Legendary Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo was our first meal of the road trip.  Surely you have heard about the Big Texan.  It seems that billboards are about every ten miles on I-40 that leads to Amarillo. (Not really, but there are ALOT of billboards featuring the promise of a free steak dinner.)  Yes, there is a catch.  The challenge is to eat a 72 ounce (translates to 4 1/2 pounds) steak dinner with all the trimmings within one hour, and your meal is free. The food channel show Man vs. Food  featured the Big Texan Steak Ranch, and on that day, man won.

In all of my years as a natural born citizen of the great state of Texas, I had never been to the Big Texan Steak Ranch, and I was excited to see with my own eyes, and taste with my own mouth what this place was all about.  From the moment we drove up, we could feel the Texas vibes.

The high in the sky Big Texan sign was enough to get our attention. When the Big Texan Steak Ranch first opened, it was a fixture on historic Route 66, but in the 1970’s, they moved to I-4o East.  Traffic patterns were changing, and they changed too.

No bull!  This is one big animal.  Lets one know what they are in for.

How cute is this!  Love BB behind the photo cutout.  Makes a perfect souvenir.

With the look and feel of an old Texas ranch house, the bright yellow building, windmill, and Texas flag welcomes you.

Close your eyes for a moment and listen to the creaking boards of the front porch.  You will feel you are entering another world from days long ago.  BUT, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

Welcome!  Wagon wheel light fixtures, mounted elk, deer, longhorns, buffalo, and bears greeted us at every turn.  Suddenly we were transformed to bygone days of the old west.

Be still my heart!  Just look at the murals, flying flags, and Victorian light fixtures.

Oh, yes.  We came for lunch, and we were not disappointed.

No, we didn’t take the challenge.  The chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and green salad satiated us.  Let it be known that the steak was pretty good, and the dinner rolls were to die for.  Yummy!

Waiters and waitresses were dressed in their western best.  One cute waitress had on a belt studded with giant square rhinestones.  We loved it, and BB really, really, loved it.  We asked the little waitress where she got such a gorgeous belt.  Her reply:  “Well, I don’t know if you know about it, but in Dallas there is this place called Sam Moon…”  And we all died laughing.  Small world isn’t it?

They had a singing cowboy.  He sang to the booth behind us for a long time.  I guess we got to enjoy the music without having to pay a tip, but I still wanted him to sing to us.

Just look at the dinner platter.  I like it, I love it!  I wonder if it is for sale in the gift shop?

Since 1960 the Big Texan has been serving friendly meals to weary travelers, and regular town-folks right here in Amarillo Texas.  If you are in the vicinity, do include the Big Texan into your travel plans.  You’ll be glad you did.

Love and blessings to you and yours,