Our first meal arriving in New Zealand's beautiful Te Anau was at the Ranch Bar & Grill. We ate outside and it was really relaxing. The service was friendly and efficient; the food was delicious. Definitely want to come back here when we visit Te Anau in the near future! read more

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You won't starve in New Zealand and certainly not in Te Anau. If you're taking a break from the other proteins and you're not feeling pasta or pizza and wanting fresh and tasty seafood, look no further than the menu at The Ranch Bar & Grill in Te Anau. Full disclosure: I know my seafood (I'm a seafood snob). This was fresh seafood thoughtfully complemented with delicious vegetables and just enough carbs to replenish calories from a long day of hiking and jet-boating. The Ranch is a popular, large-sized, casual restaurant / bar with indoor and outdoor seating (so no long lines). Prices were good and service was fast and friendly. Even though I didn't have a reservation and was dining solo, seating was fast and the waitstaff did not forget about me. I highly recommend what I ordered (see photos: Monkfish and Salmon stack + Salt & pepper calamari salad). This restaurant is conveniently located near many hotels and walking distance to a variety of local shops. Safety-tip: If you plan to take an after-dinner stroll in the evening, note your surroundings and avoid unlit areas. Don't flash cash and expensive jewelry and absolutely don't use an ATM at night. Remember to look for the "zebra crossing poles" - distinctive black and white striped poles topped with either a flashing yellow globe or fluorescent orange discs noting the crosswalks. read more

The Ranch Bar & Grill - Monkfish and Salmon Stack (Large Plate - Entree Size), Te Anau NZ - American Near Me - Te Anau, STL

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Stopped here for lunch on our way back from Milford Sound. They have a nice outdoor seating area, perfect for a sunny day. The service was a little slow but friendly. The food was just ok, it sounded a lot better on the menu than it was when you got it. I had the cheese and bacon bread for an appetizer and the bacon cheeseburger with fries. I'm not sure if it's a New Zealand thing, but the bacon always seems to be partially raw whenever you get it. Would most likely try a different restaurant next time I'm in the area. read more

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Terrible service - hostess and waitress refused to move us to a table indoors, or even one with an umbrella, despite the rain. Mediocre and overpriced food -- we regret not choosing one of the many other options in town. read more

I cannot stop talking about the most horrible meal that we had out of a 19 day vacation with the rudest manager and the worst service. We had all pre-ordered our meal. And arrived at the time designated. The meal was supposed to be there. The meal came out in drips and drabs over 45 minutes with some people getting food others not getting food and getting the wrong food dietary restrictions not being accounted for and me being told by three servers that the dessert that I was eating was definitely gluten-free and then the manager said nothing on the menu is gluten-free. Everything has gluten and I shouldn't have been eating there meanwhile when I selected it and pre-ordered it I selected a gluten-free meal. In any case I got definitely ill that evening and would recommend you stay away from the noise, confusion, and rudeness in this restaurant. read more

Food was fine, and we were grateful any place was open, but don't go there expecting authentic American food like it promotes. My mixed roasted veg salad was good, and husband thought the burger was okay. They should consider importing an American-brand ketchup, though; the "ketchup" in NZ is decidedly different--some even tastes more like A1 Sauce. The service was good; the "American" décor was all over the place, much like the music (though I very much enjoyed the tunes). read more

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Picture this: you've just completed that 5 day hike through the fiords, your body is craving any and everything. Bobbing and weaving your way through crowds of tour groups in their 60s walking slowly, you spot this joint in the distance. You're greeted at the door by someone who looks like someone you may have seen at a family reunion one year? That cousin that's always backpacking somewhere? Anyways, the point is familiarity. You feel welcome, like there is an immediate need to fill that empty stomach with what it craves.... Meat. The food is great, and now you fee ready to take on the next trail. But nah. You just go home and take a nap instead. read more

The Ranch Bar & Grill - Burger - American Near Me - Te Anau, STL

We stopped in for Sunday Roast before our trip to Milford Sound. Probably the least welcoming staff - they seem to cater to locals in a tourist town. Oh well. The food was ok - not great. The roast was dry and chewy. It's such a great property - would love to recommend, but I can't. read more

The Ranch Bar & Grill - Sunday roast - American Near Me - Te Anau, STL

The hostess was an absolute gem and the burgers were delicious! We really appreciated the ambiance and good food after a long trek.

