Who Has the Best Ranch in the Corridor? Iowans Weigh In

Not all ranch dressing is the same!

I don't think I need to tell you that, here in the Midwest, ranch is one of the most important condiments. It's eaten with everything from chicken to pizza to fries! But, every true ranch-lover knows that not all ranch is good ranch.

Last week, I came across a post in Cedar Rapids Foodie Facebook Group from a local woman named Ashlin Ludwig. In honor of National Ranch Day on March 10th, she shared her ongoing list of the Corridor restaurants with the best ranch. It's actually been in the works for more than 8 years!

As a fellow ranch-connoisseur, I was very impressed by Ashlin's list, so I reached out to her to ask her a few questions about it. When I asked about how it all began, she actually credited her husband. She wrote:

"It all started when we would go out to eat and I would ask him if I liked the ranch there, because you know bad ranch can really ruin a salad or fries! After asking him so many times he finally just said, 'why don’t you start a list so you don’t have to ask me all the time??' Lol! So, the list got started and I just keep adding to it!!"

Some of Ashlin's friends are aware of her list, and she says that she will occasionally get messages from them asking what the ranch is like at a specific restaurant. It's important to note that she's tried each of the restaurants on the list personally. She will NEVER add a restaurant until after she tries it. She told me, "people tell me to 'add this ranch to my list,' but I can’t unless I actually try it!! I can’t just take their word for it."

Ashlin, who is from Marion, says that these are her absolute favorite restaurants when it comes to ranch dressing:

• Zio Johno's
• Irish Democrat
• Frydae
• The Pedaler’s Fork

Here are some of the other places that have her stamp of approval and what her notes say about them (a "$" indicates that the ranch costs extra):

• Barrel House
• Big Grove Brewery - "yes, all around"
• Black Sheep Social Club - $
• Crosby's - "good with fries!"
• Edison's Eatery
• Edith Lucielle's Bait Shack & Wing Depot - "yes, thick"
• Emil's Hideaway - "yum! Zesty"
• Goldfinch Tap + Eatery - $
• the hip-stir - "yes, $/black pepper - pretty good"
• Lebowski's Bar & Grill
• Midtown Station - "thin and yummy!"
• Naso's - "yes, all around"
• Need Pizza - $
• Pub 217 - "Yes! Thickish"
• Quinton's Bar & Deli - "yes, all around"
• Riley's Cafe
• Sally's on Broadway - "thick, yummy"
• Scooters Bar & Grill - "$ yes, all around"
• Shorts Burger & Shine - "yes, thick for dipping"
• Starlite Room - "yes, thick for dipping"
• Third Base Brewery
• Tin Roost
• Whiskey River Grill - "great ranch"
• Wild Hogs Saloon & Eatery - "medium thickness, good!"
• Zeppelins - "yes, oniony though"

She also mentions several chain restaurants in the area with good ranch, including Red Robin, Chili's, Cheddar's, Taco John's, Jimmy John's, Pizza Ranch, and Boulder Tap House.

Ashlin goes on to say that she has a lot of recommendations for the ranch at Wing Stop, but she has yet to try it. And, before you ask... no, she hasn't found a bottled ranch that she likes.

There are a few people in the comments that share with Ashlin a general ranch recipe so that she can make it at home, but one commenter notes that the brands you choose to use make a difference. Tiffany Marie writes:

Off the top of my head, I would say that my favorite restaurants for ranch in the Corridor are both in Downtown Cedar Rapids. The first is Runt's Munchies, which I refer to as my "ranch dealer." The homemade ranch and jalapeno ranch are so ridiculously good! I'm also a big fan of the ranch at Rock Bar. Whenever I order the bacon cheese fries, I make sure to get a side of ranch with it. Outside of Iowa, though, Jet's Pizza has the best ranch on planet EARTH. You can even buy it by the bottle!

You can check out Ashlin's full list below. Keep in mind that she hasn't updated the list to delete the restaurants that are no longer in business, so there are several places on there you won't be able to try in 2025:

Which restaurant in the Corridor has your favorite ranch dressing? Let us know in the comments or by sending us a message on the station app! Here are some of the picks from Iowans on Facebook: