The Real Reason Ranch Dressing Tastes Better In Restaurants

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It’s fair to say ranch dressing has transcended its original purpose. Fans incorporate it (or its flavor) in everything from salads to macaroni and cheese. We dip our vegetables and chicken wings into it and even drizzle it on our pizza. The New York Times points out that ranch is the official American dressing.

But are some varieties of ranch superior to others? Most definitely. Many people are dismayed by the observation that ranch seems to taste better when you eat out than it does in the confines of your kitchen (per Just Restaurant Supplies). We counted nearly 12 Subreddits dedicated to this frustrating and confounding phenomenon. Some fans have suggested that the fancier grocery store brands are closer to restaurant ranch. Others say that bottled buttermilk ranch is most similar to the dressing served in your favorite eatery. But the real solution seems to be making it from semi-scratch.

This is the position of a Mel op-ed, which, like many Redditors, says your favorite restaurant ranch is probably made from powdered Hidden Valley Ranch mix, as opposed to the ready-to-serve kind, or making one from scratch. And there is no shame in the game. Both in the Mel article and on Reddit, restaurant kitchen staffers have revealed that they mix up packets of Hidden Valley Ranch behind the scenes. And you can do this in your kitchen, too.