We came here for the Sunday roast which at $16 is a price that is hard to beat! Roast lamb is available all day and roast Pork and Beef are available starting at 5. The Pork and Beef run out quickly though and is usually gone by 7 said the waitress. We decided to both go with the Lamb roast then. The lamb was quite good and I don't even like lamb that much. The mint jelly helps with the lambyness. It's also super tender!! I was a little disappointed the vegetables weren't roasted too though. Seemed a little strange when your carrots and cauliflower would be so great roasted! Wait time was about 45 minutes on a Sunday night especially when you get there at 730. :/ After a long day at the Milford Sound, we were super hungry but there was bar seating and outdoor seating to wait. The staff will come and find your number when they are ready. read more

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I showed up without a booking on a Saturday night. The place was packed. The wait staff still managed to find me a table. I was surprised by the number of options on the menu. Some of the choices are classic American BBQ-style, but I found the menu also had items you'd expect at a fine dining restaurant. I feel there's really something here for everyone. read more

The Ranch Bar & Grill - Monkfish and Salmon Stack. New Zealand monkfish & hot smoked salmon, parmesan potato cake, bok choy, seasonal vegetables, béarnaise sauce. - American Near Me - Te Anau, STL

Place was almost empty when we showed up for dinner at 5pm. Hostess asked if we had a reservation and we said no. There were at least 15 tables available and she made it seem like it was an imposition that we had no reservation. She proceeded to place us at a table next to the bathrooms and kitchen. You have an entire open restaurant and you choose to seat us here!? We requested a table change and was told the only thing available was on the patio. We were fine with that. She then proceeded to tell us that we needed to be finished no later than 7pm which we indicated would not be an issue so long as the kitchen wasn't backed up. As we're sitting at our table two other parties were seated near us and we found that they had no reservations either but was seated by a different hostess without any issues. We were told by our server that our hostess was having a bad day. Okay we understand that but why are you taking it out on the customer! Food was okay. I ordered the ribeye and it did not have much marbling and was chewy. My wife had a salmon salad and she had to search for the salmon in her salad. This place was recommended to us by a local tour operator but left disappointed with the overall experience. Go to Fat Duck which is right next door. Better food and service. read more

We were looking for a place to relax after a long drive from Milford sound when we found this crowded pub. Sat inside was was greeted quickly by a friendly waitress. I had bangers and mash amd my huaband had the Sunday special with beef. The b&g were just what I was hoping for while he enjoyed his too. I do recommend this restaurant for a cozy meal. read more

The Ranch Bar & Grill - People sitting in the cold. Must have been 62 degeees farenheit. - American Near Me - Te Anau, STL

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Fish and chips was all batter and next to no, little fish, wildly disappointing after all the NZ rave about Fish and chips, Venison steak was great as was the Calamari, service and staff great, avoid the f&c and a public holiday 15% surcharge and you'll enjoy! read more

Made the sensible precaution of reserving a table on a Wednesday evening which was just as well. They were pretty full when we arrived at the appointed hour. Very meat oriented menu as the name suggests so don't go expecting a vegan experience. For starters we decided to share some calamari and were dismayed to see exactly 6 pieces of fish on the dish. That said, they were delicious. For main, I had pork ribs with fries and, the hat tip to healthy eating, a green salad. The ribs were massive and delicious requiring a little effort to separate meat from bone but that made it all the more satisfying. The fries were excellent. I have no opinion on the salad as it was returned untouched. So sue me! Recommended. read more

Food was just average for a bar/grill. Service was horrendous. Waitress took our order and we never saw her again - well, we saw her, she just never offered her services beyond taking our order. All other tables were provided water when seated - not us. We had to flag down someone else and ask for water. Our main meal was brought out before the appetizer. My drink was empty, so I placed my glass on the edge of the table and waited about ten minutes before flagging down a random server, who said she would take care of it, never to be seen again. I went to the bar to refill my drink. The bartender was great. read more

