Remember those huge steaks Jimmy Stewart dished up in the movie classic “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,” the ones that sizzled and almost stole the scene from John Wayne and Lee Marvin?
They’ve made an encore-the steaks that is-and you don’t have to travel any farther west than the Naperville side of Illinois Highway 59 to Buffalo Ranch to get one, all 22 ounces of aged, USDA choice Porterhouse ($19.95). Unless, of course, you’d rather dig into a 12-ounce slice of hickory-smoked prime rib ($15.95), or a full rack of baby back ribs basted in maple barbecue sauce, or a pepper steak (top sirloin lightly coated with cracked black pepper and served with Jack Daniels Whiskey sauce) ($13.95).
Then again, the grilled Idaho trout ($11.95) and the roast duck with raspberry glaze ($12.95) are tempting alternatives. For those with an appetite for more authentic Old West fare, the house signature buffalo burger ($7.99) promises to satisfy. Entrees are served with several choices of side dishes, including haystack Caesar salad (traditional recipe with added strips of fried tortillas), yams in maple butter, seasoned battered fries and garlic mashed potatoes.
The Buffalo Ranch is pure cowboy habitat spruced up for city slickers. “It’s designed to make people feel like they’re eating dinner at a Montana ranch house,” said Michael Jurgens, manager. (The Naperville restaurant is the first franchise location in Illinois of Buffalo Ranch Inc., California, a division of the Sizzler restaurant chain.)
The restaurant’s western-style decor includes the Painted Buffalo Saloon, where libations flow under the unblinking gaze of a stuffed buffalo head that sits squarely on the wall mid-bar. The dining room includes antelope-antler chandeliers and a two-story stone fireplace.
The restaurant caters to steak lovers who want their steaks cooked “exactly the way they like ’em,” said Jurgens. “Our philosophy of customer service can be summed up in two words: No problem. If a customer makes a food request, our attitude is that’s no problem, because we’ll find a way to make that customer happy.”
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Buffalo Ranch, 916 South Illinois Highway 59, Naperville, is open 4-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 4-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 2-9 p.m. Sunday. 708-357-4231.
