American

This is the biggest dining category in Branson by a wide margin – 124 restaurants – and it spans a genuinely wide range, from vinyl-booth diners to the most expensive dining rooms in the region.

At the top end are The Worman House Bistro and Osage Restaurant, both part of the Big Cedar complex south of town. Jack Henry’s, Local Flavor and Social Birdy cover contemporary independent dining. The Branson institutions sit in the middle: McFarlain’s Restaurant for home cooking at the IMAX complex, Mel’s Hard Luck Diner where the servers sing, and Jackie B. Goode’s Uptown Cafe, which doubles as a dinner theater. Uncle Buck’s Fish Bowl & Grill, Shepherd’s Grill and The Grille on the Greens are attached to attractions and resorts. Mochas And Meows is a cat cafe, which is not something most towns this size can claim.

Because “American” covers so much ground, it is often faster to narrow by what you actually want – barbecue, seafood, breakfast or pizza – or by where you are staying, using the town lists on the restaurant directory.