Taylor T.
Yelp
If you're jonesin' for a lil taste of flavortown but find yourself in Branson, then look no further than the mecca of Guy Fieri's aptly named Branson Kitchen. It will (almost) transport you to your own episode of Triple D. But, it slightly misses the mark. Some of what it serves up is the equivalent of a one dollar flip flop, and that's not at all a compliment. While Guy's is branded to be...well, just that, a Guy Fieri restaurant, the entire concept is kind of an amped up Ruby Tuesdays meets a man's cave that may be located in the American Southwest; example A the cowhide bar seats. Oh, and no celebrity chef restaurant is complete without a few cardboard cutouts.
But, let's not dwell on the novelty of it all, and let's talk about the nitty gritty... the food. With it being my mom's late lunch pick in Branson, I expected her to go all out. Alas, she ordered a humble appetizer of cheesy ancho corn dip, and it was pretty solid, that is, if you did not want any hint of smokiness or spice. But, all in all, an unoffensive appetizer for the table (meaning everyone will probably like it regardless of their taste preferences). Now, my dad played it safe with some buffalo wings. So a falvor town homerun, right? Wrong! The wings were very crispy and crunchy, and it must be because of the double cooking process they go through, this was the good. The bad was the sauce...it wasn't a traditional Buffalo at all, which okay, fine, no issue if it wasn't labeled that on the menu. It was less tangy and spicy and more mild, not really sauced enough, and definitely lacking flavor - which shouldn't be the Guy standard.
Now, being an avid fan of the Guy franchise, I opted for a nostalgic reminiscent to one of Guy's guys who passed away...sad story I know, but I was expecting one kick butt sandwich. Instead, I received a burnt Cuban with dry pork, very little pickles, and mustard. I ate it, but the overall experience was lacking. I was waiting for a sandwich jam packed with different textures and rich flavors, but instead, I got a dry flip flop, sad day. But, on a brighter note, I enjoyed the playfulness in the fry trio, which contained traditional French fries cut into three fun shapes. Also, my Dad's blue cheese Wasabi sauce served with his wings was killer! Definitely don't skip out on ordering this.
The overall dining experience was better than the last Guy's restaurant I tested out in Kansas City, his taco dive but, I definitely think food network Royalty could step it up a notch...it seems like a big boxed chain restaurant at higher prices and that's not something to strive for.