Food - Lamb shank was good. Pork Ribs was average. All the rest we tried were not good. Service - Very bad. No water service, nobody cleans table, no one basically attends your table. read more

Great food & service. I had the pork ribs which came with a very generous side salad & fries. This town only seems to have one kind is dressing - honey mustard. I decided to get a balsamic vinegar instead. Very good, fresh salad. Homemade apple pie was delicious. I would come back if I lived in New Zealand but I don't. read more

Roast dinner offered every day for $19.90. On Sundays you can choose from lamb, beef or pork and the price is a bit cheaper. Get: the roast lamb! Really really good. Tender and juicy. Nice assortment of vegetables and starches on the side. Skip: the roast beef. Dry. Just don't. read more

The Ranch Bar & Grill - Roast lamb dinner $19.90 - American Near Me - Te Anau, STL

The ranch was decent. Service was spotty and we ended up getting served someone else's drink and then paid for them--which was ok because they were great drinks. The lamb shanks were ok. Fish and chips were good. If in town again, I'd try something else. read more

After a big day in Milford Sound, we needed a relaxing drink in some sun and this place did it for us. The service from the crew was friendly. Loved that you got table service outside. We had a few drinks, didn't try the food but it all looked wonderful on our neighbours tables. Beers aplenty on tap, plenty to test before you try which was cool with the staff. The seating outside in the sun, albeit 14degrees was beautiful and would be even better in summer. Check it out if your ever in Te Anau read more

We ate here a couple times during our stay in Te Anau, mostly because of convenience and it looked popular. The food was good, but not the best we've had in NZ. I do recommend the garlic bread as an app and the chicken Thai salad. Both delicious! The pulled prom sandwich was very good. The ribs weren't as good, but the dish contained a lot of food (ribs, fries and salad). My husband enjoyed the Bird Dog beer. read more

The hubby and I dined here for Sunday dinner. The hostess seemed young and confused because I asked what options were available for the roast and she said only lamb. Turns out there were three choices...go figure. We opted to sit outside since it was a nice day. Our waitress promptly came over and took our orders - one of us had the beef roast and the other had pork. The plates literally came out within 5 minutes which was faster than our drinks. This always makes me wary. The portion of food was pretty large - a nice change from most of our dining experiences in NZ. Lots of steamed veggies which were pretty good. The meat left a lot to be desired...seemed like it had been sitting there for a while and gotten quite tough. Not a lot of flavor going on either. Overall an ok inexpensive dinner if you're there on a Sunday night. read more

You know what, this place is half decent. OK, so it's standard pub grub, but the burgers are tasty and they serve a good selection of local and homemade produce, like the fish (which they had run out of unfortunately). There's a great selection of beer, and the servers are friendly and fast. If you've been for a hike/paddle/day out in Milford or Doubtful, it's a great place to get a feed. read more

We stopped here tired and exhausted on our way back to Queenstown from Milford Sound. After a long day of cruising and kayaking, we wanted something warm and hearty and that's what we got! The portions are enormous and the flavors are homey. My husband had a steak covered in mushroom sauce and I had the venison. Both were served with great steamed root veggies and fries. It isn't fancy and but it is filling and hits the spot after a long day! We would absolutely eat here again. read more

The Ranch Bar & Grill - American Near Me - Te Anau, STL

We were disappointed in our meal after ordering the hamburgers. My black burger looked like it was one degree short of being burned to a crisp. I also prefer the bun and trimmings to fit the size of the burger as I thought the meat was overpowered by the trimmings. The restaurant has limited indoor seating. We sat outside and froze in the cool temps, no space heaters or blankets provided as we have seen other venues do for their outside patrons. read more

A great way to spend an afternoon. Started off with some delicious mulled wine as we warmed up by the fire. Then for dinner I had the lamb shank and my partner had the ribeye steak. Both were delicious. And the finish off the meal, we shared the sticky date pudding, which was also very yum. A great afternoon/evening spent on our stop in Te Anau. read more

