The Dining Room in Moore (Formally Del Rancho)

[Bobby821]

My review on the Dining Room in Moore (Formally Del Rancho)

My family tried the Dining Room for the first time tonight, I had the chicken fried steak sandwich and my wife and son had bacon cheeseburgers. Well I can honestly say it was disapointing at best the bredding on the steak sandwich was no where near as crispy and good as when it was Del Rancho, not tomention the steak was much smaller as well as the bun it self was smaller than Del Rancho. There was more bredding than steak I was pulling just breadding off and finally got to the steak and it was slightly bigger than the small bun. My wifes hamburger patty was not cooked all the way through and was still a little pink in the middle and my son said that the burger was not as good as the ones he got when this place was a Del Rancho. The fries were also less than stellar I was expecting the crinkle cut fries and they were pale over salty bland soggy ones, and there was very little in the container they were in. This meal was 30.89 and was no where near being that good for the price or quantity/quality of food we received. Very disapointed!!

[BBatesokc]

Also discussed (starting on page 6) in this overall Del Rancho thread.

My experience has been totally different. We used to patronize the Del Rancho at this location about once a month and have had lunch at the rebrand 4 times now. Each time has been very good - better so than under the Del Rancho brand.

We've only done the steak sandwiches, so I can't comment on the burgers. That said, the steak is as huge as it's always been. So much so that I have to start with a knife and fork before I make it small enough to handle with my hands. The only difference we saw/tasted was noticeably more pepper in the breading - which has been reduced with subsequent visits. We found the breading to actually be thinner and crispy (the way I prefer it). The fries and onion rings seemed identical to us and were fried up nicely.

I was surprised to see the table side phone ordering system still in place. I assumed that was a part of the Del Rancho brand.

Don't know if dinner timing has anything to do with it (we only go at lunch) or if you just caught them on a bad night.

Definitely still in our lunch rotation.

[Roger S]

My experience has been totally different. We used to patronize the Del Rancho at this location about once a month and have had lunch at the rebrand 4 times now. Each time has been very good - better so than under the Del Rancho brand.

We've only done the steak sandwiches, so I can't comment on the burgers. That said, the steak is as huge as it's always been. So much so that I have to start with a knife and fork before I make it small enough to handle with my hands. The only difference we saw/tasted was noticeably more pepper in the breading - which has been reduced with subsequent visits. We found the breading to actually be thinner and crispy (the way I prefer it). The fries and onion rings seemed identical to us and were fried up nicely.

I was surprised to see the table side phone ordering system still in place. I assumed that was a part of the Del Rancho brand.

Despite living walking distance from it I haven't made it over there since the change but most of the reviews I've seen are opposite from this review also.

Chuck House uses the phone ordering system in their 10th Street location and, if I recall correctly, Harry Bears and Boomerang used it as well. So I don't know that Del Rancho has any kind of control over that ordering system.

[Bobby821]

Well My experience was not that great as I would have expected it to be.

[BBatesokc]

...
Chuck House uses the phone ordering system in their 10th Street location and, if I recall correctly, Harry Bears and Boomerang used it as well. So I don't know that Del Rancho has any kind of control over that ordering system.

I guess I just assumed it was acquired as part of the franchise agreement and might be something they had to give up if they dropped the Del Rancho branding.

[Martin]

i'd guess that the franchisee would have owned the equipment... and, unlike the recipes, it's not as if del rancho owns the idea of phone ordering or anything.

as chance would have it, i actually ate at chuck house early this week for the first time in years... and i actually forgot how the heck i was supposed to order until i spotted the phones on the table. i imagine this is what i looked like:



...food was borderline so i probably won't be back in another 8-ish years. kinda sad because i remembered it being pretty good food.

been meaning to try the dining room in moore but haven't had a chance yet. i like the old del rancho concept and would like to see their spin on it.

[SoonerDave]

Despite living walking distance from it I haven't made it over there since the change but most of the reviews I've seen are opposite from this review also.

Chuck House uses the phone ordering system in their 10th Street location and, if I recall correctly, Harry Bears and Boomerang used it as well. So I don't know that Del Rancho has any kind of control over that ordering system.

The old Boomerang location that used to exist at SW 89th and Western used the same phone ordering system until a storm damaged the roof of that location, causing water damage that proved insurmountable. They went to conventional table service after the remodel, then closed completely when the Brookwood managers refused to renew their lease in favor of a horrendous Goodwill thrift store.

Del Rancho doesn't have any corner on phone ordering systems. There used to be similar systems at the old Circus Time restaurant on I-240 at Penn back in the day (yeah, I'm older than most of you guys), and the old Westoaks restaurants on the northside/Bethany. The original Crossroads burger joint in the OU Student Union used to have them back when it was more in the spirit of a speakeasy, kind of a strange holdover from that era when I was a student down there in the 80's. But *man* did they have an awesome chili cheeseburger back then...don't even want to think of how many pounds those things put on me during my time there LOL

[Martin]

The old Boomerang location that used to exist at SW 89th and Western used the same phone ordering system...

riiight... i completely forgot that boomerang used that, too. that's probably the last place i had to order like that.

