The Great Ranch Debate Heats Up Among Kalamazoo Locals

People are passionate about their ranch dressing! Do you consider yourself to be a ranch connoisseur?

Not all ranch is created equal.

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Ranch lovers like myself know this all too well, not every type or brand of ranch is good. In fact, some are downright nasty! Which is the worst type of disappointment a ranch lover can experience; when the thing you love most hurts you.

Am I being overly dramatic about a condiment? Yes! However, I know I'm not alone in my passion for ranch. Extreme ranch fanatics will go out of their way to dine at certain establishment just based on its reputation for ranch alone.

Let's go back to where it all started:

For me, that's the now defunct chain known as Sam's Joint. As a kid it took a rare special occasion to get my family to splurge on a meal out, but when we did, it was at Sam's Joint in Plainwell. I always go so excited when my parents told me we were going out to Sam's Joint because that meant two things: wild and wacky taxidermy art on the walls and the best ranch I've ever had in my life.

While sadly all nine Sam's Joints across Michigan have closed, to this day my sisters and I still remark how the Bravata family chain of restaurants had hands down the best ranch ever.

I will forever compare every ranch I ever taste to Sam's Joint ranch. Do these Kalamazoo area restaurants come close?