McCarthy Ranch

We don’t have too many places to go in this area, so McCarthy ranch it is, especially on weekends, since you get get near the Great Mall due to too many people and traffic. I wish they would put some nice big stores there. Right now, Walmart, Ross and Michaels and Best Buy are they only draws… We need more like that. I only wish Home Good Store would be there. With all the new building of condos, apartments, etc, we need more entertainment places to go and shop. No more people, but more entertainment… PLEASE!

McCarthey Ranch has it’s ups and downs. It had its hayday and it’s now just like many malls or shopping centers that have failed to keep up with the times. There are a few good highlights here which is of course Ross, Banana Leaf, Dish Dash, Walmart, In-​n-​Out, and Macaroni Grill. There’s a new boba place that I have yet to try called Chatime. If you go further down the road you can find the Specialty’s for your sandwich, salad, and bakery goodness. Surprised that Hometown buffet is still here and open! I’ll have to go back for pure nostalgia. Walmart is getting a face lift.
The area does have some interesting characters… that’s all I’ve have to say, but I guess I’m part of the crowd now.
I hope this place does get a little revitalized, otherwise it’ll just be another ghost town of a shopping center.

This place had its conveniences. Especially when I was younger. Now, it’s just a good place to get a burger, take your dog to the vet, and then shop at a few trademark stores. Meh, not everything can be special.

Lame, lame, and more lame. Car was broken into here. McCarthy Ranch has been notorious for having car break-​ins and things don’t seem to be changing. No wonder there are so many empty retail slots here. To top it off, this place stinks, quite literally. Avoid this place like the plague!

Wal-​Mart, Ross, Best Buy and a bunch of fast-​food places and awful chain restaurants with some empty storefronts mixed in, shady characters in the parking lot, and the occasional smell from the nearby dump.
Other than that, this place rocks!

UPDATE: Borders’ closing has left an enormous hole in what was once a great place to fritter away a lazy afternoon. Now there’s just a Best Buy, an In N’ Out, and a Wal-​Mart. Talk about blasé.
It kills me to do this, but — much like everything decent in this town — McCarthy Ranch has lost its luster, due in large part to the closing of its enormous bookstore. Sigh.

It’s a great shopping plaza with good parking, numerous restaurants, and a Best Buy and Walmart.
I am not a fan of the downwind odors from the dump though.

I kind of like going to this place… there’s avaliable parking, with Wal-​Mart, a variety of restaurants, Ross, etc… However, I have to deduct 1 star due to many store closures (Borders Bookstores is closing) and the place is not pedestrian-​friendly — -if you want to go from store to another store, better if you use your car.

A-​OK because i only need Walmart and McDonald’s and The dollar tree. So many empty buildings now, reminds me of a modern-​day post gold rush town. Will the Ranch be saved, Pa?! (Who knows, son. The lord bernanke will show us a sign after QE2!)

$ 15 a person for all you can cook/​eat. Awesommmeeee!
With the pot that you start off with, they will ask if you want regular or spicy broth to cook everything in. You could do both if you want to.
The buffet includes all kinds of meats you can imagine: Beef, chicken, lamb, shrimp, fish, etc. with some of them pre-​marinated for flavor. Tons of vegetables to choose from to add to your hot pot too, I didn’t have enough room on my plate to carry all of this, so I had to come back for seconds and thirds. Loved the variety of noodles and seafood. Really like the extras like fish balls, sprouts and tofu.
**Side Note: There is a sign that says they will charge you a fee of $ 3 for wasted food. Be careful how much you THINK you will eat! :)
Too bad I moved to AZ and will not be able to come back for a long time! Wish AZ had a place like this!

Its a great location right off of both 880 and 237. They have a ton of parking so you never feel like you won’t find parking. It has a couple really good restaurants and Best Buy and Walmart are there. Its got a ton of stores so you are bound to find what you are looking for.

I give it 4 stars for convenience of location… it’s right smack dab between Fremont and San Jose at the 880 and 237 intersection. It’s a good place to meet up with friends from the South Bay without one of us driving a full 30 – 45 minutes to meet up. Hurray!
McCarthy ranch has two sides to it… one side is the Asian side with the Ranch 99 and lots of Chinese restaurants such as Mayflower, Darda, Hot Pot City, and little snack shops. There’s a good little froyo place next to Hot Pot City that I can’t remember the name to, but it’s good enough to mention.
The other side is the «Americanized» side, featuring a huge Wal-Mart…the icon of capitalization. Way to represent. It’s a long walk from Wal-​mart down past Office Max, some furniture store, Best Buy, then Borders. There are also a bunch of chain restaurants like Over the Border, Hometown Buffet, In-​n-​Out, Macaroni Grill, McDonald’s, Taco Bell… and some nice little resturants like Banana Leaf (*drools*)
Minus one star because the parking lot on the Asian side is one of the most dangerous parking lots in the Bay Area. Watch out for your life when you step onto the street. Little Asian ladies in big SUVs have no remorse for running you over. In their heads they are screaming (in Chinese):
MOVE BIOTCH! GET OUT THE WAY!