Missouri's Best-Kept Food Town Is In The Heart of the Ozark Mountains

A nighttime view of Highway 76 in Branson, Missouri,

From theme park treats to a Dolly Parton dinner show, this Ozark city is the perfect spot for those in search of delicious eats.

A southwest Missouri town nestled in the Ozark mountains, Branson is known for its dinner shows and 1880's-themed theme park, Silver Dollar City. But as the town continues to grow as a tourist destination, its restaurant landscape is expanding, too.

Branson, Missouri, is home to everything a foodie could hope for in a vacation, from celebrity chef-owned restaurants like Guy Fieri's Branson Kitchen and Bar to The Pie Safe, a small but mighty bakery serving up fresh baked goods and coffee in Branson's historic downtown area. In fact, Linda Cherry, a local business owner who's been active in the town's growth for the last 40 years, says she's got a standard reply when people ask her about the food scene in her hometown.

"I ask them what they’re looking for because I can point them to exactly what they want," says Cherry. Among Cherry's favorite Branson eats? "Local fish out of our lakes," she says, "Or barbecue and smoked meats. I can't eat enough."

As a food and travel writer who's visited Branson, Missouri, twice in the last two years, I also can't get enough of the delicious offerings in the Ozark town. From dinner shows to theme park treats to classic breakfast spots, Branson is a must-visit for foodies. Here are five types of foods you should try if you visit Branson, Missouri.

Meet Our Expert

Linda Cherry has been a business owner in Branson for over 40 years. Cherry owns both an interior design business and a gift boutique.

Barbecue

There's some really good barbecue to be found in this Ozark destination. Cherry says smoked meats are "indigenous" to Branson, as the practice started as a way to preserve food without ice and electricity. "Smokehouses were a big deal here for preservation of meats," she says. "Today, you get into how they are smoking it: Are they smoking it with oak? Are they smoking it with pecan? Are they smoking it with another hard wood? Are they adding some apples? Are they mixing in peaches? You really start to see things here that you didn’t know existed."

In Branson, everything's on the barbecue menu, from smoked sausages to pulled pork and chicken. Cherry says it's not uncommon to find specials on the menu as well, like smoked lamb chops or alligator.

Theme Park Treats

If you're visiting Branson, you cannot miss the chance to spend a day immersed in spirit of the 1880's at Silver Dollar City, the area's theme park. I live in Central Florida and spend plenty of time at foodie-friendly parks like Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World, and I'd travel to Branson just for the theme park food.

Not only have I had some delicious barbecue inside Silver Dollar City, but the park is home to treats like cinnamon bread, whoopie pies, and some of the best root beer floats around. Every snack inside this unique theme park is crave-worthy and it's nearly impossible to resist carrying a take-home loaf of cinnamon bread out of the park with you at the end of the night.

Diner Food

Cherry says some of the first restaurants to pop up in Branson were the "blue plate special-serving" kind. Today, diners and cafes abound, including Branson Cafe, the oldest restaurant in town, which opened in 1910. "In the beginning," says Cherry, "we didn't really have many restaurant chains, so you still have that homegrown feel today."

Whether you've got a hankering for some biscuits and gravy for breakfast or a pot roast dinner, Branson's mom-and-pop, diner-style restaurants have you covered. When in Branson, having a big breakfast is a must-do, whether it's oversized pancakes at the iconic Billy Gail's Restaurant or unforgettably delicious homemade muffins at Steamy Joe Cafe, a quaint little breakfast spot with long lines and stunning views of the mountains.

Dinner With a Show

Branson is known as the live music show capital of the world. Up and down Highway 76, there are theaters offering everything from rock and roll covers to pyrotechnics and acrobatics. And, of course, there are plenty of shows in Branson that offer up a heaping helping of delicious food along with a performance.

At Dolly Parton's Stampede Dinner Attraction, for example, guests are treated to a four-course meal of barbecued meats, country-style side dishes, soup, and dessert, all served while horses roam a show arena and actors and performers roll out a "North versus South" tournament, complete with a chicken chasing contest and miniature pig races. If eating while you watch isn't your style, Cherry says pre-show visits to Branson's best restaurants are a great way to avoid the crowds. "I took a friend [to a show] recently and we had dinner at 4 p.m. when it wasn't busy, then saw a show at 7 p.m.," says Cherry. "It wasn't crowded and it was nice, so sometimes those off-hours are the best time to go."

Celebrity Chef-Owned Spots

In addition to a historic downtown area full of independently-owned restaurants, a snack-filled theme park, and an entire highway loaded with dinner shows, Branson is home to Branson Landing, a newer stretch of town that runs along the Taneycomo Lakefront and is home to tons of shopping and dining options.

Among those dining options are two celebrity chef-owned spots, perfect for fans of Food Network and other cooking shows. Guy Fieri's Branson Kitchen and Bar serves up eats like burgers and nachos, and Paula Deen's Family Kitchen is all about family-style Southern food in a beautifully-decorated dining room, complete with a shop selling Paula Deen merchandise and kitchen items. Both restaurants are perfect dinner locales for fans of the television chef personalities, and the food is delicious to boot.