Leave it to Buzzfeed to discover a new star on the St. Louis restaurant scene. In late March, a video came out introducing the world to a wondrous restaurant called Twisted Ranch located in Soulard. The video went viral with over 22 million views. And it's no surprise why.
As the name suggests, this little place creates their own creative twists on your childhood favorite dressing (really the only reason that most children eat their salad). It opened in 2015; however, thanks to the recent publicity, business has taken off and the line is out the door.
The Hype
My roommate first introduced me to the video, asking if I had ever heard of Twisted Ranch. At first, I was a little skeptical of the concept. Ranch on everything? Isn't it taking things a little too far? Then, she showed me the video and I immediately began to salivate. I'm almost positive I dreamed of fries covered in ranch dressing that night.
When chatting with my mom the next day, she said her cousin (who doesn't even live in St. Louis) had shared a video on Facebook of this "ranch dressing place." I knew something was up so I had to check it out for myself. I took one for the team to see if the ranch (and food) is worth the hype.
The Experience
We got there 15 minutes after it opened and there was already a line of about 5 groups ahead of us. The breeze carried the aroma coming from the restaurant every time the door opened enticing us to stay in line.
After 45 minutes, I can tell you the wait was well worth it. The small, quaint eatery has a rustic urban-esque vibe with metallic tables, hanging lights and a large chalkboard suspended above the bar advertising the whopping 27 ranch flavors in colored chalk.
The Food
Twisted Ranch incorporates their creamy dressings into their menu items and even into some of their drinks (they have ranch infused vodka for their Bloody Mary's). I scoured the extensive menu trying to narrow down one flavor to choose. I'm an indecisive person so trying to pick one flavor was absolute torture.
I made a rash decision in the end but was not disappointed. The crispy fries paired well with the cool Greek ranch and the pulled pork sandwich topped with coleslaw and BBQ ranch was abundant in savory flavors. The other dishes that passed by seemed just as mouthwatering.
This fun and innovative restaurant should be added to your STL Foodie Bucket List pronto. It will make you fall in love with your favorite childhood dressing all over again.