Ponderosa Cafe

Ponderosa Cafe

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+1 307-467-5335+ Add website
Hours
Sun
12:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Mon
4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Tue
4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Wed
4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Thu
4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Fri
12:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Sat
12:00 PM - 8:00 PM
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Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Ratings and reviews
4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles

RATINGS
Food
4.6 of 5 bubbles
Service
4.7 of 5 bubbles
Value
4.4 of 5 bubbles
Atmosphere
4.4 of 5 bubbles
Can a vegetarian person get a good meal at this restaurant?
About
In light of current staffing issues,we are sadly open less hours than in the past.If the situation gets better we will be open more. THANK YOU...for your patience and understanding .I strongly suggest calling ahead before visiting us.
PRICE RANGE
$10.00 – $40.00
CUISINES
American, Bar, Cafe, Grill
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner
FEATURES
Takeout, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Street Parking, Free off-street parking, Television, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Mastercard, Visa, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service
4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles944 reviews
Excellent
667
Very good
197
Average
44
Poor
22
Terrible
14

warren s
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2024 • family
Although there’s not a lot going on in “ downtown “ Hulett Wyoming the Ponderosa cafe is THE place to have a meal/ drinks. Owner / chef Michael offers more than just steaks. ( pasta, Asian, etc specials during the week) Bartender Jody can out work 4 people with a smile on her face. Excellent service, clean, friendly, good food , very affordable and a great experience. Only GOD knows when I’ll be back here but if I am I know where to visit. Make this part of your adventure to the Devils Tower monument.
Written June 4, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

r0ssmaclean
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2024 • friends
Three Scottish friends of over 50 years, travelling through Wyoming and SD, the Cafe was recommended by our Best Western receptionist. We had a fantastic visit - a shout out to Elody / Elodie (?) for looking after us and ….. simply the finest blackened shrimp I have ever tasted ! My friends had ordered the (good) lasagne but had to then order shrimp as well as it was so good. I even won $ 50 on the gambling machine, a great night.
Written November 4, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

gmerkley
Evanston9 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • couples
A solid dining option around Devils Tower. We had spent a couple of days in the Badlands, which were literally bad when it came to restaurants. Ponderosa Cafe delivered good food (we ordered a cheeseburger and the chicken BLT) at a good price. And Rachel was a great server. Check it out!
Written June 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Crabby Chef Coronato
Thank you for the great review Glad you enjoyed your visit
Written August 29, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

MyBucketListTrips
409 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • family
Our family of four arrived at our hotel 5 minutes before the restaurant closed. The front desk called the restaurant to let them know we were coming, and they agreed to stay open late for us because there were no other open restaurants. Service was fast, and the food was excellent. Two of us ordered cheeseburger dinners and two ordered the walleye fish and fries. Everything was delicious, and the service was fantastic. We plan to go again before the end of our stay.
Written March 15, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Thomas F
Midland1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021 • none
* The above statement is out of context and misleading... First off, the prices reflect the quality of the food, which was excellent. I had the shrimp and filet platter on a Monday night and despite it being what is traditionally a slow day in the restaurant business it was given the same care and attention it would have gotten at prime time. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium and the shrimp were seasoned modestly and not overcooked. The home made bleu cheese dressing was excellent and I could not detect any of the "filler" often used in restaurants, such as cottage cheese added to make it look chunkier. I only had soft drinks for my beverage but was surprised to get free refills, not a bar standard. There were two servers working that night who took excellent care of the customers. One was Jodie, but I did not get the name of the other. Just as I was finishing my meal, a large group of diners came in. Apparently a bus full of people had grounded out on a dip in the parking lot of the chain hotel, so many of them walked over to eat. Keep in mind the number of people off this bus made up more than 10% of the population of the whole town. These two ladies worked together very smoothly to take care of this unexpected rush. One of the locals at the bar even went back to help in the kitchen. That is care and concern for your friends and neighbors. In the past I have worked 15 years in the culinary field at some very high class restaurants as well as typical all night long bar-crowd greasy spoons, and this was something I have never witnessed. I stayed to watch the football game (WTH Raiders?) and talked with the people. I learned a lot about the town and its history and had an amazing evening. I even picked up some Crabby Chef stickers to give to my friends still working in the field. Next summer when I go on vacation I am going to go out of my way a couple hours each direction to eat here again. My only complaint is that among the great decorations, including a fantastic painting of a cowboy looking down his double barreled shotgun, I did not see anything representing the United States Marine Corps. Since I have the address of the restaurant I will be sending them something soon to possibly remedy that situation. Keep up the excellent work.
Written October 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Crabbychef76
Too funny....and thanks I hope we can disappoint again!
Written August 15, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