[Roger S]

...food was borderline so i probably won't be back in another 8-ish years. kinda sad because i remembered it being pretty good food.

Been about 5 years since I ate at the 10th Street location but I remember feeling the same way last time I was there.

The one that went in the old Del Rancho spot on Midwest Blvd in Midwest City was still putting out the same quality steak sandwiches last time I was there but that's been a couple of years ago now too.

[SoonerDave]

i'd guess that the franchisee would have owned the equipment... and, unlike the recipes, it's not as if del rancho owns the idea of phone ordering or anything.

as chance would have it, i actually ate at chuck house early this week for the first time in years... and i actually forgot how the heck i was supposed to order until i spotted the phones on the table. i imagine this is what i looked like:



...food was borderline so i probably won't be back in another 8-ish years. kinda sad because i remembered it being pretty good food.

been meaning to try the dining room in moore but haven't had a chance yet. i like the old del rancho concept and would like to see their spin on it.

(First...I love this pic. One of the best Trek TOS movie moments ever..."Hello, computer?" awesome...)

Yeah I took my kids (well, they're really both college-age adults now, but they're still my kids) to Chuck House a few months back, and while the steak san I got wasn't bad at all, it wasn't vintage, either. Biggest thing is the oil might not have been 100% as fresh as it could have been, and I suspect that's just a function of decreasing business. That said, it was miles better than the last one I got at that Moore Del Rancho a couple of years ago. That put me off that location permanently - it was frustrating, too, because my family had made a special point of going down there and "treating" ourselves to a big "guilty dinner," all the fried stuff, onion rings, the works, and it was all just....bad. Even my son, who'll eat practically anything, didn't like it.

I realize its a part of changing tastes and diets, and they're just not popular anymore, but a good steak san isn't complicated - use fresh oil, nice and hot, drain it properly (meaning get it OUT of the oil when its done). Several places used to sell a nice steak san - Sonic had one, even Braum's did for a while....but I digress

[ctchandler]

There used to be similar systems at the old Circus Time restaurant on I-240 at Penn back in the day (yeah, I'm older than most of you guys),

SoonerDave,
I took my family there several times. I don't remember the timeframe, but it had to be between 1969-1975. That's when I lived in South OKC on 80th and 92nd.
C. T.

[SoonerDave]

SoonerDave,
I took my family there several times. I don't remember the timeframe, but it had to be between 1969-1975. That's when I lived in South OKC on 80th and 92nd.
C. T.

I remember it very vividly and fondly, going there in that same time frame. I'd guesstimate I was about eight or so, and I was just crestfallen when I read in the newspaper that it had burned down. I remember how I kept hoping it might get rebuilt.

[Roger S]

Closing their doors at 9 PM this evening.... FB post said "indefinitely" so not 100% sure if it's a permanent closure or not.

[BBatesokc]

Closing their doors at 9 PM this evening.... FB post said "indefinitely" so not 100% sure if it's a permanent closure or not.

Looks permanent. Someone asked about the building and they replied it would be up for lease once they clear their stuff out.

That's a shame. I liked the place and we were just there a week or so ago.

[BLJR]

Wow. That was fast. Sorry to see them go.

[catcherinthewry]

That sucks. I've been there several times and thought it was better than Del Rancho.

[jstaylor62]

I tried it after the switch from Del Rancho and was not impressed ...

[jstaylor62]

Looks to have reopened. Has anyone tried it out?

[Jeepnokc]

Looks to have reopened. Has anyone tried it out?

I haven't New operator. The operator's family has another local place but don't remember the name of it.

[Roger S]

I haven't New operator. The operator's family has another local place but don't remember the name of it.

Catfish Cove.... Which itself just closed it's Moore location but still has one in Yukon.

[Martin]

interesting... are they keeping the dining room's concept or converting it to a smaller version of catfish cove?

[Roger S]

interesting... are they keeping the dining room's concept or converting it to a smaller version of catfish cove?

I've not been but have seen the menu and it is very much like Del Rancho in that respect.... Usually 8-10 cars parked outside evenings on weekdays and they still have the drive thru. So I think they are doing decent business there and haven't heard many complaints like I did after the first Del Rancho transition.

Have heard they are looking for another location for Moore Catfish Cove.... The location they just closed was their second in Moore.... First one was near 5th and Telephone and was a Swadley's before Catfish Cove went in it.

[Martin]

I've not been but have seen the menu and it is very much like Del Rancho in that respect.... Usually 8-10 cars parked outside evenings on weekdays and they still have the drive thru. So I think they are doing decent business there and haven't heard many complaints like I did after the first Del Rancho transition.

good to hear... regardless of the format, i'm glad that the building isn't just sitting empty and doing nothing.

Have heard they are looking for another location for Moore Catfish Cove.... The location they just closed was their second in Moore.... First one was near 5th and Telephone and was a Swadley's before Catfish Cove went in it.

i've heard that also which is why i was wondering if they had settled on the old del rancho location.

[Roger S]

good to hear... regardless of the format, i'm glad that the building isn't just sitting empty and doing nothing.

Same... The building is kind of an icon in Moore... So glad someone has gone back in there and so far appears to be making a go of it.

[Martin]

from 6/12... looks like they're open under the new name 'main street grill'