Bonanza / Ponderosa

[Crawford]

Swansea Mass Ponderosa has closed up for good, noticed it when I was driving by there yesterday. Unsure when it did. Only remaining one I know of is in South Attleboro Mass, I'll be driving by it there later this week and will see if it is still there.

[GothicPrincess]

the Ponderosa in Greensburg, PA by Westmoreland Mall closed about a year ago, I don't remember this. I didn't get to go there either. :( I'll get pics next time i go up that way.

[retailfan]

Bonanza and ponderosa usd to be seperate
I always like Bonanza back in te days
Thay started the fix your own concept they had a Bonanza Burger  the sauce was great  I remember 2 locations  Anderson at Mounds Mall  which is now a chinese place last time i was there  it was empty for years  then Frischs Big Boy  then  empty again  Indianapolis In  at Washington St and Franklin Rd  My best guess is its gone  used to Be with Ayrway then Target  and Target closed up  unfortunatly that whole area has kinda run down

[Marc82]

6 months later the Southington location remains vacant. Not even a for sale sign on the building. They took the signs off the building and off the marquee. The marquee just says Closed. Thanks for the Memories. If the weather hadn't been so crummy today I would've taken pix of it. (Today was horrible weather-wise in CT. We got everything except Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, and hurricanes).

And the former Ponderosa in New Britain which closed in the 90s is New Britain Pediatrics group. It was supposed to become Victoria's X-Rated Night Club, but they failed to get permits for that. Then it became Enzos Pizza. (Horrible). It sat vacant for a while again. And then it became New Britain Pediatrics Group.

[TRJ22487]

This is another restaurant that I thought closed down entirely over a decade ago. I haven't been to one in 10 years easily, there used to be one in West Lebanon, New Hampshire near where the Walmart now is, but back then that was all just field and there wasn't anything around that building. That town has expanded that one tiny little street way too much

[Crawford]

Attleboro Ponderosa still open and doing a brisk business so perhaps it is independently owned. Sadly, the Memphis Roadhouse restaurant up the street has closed.

[Zayre88]

Former Bonanza Steakhouse in Laconia NH, now T-Bones Great American Eatery. (July 2009)

[gu4ever]

Originally posted by Zayre88
A former Ponderosa in Nashua NH.

This location is actually on a snippet of land in Merrimack, NH. On the border of Amherst and Nashua, NH down the street from Ames store #2162 in the Northwest Plaza.
I loved this place, being a teenager with a huge appetite it featured ALL YOU COULD EAT and the BEST ribeye steak. I eventually worked at this restaurant in 1992. I took the orders as customers came through the LONG line waiting to eat at the Famous Ponderosa Steakhouse. Eventually I waited tables, and sadly the owner turned the location into a Market Street, Buffet and Bakery. I left within 6 months as there where no funds to back paychecks issued to employees. Within a month or 2 my friend I had worked with called to tell me she went to work as did the rest of the crew for that day as normal, to find the restaurant locked in darkness with a sign on the door that said closed for business. And that was the abrupt end of that location!

[Zayre88]

Originally posted by gu4ever

Originally posted by Zayre88
A former Ponderosa in Nashua NH.

This location is actually on a snippet of land in Merrimack, NH. On the border of Amherst and Nashua, NH down the street from Ames store #2162 in the Northwest Plaza.
I loved this place, being a teenager with a huge appetite it featured ALL YOU COULD EAT and the BEST ribeye steak. I eventually worked at this restaurant in 1992. I took the orders as customers came through the LONG line waiting to eat at the Famous Ponderosa Steakhouse. Eventually I waited tables, and sadly the owner turned the location into a Market Street, Buffet and Bakery. I left within 6 months as there where no funds to back paychecks issued to employees. Within a month or 2 my friend I had worked with called to tell me she went to work as did the rest of the crew for that day as normal, to find the restaurant locked in darkness with a sign on the door that said closed for business. And that was the abrupt end of that location!

Interesting story!  Was there other Ponderosa in NH?  I only knew of the Portsmouth location.  Here's a picture of that former Merrimack Ponderoda today:

[gu4ever]

Hey Zayre88, we missed each other today, as I too went and snapped a few pictures of the Famous Ponderosa.
The other locations that are now closed include West Lebanon NH and Fitchburg MA. One location that I recently drove by and was still in operation was Rutland VT heading south on Route 7. Sadly it was early in the AM on one of my Grand Union trips so they weren't open.

[gu4ever]

Looking at the front of the restaurant, there was a conference/function room on the left side. I don't recall how many it sat, however it was good size for 1 or 2 waitstaff to handle. Looking through the front windows straight to the back was the "Rocket" buffet island. Named for it's unique shape. Salads on the left hot food to the right and soups on the front. Ice cream bar was off to the side of the salad bar.
The picture shown shows the entrance on the right and the exit to the left, I recall MANY nights lines all the way into the parking lot waiting to order and get a seat inside.