EC13091
Ellicott City1596 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2022 • couples
We had an excellent small town dinner at the Ponderosa. Our server, Rachel, greeted us as we arrived, and gave us both the menu and the list of specials. She made recommendations on Wyoming beers to try, and she was spot on! My wife had a tomato and mozzarella salad with chicken (on special) and I had a New York Strip steak. Both were good. For dessert we shared tiramisu, not a dessert I would have expected here, but it, too, was quite good. This is not haute cuisine. It is good local food prepared and served by nice people who genuinely want you to have a good dinner. We were delighted.
Written September 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Crabbychef76
Wow.....Thank you for the great review and so happy you enjoyed your visit.
Written October 10, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Valerie C
Columbia202 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 • none
The Ponderosa Cafe in Hulett, WY is not a restaurant…it’s a noisy bar that happens to serve a little food. The food menu was very limited and mediocre at best. The only reason I gave two stars instead of one is because the one waitress on duty was trying to be attentive. But the worst thing was that the place was full of flies! They kept going after our food. Yuck!
Written August 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Crabbychef76
We are a restaurant and a noisy bar Especially during the Sturgis Rally. I apologize for the limited menu and having to eat in the bar,but that is the only way we can accommodate the huge increase in guests. Please stop in any other time and I guarantee the dining rooms will be open...the menu will impress And most importantly the doors will be closed and the flies gone. RALLY is a tough time to impress non rally visitors.We limit our menu so we can expedite and take care of our bikers.
Written August 15, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Michelle
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • none
We were visiting Devils Tower & spending the night in Hulett. One of my daughters is vegan, and based on previous reviews, we decided to try this place. We told our server she’s vegan & she told us the chef would come talk to us. He told my daughter he was expecting a big delivery the next day, but he asked her what she liked & said he’d come up with something. She told him she’d eat just about anything vegan. When our meals came out, my daughter was handed a huge bowl of pasta with a variety of sautéed vegetables mixed in. She absolutely loved it! It was such a big bowl, she was able to take at least half of it with her & she ate it the next night for dinner. After we ate, the chef came out to check on her & make sure she liked it. Couldn’t have asked for better service & such good food!
Written July 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Crabby Chef Coronato
Thank you for the kind review glad we could accommodate you it is our pleasure ...thanks again
Written August 29, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Sue G
Fargo4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 • none
This restaurant went above and beyond to make us feel welcome. The cook made a special vegetarian pasta and asparagus dish for my son because there was nothing vegetarian on the menu. All the food was delicious and the service was outstanding. Highly recommended! A great place to stop on your way to or from Devils Tower.
Written April 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Crabbychef76
We appreciate your business and kind review.
Written August 15, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Peggy G
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021 • family
Local to the area but had not visited the cafe for several years, family friends gave us a gift certificate so we decided to go check it out a couple weeks ago. We where surprised with the outstanding food offerings available, quick service, and friendly staff. If you’re looking for a great place to sit down and enjoy a meal for a reasonable price this is it.
Written October 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Crabbychef76
Thank you....
Written August 15, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Meg
Charlotte566 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021 • family
Close to the hotel we stayed at and crowded we got a seat right away. Lois was our server she was lots of fun! The meals were generous portions. One person in our party got the 5 meat meatloaf, only always able to eat one of the three portions due to its size. She said was good. I was going to get the pork chops but changed to boneless wings as well as my son. They weren’t the smaller boneless wings, but chicken strips. He ordered the spicier wings I opted for the honey and garlic. He ended up getting mine and I got his after I had a bite and realized they were spicy! Just a small inconvenience but wish the wings would not have been strips.
Written May 25, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Crabbychef76
Hmmm...seems like a cross up from the kitchen I apologize and take full responsibility for that. Glad you still enjoyed and thanks for taking the time to review us.
Written July 19, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Ray T
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021 • none
I am a retired film actor and have eaten in restaurants all over the country. While on vacation, my wife and I were referred to Ponderosa Cafe by our hotel staff. What a wonderful recommendation. We enjoyed it thoroughly. The Elk, Beef, Pork, and Bison meatloaf ordered by my wife was extremely delicious as were the pork chops I had. Large servings and delicious sides cooked by the "Crabby Chef" and served by the personable Rachael were perfect. The atmosphere of the bar and restaurant featured antiques and memorabilia from the area and were conversation starters. What a great little restaurant tucked away in a village time forgot. I will definitely return if I am in the area again. Thanks for a wonderful vacation meal. Ray Toler
Written May 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Crabbychef76
A very kind review thank you. Makes all the hard work worth it.
Written July 19, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

