Branson’s Farmhouse Restaurant serves up homespun goodness in a menu that features outstanding pies.
By Patsy Bell Hobson

When I get away to Branson, I break the self-imposed “No Desert Rule.” Branson has some of the best pie anywhere. It’s no wonder that Branson will host the Great American Pie Show (see related story).

An afternoon pie break in Branson should include a stop at Farmhouse Restaurant. Patsy Bell Hobson photo

Locally, good old-fashioned pie and cobbler is available in downtown Branson at the Farmhouse Restaurant on Main Street. Farmhouse is known for home-baked pies, apple dumplings and blackberry cobbler. All are served warm with the optional scoop of ice cream. Many returning vacationers come back every year just for the blackberry cobbler.

You might call pie and coffee our Ozarks’ version of high tea. Plenty of folks wander into the Farmhouse for an afternoon pie break. The warm, fresh-baked apple maple pie and cherry pie have flaky crusts and are packed with fruit. The cherry pie is sweet and just tart enough to bring out the best of the cherry flavor. Maple apple pie is an uncommon but delicious combination. Try the apple dumpling with a scoop of cinnamon-vanilla ice cream.

The menu is also filled with country-style choices such as their famous chicken-fried steak that’s available for lunch or dinner. If you have the time, try the fried chicken that is cooked to order. This requires an extra 20-minute wait, but it’s worth it. A half-chicken dinner is $10.99. Specialties on the lighter side are charbroiled-chicken breast and flame-grilled pork chops.

It would be hard to find a Branson restaurant menu without catfish. Farmhouse serves hand-breaded whole catfish with a choice of potato, vegetable and biscuit. The six-piece shrimp dinner includes French fries, a trip to the salad bar and a hot biscuit. The catfish and the shrimp dinners are $9.89 each.

Sandwiches start with a beefy Deluxe Farmburger (lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and fries) for $7.69. Farmhouse is known for the Pulled Barbecued Pork Sandwich served with skin-on fries and baked beans for $9.89, as well as the Pork Tenderloin, which comes grilled or hand- breaded with lettuce, tomato, pickle spear and chips for $7.69.

A salad bar includes the soup of the day. When we were there, the soup selection was chili. Salad bar selections are limited, but the staff keeps the salad bar clean and well stocked. The soup and salad bar, with unlimited trips, is $6.59 or $3.29 with a sandwich or meal.

Iced tea is served in a quart size wide-mouth canning jar. If you manage to drink all that, there are free refills on the tea and coffee.

Breakfast is served any time. Biscuits and gravy served with two or three biscuits are always in demand. The popular #2 Farmhouse Special includes country ham, two eggs, country-fried potatoes or dollar pancakes, a biscuit and gravy for $8.79. Pancakes, including pecan pancakes, French toast and omelets round out the breakfast menu.

Come hungry and save room for desert. Desert is always on the menu. Farmhouse is open late so you can stop by for pie or cobbler after an evening show. The country atmosphere is fun and relaxing. There is even enough time to check out the gift shop upstairs while waiting on that hot and juicy fried chicken dinner.

Patsy Bell Hobson is a contributor from Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Attend Branson’s Pie Show in April

Sink your teeth into Branson’s Great American Pie Show and Taste of Home magazine’s Easy Breezy Spring Cooking School, April 24 and 25 at the Branson convention center. The best pie contest, presented by Taste of Home, accepted entries from across the country. The grand prize is $2,500 plus four-day/three-night stay in Branson.

Tickets for the cooking school are $15 (plus service charge and tax) and are available online at www.explorebranson.com/pieshow or at the convention center event office, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday–Friday. The price includes general admission to Great American Pie Show and Marketplace. The first 100 ticket holders in attendance on Saturday will participate in Great American Pie Show people’s choice judging at 1 p.m.

On Saturday, Al Roker from NBC’s Today Show will be on hand as a guest judge and announce the grand prize winner.

For those not interested in the cooking school, but want to attend the pie competition and marketplace, admission at the door is $5.

The Hilton Branson Convention Center is located at 200 E. Main St. The show’s exhibits and marketplace will open both days from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, contact the Branson/Lakes Area Convention and Visitors Bureau at (417) 334-4084.

–Patsy Bell Hobson