The Big Texan Steak Ranch

Good, gray, no wind, morning from Amarillo, TX. I imagine the wind will pick up again as the day progresses and the predicted bad weather gets closer. Last night it got really strong. It was blowing hard enough that my rocking chair was rocking without my help. We stayed up last night until almost 2:00 watching old John Wayne movies. Who Shot Liberty Valance and Fort Apache. Both good movies we haven’t seen in a long time and both were filmed in and around Monument Valley and Moab. Scenery is even pretty in black and white.

Guess I shouldn’t have said anything we just got hit by a gust and really rocked us. Can you get sea sick in an RV on land?]Noon now - wind is gusting up to 48mph - glad we aren't on the road. This is scary enough.]

But back to yesterday. After the soccer game we decided to ride around Amarillo for a bit. We were actually looking for the Big Texan Steakhouse – the one where if you can eat a 72oz steak it is free. But more about that later.  So driving around we kind of got lost and ended up driving around what I think might have been the center of the city – but lots of empty lots and buildings, of course, I forgot to take the GPS or a map. But we did see these painted horses - I’m sure there are more so will maybe look for them today.

 Managed to get back on the I-40 after a couple of wrong turns and there was a sign for the steakhouse. It was five miles back from the way we came – in fact it was further east than the campground which explains why we couldn’t find it. So here it is.

And the limo that picks people up from their hotels and brings them here.

The motel that adjoins it. There are even stables and a blacksmith. Everything you could want.

Parked the car and got out. Love the sidewalk with all it’s brands.

In case you’ve never traveled the I-40 through here and never heard of the place let me give you some info on it. The 72oz steak is free IF you can eat it and all that comes with it in one hour. If you can’t you owe the steakhouse $72. So they win either way. The steak comes with: shrimp cocktail, salad, baked potato and bread. So you have to eat all of that too. Our waitress said about one out of seven people can do it. The oldest person to do it was a 69 year old grandmother and the youngest was an 11 year old boy. 

While eating they sit at a special table on a platform with the hour counting down in big red letters behind them. Barf buckets are provided free of charge.

In we went and headed right to the gift shop. Should we have bought this?

I kept looking around so Bill waited for me with a friend. It took me a while to realize it was him.  As you can see he is feeling much better.

And we were there so why not eat – the inside of the restaurant. There are tables up on the balconies too.

The steaks are cooked right out in the restaurant on a big grill.

Then plated on these neat plates.  Also your soft drinks are served in plastic souvenir glasses that tell all about who the contest got started. 

You get salad and rolls along with your entrée and a choice of one side. Bill got baked potato I got carrots. We both got 8 oz sirloins. The smallest size they had.

And strolling cowboy musicians. They played “Deep in the Heart of Texas” for us.

We could hardly move after eating but finally left – a rare picture of me out in front.

Excellent food, nice atmosphere and a fun place. Unfortunately no one came in to try the BIG steak while we were there.