ROCKAWAYOKA
Rockaway142 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021 • family
Hats off to the Chef! Ate here after reading the Trip Advisor Reviews and the Chef did not disappoint!! Love the Pot Roast and Fish and Chips. The pot roast was tender and juicy. I loved the way he prepared roast so that it looked like a roast. The fish and chips were perfectly prepared. I love the cod and his batter is excellent. I must complement him on his Chips, they were uniquely sliced and fried to perfection. Normally I don’t finish all of the Chips. These were some if not the best Chips I have ever had. Staff is friendly and service was quick and professional! On my vacation travel, I have paid a lot more for food that did not meet my expectations. The Ponderosa has been the best meal on this vacation!!!!!
Written October 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Crabbychef76
Very kind glad you enjoyed And thanks for posting
Written August 15, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Seaside25738710145
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • family
The huckleberry ice cream was out of this world! Like the alien sitting in the chair across from our table. Comforting food. Large portions. The Hunter’s meatloaf special was phenomenal and full of good flavor. Warm and inviting atmosphere. Victoria took great care of us.
Written November 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Crabby Chef Coronato
So glad you enjoyed Thank you for the kind words Please visit again
Written January 9, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Sue
Burlingame5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021 • none
The Ponderosa Cafe is in the small unique western town of Hulett Wy. The town is near the Devils Tower National Monuments. Wild Turkeys walk down Main Street. The Ponderosa Cafe is owned classical trained chef in a town of 306 residents. He also owns the sports bar behind the cafe and the R deli ( great deli sandwiches and pizzas) next door. Almost everything is homemade. I had three large pieces of filet perfectly cooked. The best cooked beef filet I have ever eaten. Served with 12 perfectly seasoned shrimp on skewers. Homemade blue cheese dressing on the salad. Homemade pea soup. Homemade mash potatoes and gravy. Topped off by a perfect limoncello cake. It was heavenly and took a lot of talent and skill to prepare. My husband had the Mountain Man Meatloaf made with elk, bison, wild boar and beef. Unique town with a unique chef in his unique and wonderful cafe. Our server Rachel Bee was great and fun. It is a hidden gem and was a wonderful addition to our trip to Devils Tower.
Written October 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Crabbychef76
Very humbled..thankyou for taking the time to post a review and such a nice one
Written August 15, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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PONDEROSA CAFE, Hulett - Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number - Tripadvisor

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