Absolutely atrocious. Came hungry after a day in Milford, this place is unbelievable overpriced for the poor quality of food. Calamari app - 5 pieces and no flavor. Venison main - came medium after the waiter said "we only serve our meat rare. Otherwise it tastes like leather," swimming is this terrible sweet cranberry sauce. Salmon main was ok. Go to fat duck - this place is terrible. read more

We have been travelling in New Zealand for over 4 weeks now and this is the best food we have enjoyed during our stay. I have eaten in many expensive restaurants in many countries and the Ranch provides some lovely food. We have eaten right the way across the menu for 4 days and I can assure you it does not get any better, The team who run the restaurant all work hard to provide a good experience. Go and try it. There is not better in Te Anau in my opinion. Charles Moore Nottingham, United Kingdom read more

Interesting place, with lots of good looking stuff on the menu. Went for the venison. Tasted really good, though the meat itself wasn't the same quality as some of the other places I've visited recently, and they cooked it a bit much (asked for rare, but it was far into the medium range)But still a pretty good meal. The reason they lose stars is because they didn't cook the venison as ordered and also made a mistake on the third order from our party. read more

Cozy restaurant with a good sized menu. I ordered the vegetable stir fry and was really impressed with the amount of flavor. My husband ordered the Chicken Schnitzel and loved it. Good selection of local brews too. read more

Came here on a Sunday night without a reservation. Restaurant was extremely busy, so we had to sit outside. Service was excellent, it took quite a while to get our food as the place was so busy but our server kept checking up on us. We all had a roast dinner, not fancy but everything was expertly cooked including the vegetable sides. Very reasonably priced as well. read more

The good news -- the staff was friendly plus the food was tasty and well presented. I had the venison and my wife the lamb, and both were excellent. The bad news -- the service was slow and the kitchen slower. We waited 15 minutes to place our order, 30 to get our plates, and 20 more to have the plates cleared and order desert. It seemed to me both the dining room and the kitchen were understaffed, but in any event I will go someplace else next time. read more

Got the beef and cheese burger, lamb burger, and the bread and dips appetizer. All were very good, but the lamb burger and the bread and dips especially stood out. Would definitely recommend them. The atmosphere was cool and casual, country music playing, bar if you want to sit at it. The service was very fast and all the waiters we met were very nice and helpful. read more

Came here with wife and our 18 month old daughter and truly enjoyed it! The young lady serving us was very helpful and eager to accommodate our little girl. Very enthusiastic and friendly. I ordered a medium rare ribeye with no sauce and the sauce was not needed. I am a huge steak enthusiast and cannot say the steak was perfect but it was certainly good enough to enjoy and want to finish it and was better than I expected. Had a nice salad on the side as well as the fries. I cleaned my plate. Being from Texas I was really happy to walk in and see they put a lot of effort into creating a real southern US steakhouse decor. Modern country music was good and fit the theme. It reminded me of Texas Roadhouse for those that are familiar with it. Overall I would recommend this as a great place to grab dinner and drinks (nice IPA on tap and many drinks to choose from) for any group including those with children. read more

Made a reservation for 8 pm. Arrived and was seated. Restaurant was very loud inside. TWENTY minutes passed until a server showed up to ask us if we would like to order a drink. We ordered two glasses of wine. TEN MORE MINUTES go by and we still have not given our food order and we still don't have our wine. Server walks by and says, "you still didn't get your wine?" As if it was going to appear by magic at our table. And we still haven't been asked about our food order. ANOTHER TEN MINUTES goes by and the same server again comes to the table and says, "You still haven't been brought your drinks?" At this point we had had enough. We told the server we were leaving. Instead of trying to make it right, she said, "OK, sorry." A total of FORTY MINUTES had passed since we had been seated and we had still had menus on the table, no drinks, no water, not even silverware and napkins! At least we were not alone. Two other adjacent tables also had no drinks or order taken, albeit they had only been seated for about 25 minutes. I can't even imagine how long it would have taken to get our entrees, if they had ever taken our order. Steer clear of this place, unless you have hours to spend. read more