# Why do some restaurants have "House sauce" instead of Ranch dressing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 10, 2019, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-restaurants-have-house-sauce-instead-of-ranch-dressing/833802 "2019-05-10T23:26:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-restaurants-have-house-sauce-instead-of-ranch-dressing/833802/1 "2019-05-10T23:26:17Z")
Is Ranch copyrighted or does house mean it’s a different style distinct from ranch? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-restaurants-have-house-sauce-instead-of-ranch-dressing/833802/2 "2019-05-10T23:43:44Z")
Moved to Cafe Society. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-restaurants-have-house-sauce-instead-of-ranch-dressing/833802/3 "2019-05-10T23:46:16Z")
House Sauce can be anything the restaurant wants to make & serve? It could be Ranch, a honey mustard, or spicy sauce. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-restaurants-have-house-sauce-instead-of-ranch-dressing/833802/4 "2019-05-11T00:10:49Z")
While ranch dressing was originated by the Hidden Valley Ranch brand, and while [there were apparently trademark lawsuits over the use of the name](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranch_dressing) when the style became popular in the 1970s, it appears that it’s long since become a generic term. I don’t think that “house dressing” has a specific type (and I don’t think it’s necessarily synonymous with ranch dressing), but I may be mistaken. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-restaurants-have-house-sauce-instead-of-ranch-dressing/833802/5 "2019-05-11T00:20:59Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > House Sauce can be anything the restaurant wants to make & serve? I suspect it’s this. Calling it house sauce allows the restaurant to change what it’s serving based on cost and availability. It’s the equivalent of sour du jour. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-restaurants-have-house-sauce-instead-of-ranch-dressing/833802/6 "2019-05-11T00:23:29Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I don’t think that “house dressing” has a specific type (and I don’t think it’s necessarily synonymous with ranch dressing), but I may be mistaken. Googling “house dressing” doesn’t yield any specific type. They include vinagrettes and creamy dressings. Some indicate that they are the homemade dressing made at their own house. “House dressing” just means the kind of dressing that is standard at a particular restaurant. It can be anything. The OP has evidently encountered some restaurants that have a house dressing similar to Ranch, but who choose not to call it by that name. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-restaurants-have-house-sauce-instead-of-ranch-dressing/833802/7 "2019-05-11T00:29:01Z")
“House Dressing” is whatever Sysco had a special on that week. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-restaurants-have-house-sauce-instead-of-ranch-dressing/833802/8 "2019-05-11T01:16:17Z")
No. a restaurant serves a house dressing. It is their own recipe and can take any form the chef wants, but they don’t change it. That would make no sense: regulars want to know what to expect, especially if they like what they had the last time. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-restaurants-have-house-sauce-instead-of-ranch-dressing/833802/9 "2019-05-11T03:27:03Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > No. a restaurant serves a house dressing. It is their own recipe and can take any form the chef wants, but they don’t change it. That would make no sense: regulars want to know what to expect, especially if they like what they had the last time. Those people are going to be surprised if they expect they’re going to get the same soup du jour or chef’s special that they had last month. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-restaurants-have-house-sauce-instead-of-ranch-dressing/833802/10 "2019-05-11T03:38:32Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I don’t think that “house dressing” has a specific type (and I don’t think it’s necessarily synonymous with ranch dressing), but I may be mistaken. I don’t think it does, either, but I do remember in the late 80s/early 90s thinking “house dressing” was synonymous with ranch for some reason, so the OP isn’t the only one who has thought the same. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-restaurants-have-house-sauce-instead-of-ranch-dressing/833802/11 "2019-05-11T03:43:30Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Those people are going to be surprised if they expect they’re going to get the same soup du jour or chef’s special that they had last month. Maybe that’s why we had a server ask us if we wanted to hear what the \*“Soup Du Jour of the Day” \*was. