food. This visit marks only the second time in my life that I have actually walked out of a restaurant. I am not a picky person and generally feel that I can find something appealing, or at the very least edible, on just about any menu, but this Branson eatery was just too much for even my iron stomach to take. Even as famished as we were, and even though we did not have a plan or and idea of where to go, we gathered up our tired bones and empty stomachs and high tailed it out of there.

There are many delightful places to eat in Branson, Missouri, but the Baldknobber's Restaurant would be one to avoid when visiting the Music Capital of the United States. Unless, of course, skin-topped gravy is your thing, then eat up!