Remembering Ponderosa And Bonanza Steakhouses In Minnesota

Once a fixture across the Midwest with nearly 700 locations—including several here in Minnesota—this beloved restaurant chain now lives on only in our memories in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

Few things stir up nostalgia like the restaurants we grew up with. Just thinking about the places your parents took you as a kid can transport you straight back in time. And while some of those familiar restaurants are still around today (looking at you, McDonald's), some are now just a memory.

One of those memory-making spots in the North Star State was this iconic chain—even though its website still mistakenly lists a location here. Founded in 1966, it reached peak popularity in the ’70s and ’80s, with hundreds of restaurants scattered across our region.

SEE ALSO: The True Story Behind Ruth's Chris Steakhouse Weird Name

So which steakhouse chain are we talking about? That would be the Ponderosa Steakhouse and Bonanza Steakhouses. While they were separate entities initially, this Wikipedia story notes that they merged in the late 80s, when Ponderosa was sold to the Metromedia Restaurant Group.

That group eventually went through several reorganizations, mergers and bankruptcies and was eventually acquired in late 2017 by FAT Brands. Back in its day, the Ponderosa Steakhouse brand was pretty popular, though that trend has since faded as Wikipedia notes:

In 1989, there were almost 700 Ponderosa locations. By 2003, there were fewer than 400 locations. As of June 2024, only 13 Ponderosa locations and 3 Bonanza locations currently remain open in the US.

Curiously, on the Pondersoa-Bonanza Steakhouse website, it still lists a restaurant on West Division Street in St. Cloud as its lone Minnesota location. Google Maps concurs, as the picture below from November 2018 shows.

The Bonanza on West Division Street in St. Cloud, MN in November 2018 (Google Street View)

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And despite the fact that the corporate Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouse STILL lists the St. Cloud location as being open and featuring an 80-item buffet (Mondays and Tuesdays 11 am to 3 pm; Wednesdays through Saturdays 11 am to 7 pm, closed Mondays, it says), if you look at a more recent Google Maps picture (from May 2024), you might wonder just *where* it's open-- as the building appears to have been torn down, with only the sign remaining standing.

West Division Street in St. Cloud where the Bonanza Steakhouse used to stand. (Google Street View)

Now, just because we no longer apparently have either a Ponderosa Steakhouse or Bonanza Steakhouse still in business here in Minnesota, it would appear that if you want to take a trip back in time, all you have to do is head east, to Wisconsin Dells Parkway South in Lake Delton, Wisconsin, where a Ponderosa Steakhouse *might* still be open.

The Ponderosa Steakhouse in Baraboo, WI (Google Street View)

Now, while that picture is from October 2023 (with the sign that says 'Come in, we're open') we're not completely sure it is, still actually in business and serving food. This Milwaukee Record story details a trip to the restaurant, but it was published nearly two years ago, in October 2022-- which can be an eternity in the restaurant business.

So are there any Ponderosa or Bonanza Steakhouses still operating here in the upper Midwest? Good question! Speaking of brands that were once popular and are still around, keep scrolling to check out what 50 familiar brand logos used to look like back in the day, as well as how they look today.