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-restaurants-have-house-sauce-instead-of-ranch-dressing/833802/12 "2019-05-11T03:44:56Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Those people are going to be surprised if they expect they’re going to get the same soup du jour or chef’s special that they had last month. soup of the day, or today’s special, will be different from day to day. I expect the “house dressing” or “our famous rolls”, etc., to be the same every time I go back. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-restaurants-have-house-sauce-instead-of-ranch-dressing/833802/13 "2019-05-11T04:26:19Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I don’t think it does, either, but I do remember in the late 80s/early 90s thinking “house dressing” was synonymous with ranch for some reason, so the OP isn’t the only one who has thought the same. There’s still places calling it House Dressing, [Jack in the Box](https://loveandmagnoliagardens.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/screen-shot-2014-09-11-at-10-25-08-am.png) and [Carl’s Jr.](https://s3-media3.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/RtgruMQN_XbuMaTBNAtxCw/o.jpg) for starters. I’ve also seen other places like Sizzler do it too. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-restaurants-have-house-sauce-instead-of-ranch-dressing/833802/14 "2019-05-11T05:31:52Z")
I’ve been to places where the “house dressing” was a vinegar based Italian dressing. In fact this was more common (back in Cleveland) than house dressing meaning ranch, in my experience. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-restaurants-have-house-sauce-instead-of-ranch-dressing/833802/15 "2019-05-11T07:59:27Z")
And of course while ranches and houses have their own sauces, clubs serve [club sauce](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hBH8Gy9kFE). ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-restaurants-have-house-sauce-instead-of-ranch-dressing/833802/16 "2019-05-11T08:59:39Z")
I don’t believe I’ve ever heard of a restaurant having ranch as their house dressing. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-restaurants-have-house-sauce-instead-of-ranch-dressing/833802/17 "2019-05-11T09:33:47Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > It’s the equivalent of sour du jour. “I’m sorry, sir, _today’s_ sour is **Tart**. _Tuesday’s_ when we whip up a batch of **Astringent**. Afraid you’ll have to come back next week.” ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-restaurants-have-house-sauce-instead-of-ranch-dressing/833802/18 "2019-05-11T09:39:36Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > There’s still places calling it House Dressing, [Jack in the Box](https://loveandmagnoliagardens.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/screen-shot-2014-09-11-at-10-25-08-am.png) and [Carl’s Jr.](https://s3-media3.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/RtgruMQN_XbuMaTBNAtxCw/o.jpg) for starters. I’ve also seen other places like Sizzler do it too. Jack in the Box and Carl’s Jr. are only calling it that to seem more like the friendly corner diner and less like the faceless, soulless, money-snorting Mega-Corporations they are. A bit cynical about that, I am. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-restaurants-have-house-sauce-instead-of-ranch-dressing/833802/19 "2019-05-11T10:37:32Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > I’ve been to places where the “house dressing” was a vinegar based Italian dressing. In fact this was more common (back in Cleveland) than house dressing meaning ranch, in my experience. This was similar to my experience at a restaurant where I worked for over a decade and the house dressing never changed. I do think it was just Sysco Italian (or something similar), though. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-restaurants-have-house-sauce-instead-of-ranch-dressing/833802/20 "2019-05-11T11:19:00Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > I’ve been to places where the “house dressing” was a vinegar based Italian dressing. In fact this was more common (back in Cleveland) than house dressing meaning ranch, in my experience. Yes. In north central West Virginia where many people are of Italian descent, a “house dressing” in an Italian restaurant is a homemade Italian dressing that has typically been in the family for generations. They will sell it to you by the pint, quart, or even a half gallon for carry out. People that have moved away and are back visiting families will stop in at these restaurants to buy the dressing to take home. I guess that feeding off of that, if you go to a diner and ask for “house dressing” it will be Italian dressing out of a bottle. I have never heard of ranch dressing being “house dressing.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-restaurants-have-house-sauce-instead-of-ranch-dressing/833802.md?page=2)