Bob Taylor’s Ranch House
Lobster Bisque
Garlic Cheese Bread
Half-Smoked Chicken with Twice Baked Potato
16oz NY Strip with Twice Baked Potato
12oz Filet Mignon with Vegetables
16oz Smoked Prime Rib with Ranch House Potatoes
Carrot Cake
Warm Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream
Serving Las Vegans since 1955 and apparently a dirt road destination for locals before The Valley extended in all directions towards the burbs, Bob Taylor’s Ranch House was chosen for an eveningtime meeting for friends discussing the current boom in local dining, the juxtaposition ironic in how unintentional it actually was when taking into account a setting that has not changed in decades.
Located on the verge of Las Vegas and its neighboring city to the North and the sort of place where feral cats are free to roam on premises decorated with grass and a loose-gravel lot, it was just after 7 o’clock that our group of five was seated on the cusp of a dining room that reminisces of days long before most of us were born, the open kitchen to the left with a team of chefs searing a number of steaks, chickens, and chops.
Predating the era of artisan purveyors, outlandish sourcing from overseas, and even meats served singularly with sides to be ordered a la carte, it was with conversation and cheap cocktails from the bar that the evening commenced, and soon to be served a basket of Wonderbread topped in cheese and garlic the presentation was actually better than one may have expected, a second basket later delivered free of charge and arguably one of the three best items to arrive on the table that night.
No doubt a place more celebrated for its heritage than the items that appear on the plate, it was after an included low bowl of bisque flavored something like lobster that entrees arrived, each offered with a choice of a starch, both the creamy twice baked potatoes and bacon imbued Ranch House iteration competent with the former actually on-par with pricy versions on the Strip while the latter compared favorably to a good breakfast hash.
Moving onward to the meats, suffice it to say that the two bites of New York Strip tasted were sinewy enough that fork was subsequently kept to myself and as much as the half smoked chicken may have seemed like a good option for those seeking something lighter, the actual execution was so dry that even dark meat saw one of my tablemates nearly choke when attempting to swallow without water, a veritable disaster of a dish with 2/3 left to waste.
Told by a friend that Smoked Prime Rib was really the only thing to order at Bob Taylor’s it was in a 16oz cut that $34.95 was sank and although certainly not much to look at both the flavor and texture were complex and ind indulgent, each bite seeing the tender flesh thoroughly permeated with perfume from mesquite that helped offset the heft of melting fat.
A lot of food for the dollar, though not exactly a bargain unless one puts a monetary value on experiencing a “classic” in its almost original form, it was in a duo of desserts that remaining appetites were invested, the brownie and ice cream combination really no different than any diner classic while the huge wedge of carrot cake was enough to share around the table, the moist base chock-full of nuts and raisins with cream cheese frosting that came across tangy and only modestly sweet.
TWO STARS: Perhaps a poor choice for dinner the week after doing CUT and Carnevino on back-to-back nights it still warrants mention that the quality of Bob Taylor’s Ranch House is really no better than any number of low-to-mid-range chains, the price too high to justify anything other than the smoked prime rib and perhaps a dessert no matter how historic the space.
RECOMMENDED: Smoked Prime Rib, Garlic Cheese Bread, Carrot Cake.
AVOID: Smoked Chicken, New York Strip.
TIP: Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, those looking for a bargain sort of Bob Taylor’s experience may be interested in the midday Steak Sandwich, two friends independently claiming they enjoyed it enough to warrant checking the Ranch House off ‘the list.’
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor
http://bobtaylorsranchhouse.com/
