Fayetteville is crazy about this restaurant's famous ranch dip. What makes it so special?

R Burger has consistently been voted the best burger spot in Fayetteville.

The food truck and Person Street brick-and-mortar location, R Kitchen, serve beef patties ground daily from a blend of chuck, short ribs and brisket. Buns are baked each morning at the oldest bakery in the city. Toppings like pimento cheese, slaw and chili are made in-house from scratch.

So, it only makes sense that the eatery’s ranch is special, too — and has a following of its own in Fayetteville.

Named for its creator Kayla Mundell, R Burger’s head cook and kitchen manager, "Kayla’s Ranch” is sold on specialty burgers, by the 2-ounce serving, by the cup or by the pint.

Mundell, 29, a Fayetteville Technical Community College culinary school alum, said she makes ranch in 4-gallon batches and sells up to 16 gallons weekly.

Customers in the know dip their fries in a side of ranch. Dozens of online reviews and social media posts sing the ranch’s praises. Several regulars buy a pint of the stuff each week, Mundell said, and many have asked for the coveted recipe.

What makes Kayla's Ranch so special?

Mundell is tight-lipped about the recipe, which only she and her mother know. She did admit, however, that when it comes to mayonnaise, brand matters.

“You gotta go with Duke’s,” she said.

Her ranch has a thicker consistency than a typical dressing and is dotted with dried herbs and spices. The most important ingredient is “extra love,” Mundell said with a laugh.

From family tradition to Fayetteville cult following

Though R Burger helped make Kayla’s Ranch a Fayetteville staple, she developed the recipe as a teenager, a few years before joining the food truck staff in 2017.

Mundell said she’s always found the ranch on grocery store shelves underwhelming, so her mom encouraged her to make her own. A series of recipe tests led to the winning formula, she said, and before long, her ranch was a key player at family gatherings.

Now, her family dips nearly any savory food in the ranch, including egg rolls stuffed with Thanksgiving leftovers, which are a household tradition.

Mundell left Fayetteville to attend Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky, on a soccer scholarship. She was home from school for the summer when her high school friend Madeline Russell, daughter to R Burger owners Mary and Robert Russell, asked her to help on the truck.

Mundell has been with the business ever since.

In 2018, she pitched her ranch to the Russells, who at the time only stocked ketchup and vinegar for condiments. They agreed to add her ranch to the menu, and it became an overnight success, Mundell said.

“It’s nice to be known for something good,” she said. “It makes me blush, usually.”

What’s next for Kayla’s Ranch?

In 2022, Mundell launched a spicy jalapeno version of her ranch, which she said is steadily increasing in popularity.

Next, she said, she is considering bottling it.

“It would be awesome to get it in stores, but I don’t want to compromise the recipe,” she explained. “I don’t want there to be any additives.”

In the meantime, she said she’s happy to see how her ranch unites the city.

“Something that can bring everyone together is their love for a delicious condiment,” she said.

Food, dining and culture reporter Taylor Shook can be reached at tshook@gannett.com or on Facebook. Want weekly food news delivered to your inbox? Sign up for the Fayetteville Foodies newsletter. 

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: People love the ranch dip at R Burger food truck in Fayetteville, NC