The Branch Ranch is an old country restaurant with an apparently new billboard budget. It is nearly impossible to drive any part of the I-4 corridor that cuts through central Florida without spotting one. Each advertisement with its bright yellow background showcases a drawing of a fruit pie oozing at its baked center.
While not scoring high on the tack scale, any mom and pop joint that has survived the avalanche of commercial roadside eateries is worth noting.
The Branch Ranch's humble beginnings date back to 1956 when Mrs. Branch, then a school teacher, converted a TV room in her farmhouse into a dining area for friends. Over time more room additions were made, but her receipt for a succulent, southern spread remained the same.
Today you can still feast on family style portions of homemade grub in one of the homes many dining rooms. Hardwood floors, ladder back chairs and jams for sale at the front door add to an atmosphere of time standing still. In the largest of the dining areas, a stone fireplace is accented with a large mounted swordfish on its chimney. Below it, a man armed only with a cheap pair of shades and guitar, sings the blues.
On your way out, be sure to attach a business card to one of the rustic beams of the entryway. Thick layers cover the posts from top to bottom. It makes for a unique wallpapering forged by years of tourists hitting the road on a full belly.
Branch Ranch Dining Room
Branch Forbes Road
Exit 10 off I-4
Plant City, FL
In the neighborhood - Dinosaur World
Ranch Dressings
