Restaurants in Branson

Linda and Steve Wood broke the ground on their first Australian-themed enterprise when they opened The Outback Steak and Oyster Bar in 1987. Over the years, the eatery garnered enough attention from Ozark visitors that it inspired the couple to open the Outback Outfitters clothing store in 1989. Nearly a decade later the Woods converted the store into the Outback Pub, adorning its walls with Australian articles and serving a menu of down home, exotic fare. Wild appetizers such as kookaburra-sauce-laden gator tail cause taste buds to don tiny safari caps before trekking through entrees of seasoned grouper or the tavern's specialty Shepparton chicken pot pie. Sips from more than 100 beers bring tides of malty and hoppy flavor, while live entertainment hosted every night gives the dinner crowd a soundtrack more pleasing than compliment-whispering earmuffs.

Outback Steak & Oyster Bar allows diners to experience Australian-style steaks and seafood, whether they are lodging at the adjacent Outback Roadhouse Motel & Suites or just passing through. Fresh shrimp and seasoned white-meat alligator tail accent a menu of Down-Under delights, alongside Australian wine or beers also available at the Outback Pub. Thursday through Sunday evenings, live musicians accompany the sounds of diners crunching into coconut shrimp, while outside on the veranda, patrons dine under the moonlight and await sightings of Branson’s indigenous kangaroo population.:m]]

Roll like a cheese-covered circle to Billy's for pizza, pasta, and sandwiches. Billy's pizza comes cut thin and crispy ($7.75–$20.50, depending on size and toppings) or served deep dish ($14.75–$26.50) like they do in Chicago. This stuffed delicacy brings meaning to "pizza pie": it's full to bursting with traditional or creative toppings that aren't on top, making each forkful and knifeful a delectable surprise. Slurpable spaghetti comes with marinara ($7.25–$8.50) or meat sauce ($8.25–$9.50). No breaded bundle of meat from Billy's selection of sandwiches earns the adjective "finger"—sandwiches are mostly Chicago-style delights; try an Italian beef ($6–$6.60) and be sure to make it authentically Chicago-style by asking for plenty of dipping juice.

To replicate the thin-crust pies found in New York's Italian-American neighborhoods, Giovanni's chefs make everything from scratch and bake their five-borough recreations atop a toasted hearthstone. They load their slices with layers of fresh mozzarella and an eclectic mix of toppings. Tables, draped in classic red-and-white checkered cloths, buckle under the weight of the pies, including the Coney Island piled with freshwater clams, garlic, and spices.

In addition to baking circular eats, the cooks marinate Sicilian-style chicken in extra-virgin olive oil and herbs before fire-roasting it on the rotisserie. Forks excavate the lasagna's layers, burrowing through strata of imported pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and housemade tomato sauce, to unearth hearty pieces of meat or veggies.

Scot Cosentino and the Goodfella's team share their love of pizza and pasta with guests at their family-friendly Italian bistro. Pizzas made in the old-world tradition—i.e., cooked in a real wood-fired brick oven as the chefs quote Dickens—include Cosentino’s original vodka pizza and other handmade pies. For these gourmet pizzas, Goodfella's has taken home big prize money from the International Pizza Expo, winning its Pizza Challenge on more than one occasion. The chefs also prepare heaping helpings of Italian pastas and entrees, such as prime-cut angus steak and linguini with baby clams.

Bambu embraces traditional recipes and dining practices to create an authentic Vietnamese dining experience. Their pho soup packs noodles into a beef or chicken stock made on site and simmered for 12 hours to fully coax out flavors and create a dish named Best Hangover Remedy by the editors of 417 Magazine. The menu showcases rich house specialties, including Bun Bo Hue, a soup from the old imperial capital of Central Vietnam with a spicy broth made from long-simmered beef bones. Most items come with a plate of fiery chilis, fresh herbs, and lime to season dishes instead of boring salt- and peppershakers or somber personal chefs. The courteous wait staff caters to every diner's needs, providing gluten-free menus to those with dietary restrictions and bibs to protect from soup splatters.