[gu4ever]

This location in Bedford was originally a Bonanza, I ate there only once as a kid with my parents. It had a buffet where the bar is now.

[Zayre88]

Monday I visited the Bonanza Steakhouse in Sanford, ME and had a Ribeye dinner, It was good!  I guess they were the same at Ponderosa after the merger.  I also bought two Bonanza steak sauce to bring home.  This location is one of only two left in Maine but appears to be thriving.

I see there was a location in Bedford, taken over by T-Bones Eatery like the Bonanza in Laconia.  Not many hints to show what it used to be.  Was there another location in Manchester? Maybe Concord?

Here's a picture of a former Bonanza somewhere in Maine or NH taken from the web years ago:

[TRJ22487]

I drove past the Rutland, VT one a few weeks ago when I went
to Diamond Run Mall. First Ponderosa I've seen in ages. It looked busy

I always used to go to the West Lebanon, NH one.
It was located on the other side of the road by the giant
Walmart/Borders/Price Chopper supercenter
Except back then it was nothing more than a field
They REALLLY developed that one stretch of road in West Lebanon
the past 15 years

[reitelle]

There's a Ponderosa in Orlando, Florida and I believe the one my mom worked at in the 80's is still up-and-running in Seekonk, Massachusetts.

[BillyGr]

The websites are working again, so check here for locations still open:

http://www.ponderosasteakhouses.com/locations.html

You search by an address, with a radius of miles and can search for either Ponderosa, Bonanza or both.

For example, using my address and 100 mile radius, I come up with 4 locations, all Ponderosa:

Amsterdam, Oneonta, Herkimer NY and Rutland, VT.

[beachgal26]

I miss Ponderosa so much as we had them all over in MD and FL and I haven't seen one (open) since we moved here 15 years ago.  It was such a great treat with their dinner and salad bar and was perfect when we had small kids - plus it introduced them to all kinds of foods that they might not get to try and grow to like.

:bigsmile:

[kendra]

Originally posted by Zayre88
Monday I visited the Bonanza Steakhouse in Sanford, ME and had a Ribeye dinner, It was good!  I guess they were the same at Ponderosa after the merger.  I also bought two Bonanza steak sauce to bring home.  This location is one of only two left in Maine but appears to be thriving.

Where's the other Maine location? If I've ever eaten at Bonanza or Ponderosa, it would have been when I was a child in the 1980s and I certainly don't remember it. I think I might just go check one out!! :)

[beachgal26]

Thanks for the info, BillyGr, and I'll try and find one on my way to Nashville next month!

:):):)

[gu4ever]

I found my Ponderosa Gear!!

[Zayre88]

Originally posted by kendra
Where's the other Maine location? If I've ever eaten at Bonanza or Ponderosa, it would have been when I was a child in the 1980s and I certainly don't remember it. I think I might just go check one out!! :)

The other one is in Presque Isle.  So after having locations throughout the state, Bonanza is now far north and south in Maine.

And here's is my own Bonanza steakhouse "dining kit", I just don't have the tray and number to go wait for my dinner at the table!

[gu4ever]

Leaving Stamford, NY heading west on route 23. I eventually saw this sign standing along the roadside.

[gu4ever]

Mmmm Mmmm Yummy Ponderosa Steakhouse!! :bigsmile:

[gu4ever]

I did take a glimpse inside through the windows, they had an awesome colored picture board to order from, and in the dining room was the rocketship style buffet that I remember from the Merrimack location in New Hampshire.

All I can say is YUM YUM, I wish I had time to stop and eat, but it would be dark around 8PM and I wanted to stop at Hamilton, NY before heading home!!

[kendra]

This looked like one...maybe a Bonanza? to me...spotted in Virginia, I forget where but we had just gotten off the interstate to stop at Arby's. It was next door to a Food Lion.

[Zayre88]

Originally posted by kendra
This looked like one...maybe a Bonanza? to me...spotted in Virginia.

The shape of the sign and building don't lie, this was a Bonanza.  And here are some of the Bonanza logos through the years:

[gu4ever]

During my trip out to Brandon and Rutland Vermont I stopped at the Ponderosa Steakhouse!! :bigsmile:

[gu4ever]

As you enter the restaurant you choose from the delicious Ponderosa menu board, then you place your order with the cashier  and pay. The hostess will seat you and the eating begins!!

[gu4ever]

The steaksauce and gift card ad on the table.

[gu4ever]

The buffet area at this location was set up into several stations. The main feature was the chilled salad bar. In the back on the left is the softserve ice cream and toppings. Behind the salad bar were 2 black simulated cast iron stoves that housed all the hot foods. The guy running the buffet did a fantastic job keeping it all filled and spotless of runaway  pieces of food.