THE BIG TEXAN STEAK RANCH

Amarillo, TX

Home of the Big Texan Steak Ranch

Entering Amarillo, TX—the heart of the Texas Panhandle—you will finally get to see the well-announced Big Texan Steak Ranch which has long been a favorite stopping point along I-40 (as well as in its previous location along historic U.S. Route 66).The Big Texan is a memorable icon, attracting visitors from around the globe, and I personally have

stopped many times on a variety of occasions. From early family road trips to sharing the experience with my family as an adult, I have seen the steakhouse evolve over 30 years of road-tripping. It is a famous I-40 mecca that has only gotten better with time.

       In the late 1800s, Amarillo was a Wild West town.  The land was shared by cowboys, horses, cows, ranchers and the outlaws they loved to hate. The Big Texan has captured that spirit and happily hosts anyone who wants to come and experience it. A sign by the front door reads:  “In 1886 Texas was friendly, rustic and full of beef. The BIG TEXAN still is! Welcome.”

The Big Texan Steak Ranch

Front porch boards creak as you approach the well-worn entrance of the Big Texan Steak Ranch. Hungry families have been stopping here for years lured by signs posted over 500 miles out—like Texas-sized breadcrumbs meant to lure you to the infamous fattening-up table of the “Free 72-oz. steak.” The claim finds an average of three victims a day; their last words are written on a wall for all to see, announcing their hometown, age, weight and personal exclamation of victory or defeat:

·   “Can’t believe I ate the     whole thing!”

·    “What’s for dessert?”

·    “Lord, have mercy!”

·     “CAME, ATE, CONQUERED!”

The steakhouse is home of the ultimate food challenge to an endless stream of gamblers. Those not willing to enter the contest will enjoy a superb Texas-style meal featuring tasty steaks and other hearty ranch-style meals. You might even get to witness a 72-oz. steak show-down in progress. Be sure to encourage and applaud the daredevil with eyes bigger than his—or her—stomach and pocketbook. Defeat costs a whopping $72.

      

      Carnival-style shooting games, Wild West décor, a Texas-sized rocker, and an oversized cow in the parking lot are sure to please the traveler ready for a bit of Texan entertainment. 

    Children will be captivated by the wall of ghostly portraits which line the hall outside the bathrooms at the restaurant. 

    A Texas-shaped pool provides the opportunity to “swim across Texas.” 

     Kick back in the Big Texan Beer Garden and try one of their world famous margaritas; you’ll see why “the stars at night are big and bright.”

       Before continuing your journey, stroll back to the motel featuring rustic rooms filled with relaxing, cowboy-chic décor. 

   You’ll be glad you stayed; breakfast is one of the best times to enjoy the ambience of the restaurant as you prepare for a day of sightseeing around Amarillo or heading out on the next leg of your road trip. 

    After all, it is the best breakfast around—featuring a buffet loaded with omelets cooked before your eyes, biscuits, gravy and enchiladas galore!

 Need one last Big Texan slab of beef? Enjoy a meal of steak and eggs cooked to your satisfaction.

     Before leaving, be sure to stop in at the supersized gift shop featuring Route 66 memorabilia, John Wayne mementos and Big Texas treasures.

            BELOW:      pets are welcome, too! The Big Texan is a family and pet-friendly motel, providing a dog run and horse hotel for animal-loving travelers.

Live entertainment, seasonal dinner dances and tasty Texas beef make the Big Texan dining experience an unforgettable one. The saloon-style dining room sports an array of animal busts and longhorns. Memorabilia hearkening to the wild way of life that once ruled this prairie land line the walls and balconies of the cavernous room. There is nothing else like it in all the world. You will find yourself returning to this iconic steakhouse time and again as you travel the interstate heading into the setting sun. Let the Big Texan set the stage as you journey into the glorious nostalgia of the American Southwest.  www.bigtexan.com 1-806-372-5000        A little Bit Texan history:   founded in 1960 by the late R.J. “Bob” Lee and his wife Mary Ann, the family-owned restaurant began as a modest steakhouse alongside Amarillo Blvd. Although it was originally a BBQ joint, Bob’s dream was to own his own Old West themed restaurant. In its premier location, it was a favorite stopping place along U.S. Route 66. Road –weary travelers flocked to the Big Texan to refuel as they made their way west along the Mother Road. When Rt. 66 died, Bob and Mary Ann knew they had to relocate to I-40 or close their doors forever. The rebuilding of the Big Texan in 1970, announced to travelers by the huge, iconic Big Texan cowboy sign, was an opportunity to build upon Bob’s vision of a true steakhouse—featuring cowboys, big hats and huge steaks. The gigantic cowboy still stands at the new location, reminding guests of the restaurant’s unique history.         Creative side-income ideas financed the new building. Bob carefully designed it—part Indian trading post, Old West hotel and general store. The family even used parts of an old salvaged Air Force base barracks, and when the doors finally reopened, Bob continued to dream up ideas to draw the crowds in. One memorable scheme included purchasing a small herd of buffalo. When the pack got loose and created a roadblock along I-40, the restaurant incorporated them into the menu! Bob, in a gutsy advertisement scheme, even passed out $100 bills with a buffalo head on the front. Anything to promote business. Ever the zealous entrepreneur, Bob exhibited his keen business-sense in keeping regular hours—rain, shine or even blizzard. He wanted travelers to remember the place and count on returning with other friends and family.  **************************************************THE 72OZ STEAK LEGEND:      Table was placed at the center of the restaurant as the seat of honor for local cowboys. Bob loved to swap stories at the table with them, and their presence affirmed the ambiance he most wanted to share with travelers. Bob eventually hired cowhands to ride out in the front lot and college basketball players from a nearby university to dress up as cowboys and greet guests to the restaurant. From the moment they drove up to the steakhouse and entered the Big Texan, visitors felt they were in the Wild West. The 72-oz. steak challenge started at the roundtable in 1962 when one of the cowhands voiced the well-known hyperbole, “I’m so hungry, I could eat a whole cow!” Bob took the challenge and started cooking the steaks, seeing just how far the cowhand might make it. He loved to put on a show, and the travelers dining there enjoyed the steak-eating competition. At 4 ½ lbs., the cowhand gave up, but the gauntlet had been thrown. From that day on, the 72-oz. dare was for anyone willing to try. Billboards went up announcing the steak challenge. Years passed and the legend grew as travelers along I-40 wondered what it was all about.       Among the 72-oz. steak Hall of Fame winners are Frank Pastore (once the pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds)—who held the record at 9 ½ minutes (working his way down from 21 minutes in seven tries) until 2008 when a professional eater beat him at just under 9 minutes. The oldest competitor to succeed is a 63-year-old granny.