I Like My Texan Steak Raw

• January 15, 2009
• Rated 5 of 5 by CarolinaPanthers1983 from Joshua Tree, California

They say everything is big in Texas. This statement is definitely true when you eat at The Big Texan in Amarillo, Texas.
EXPERIENCE
The Drive To the Restaurant- My family and I were driving from Oklahoma, heading into the handle of Texas. When you are driving from Oklahoma to Texas, you can see signs about a free 72-ounce (4.5 pounds) steak for about every five miles. When I saw these signs, my eyes popped out and started to drool like a hungry dog. My wife told me how they were sings for The Big Texan- I told her to step on the gas.
The Arrival- We finally arrive to the restaurant and, to my surprise, it was truly a Texan restaurant. Now, I have seen this restaurant on television, and I can tell you that television does not do this restaurant justice. You need to go to this restaurant to get the full experience. The outside looked as though a Texas circus puked on this restaurant. There is no way that you could not notice this restaurant in the city of Amarillo.
The Dining- Inside the restaurant is more than a restaurant- It is also a museum. You have a gift shop as well as "Texas-themed art". You feel like a cowboy or cowgirl once you step inside this restaurant. My family and I sat sat down with our waiter ready to take our orders. While my family were deciding what to eat, I already made up my mind to do the 72-ounce steak challenge.
The 72-Ounce Steak Challenge- When you do this challenge, you get a sheet of paper that you must read carefully and sign. On this paper are the rules to this challenge. You are not only to eat the 72-ounce steak, but three fried shrimps, potato, roll, and salad. All of it in one hour. 48,000 people have tried, but 8,000 have managed pass this challenge. I was willing to be those 8,000 to defeat the behemoth meal. I started to eat my meal. I manage to eat all my shrimp, salad, then I attacked my steak. I had a good pace until I was down to the last one-half pound of steak. I ate everything, except the steak. This is where the biggest challenge comes when you have only that much off steak left. Sadly, I could not defeat the challenge and what I put into my stomach came back out onto my plate, to put it nicely.

TIP- COME VERY HUNGRY. I suggest not eating for at least a day.

MY THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS
I love, love this restaurant. It was the first time that I got to experience Texas. By eating Texas steak, I could tell a lot about the culture through the flavors and taste of the food. I highly recommend this place to anyone. Oh by the way, I definitely plan on coming back to master the 72-ounce steak challenge.

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Don't Go Here

• April 4, 2008
• Rated 1 of 5 by wnbear from Santa Barbara, California

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The Big Texan Steak Ranch

• August 6, 2006
• Rated 3 of 5 by onesundaymorning from Los Angeles, California

The Big Texan Steak Ranch, yes the one home to free 72-ounce steak, is a place to eat just to say that you ate there and nothing more. Inside the place looks like a hunters fantasyland. The seating isn’t very comfortable and is a little cramped. There are also dozens of animal heads mounted on the wall. For dinner I got a buffalo burger. Is interesting to try, but not something that I would want to try again; however the had the best Raspberry ice-tea that I ever had. Also got a side of chili with it that was very good. Dinner cost me about $13.00, which was the cheapest that you could spend. Breakfast was “cowboy” style, meaning that it was greasy and heavy. I ate the buffet. Mostly there were breads and some eggs and pancakes sitting out. Again it wasn’t great but it was filling. The one thing that I hated about the Big Texan was the service; it was slow. At breakfast there was a least 5 servers walking around, only 8 people there eating, but it took me 25 minutes to get waited on. Not only that, but the waiter decided to add his own $5 tip to my check after I paid. My receipt said one price, but when I got my bank statement I was charged more.
There is a gift shop attached to the restaurant. It is highly over priced. The one fun thing is that there is a snake in a huge tank in the back of the store.

From journal The Yellow Rose of Texas

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Big Texan Steak Ranch

• April 29, 2006
• Rated 4 of 5 by Kellie R. from Dallas, Texas

Only in Texas will you find a steak house with its own limo service. Not just any limo service, mind you (that would be too L.A.)… we're talkin' Longhorn Limo service, Cadillacs literally adorned with horns, and it'll pick you up from your hotel, a local gas station, RV park—what have you—and magically transport you to a land where big, honkin' 72 ounce steaks are free—that is, if you can eat it and all the trimmins' that come with it under an hour.

A humongous yellow monstrosity, the Big Texan Steak Ranch is a must-visit for anyone exploring old Route 66. Bob Lee and his family built the Big Texan in response to what he recognized as a dire need for a true cowboy steak house in Amarillo. As a result, he set out to serve the biggest steak in Texas. Since then, the Big Texan has grown to tall-tale proportions, expanding to accommodate a gift shop, bar, shooting gallery, slot machines, and banquet rooms.

In fact, when you figure in the adjoining Big Texan Motel, which is built to look like an 1800s ghost town and is complete with its own Texas-shaped swimming pool, Bob Lee's little project has practically morphed into its own town inside Amarillo.

If you're brave enough to attempt the free 72 oz. steak challenge in an effort to join the ranks of the 6,000 or so people who have succeeded, a few rules will apply. Not only will you have to sit at a special table where spectators will be able to monitor your progress, but you must finish the steak and the sides that come with it in under an hour or it'll set you back $50. A few other stipulations apply, but if you manage to stretch your gut to the limit, your name will be published on the Big Texan's website and your picture will be added to the wall (even in this century, cowboys are searching for new ways of proving their masculinity, I reckon). The 72 oz. steak is available 8:00am - 9:30pm 365 days a year.

Honestly, the food here (we ordered eggs, biscuits, and sausage for breakfast) was pretty mediocre, but you don't necessarily patronize a gigantic yellow restaurant with its own limo service for the good eats. Order your drink in a souvenir take-home boot like I did—all beverages taste better when served in a boot, so I have learned.

If you're intrigued by the legendary 72 oz. steak, but can't make the trek to Amarillo, don't fret, through the Big Texan's website (www.bigtexan.com), you can order the 72 oz. steak for 72 dollars and it will arrive in 72 hours.

From journal Taking Texas by the Handle

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Big Texan Steak Ranch

• September 1, 2000
• Rated 4 of 5 by camera-gal from Overland Park, Kansas

From journal Become a Texan in Amarillo

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