THE BIG TEXAN STEAK RANCH

'The Big Texan Steak Ranch' is a steakhouse restaurant and motel located in Amarillo, Texas, United States which opened off of Route 66 in 1960 and moved to its present location on Interstate 40 in 1970. Fire gutted the west wing of the restaurant in 1976, destroying $100,000 in antiques, but in 1977 it was reopened as a bigger facility.

Contents

The Big Steak

Big Texan Motel

References in popular culture

References

External links

The Big Steak

Its reputation revolves around its 72 oz (2 kg) steak ("The Texas King"), which is free if one can eat the entire meal (which also includes a bread roll with butter, potato, ranch beans, shrimp cocktail, and salad) in less than one hour. Otherwise, the meal costs $72.00. Several individuals annually are able to eat the steak and are listed at the restaurant. According to the official records, Brian Gookbong Lee from Pasadena, CA currently maintains the all-time "amount" record in the eating competition. He was able to eat four complete 72 oz steaks in a one-hour period. As a result, he was awarded a life-time pass to the Big Texan. The current "time" record for the meal is 9.5 minutes in May 1987 held by Frank Pastore, former pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, his seventh successful attempt at completing the challenge. According to the official website, "You don't have to eat the fat or gristle (if you can find any), but we must judge this. Again, we want you to win but we do know our meats and will judge accordingly."^[1]The Big Texan Steak Ranch
The building is painted a bright yellow, with blue trim. A large cow statue advertises the free 72 oz. steak. The now-closed Texas Tornado Museum resided off in a far corner of the parking lot on the property.^[2][3]
In the center of the large open floor of the main dining room of the restaurant is a raised platform. On the platform is a single chair and a table for one, with a bucket beneath the table. There are two full shakers of salt on the table, and nothing else. A digital timer stands at the back. On the wall behind the platform hangs an enormous cattle skull. This platform is the "stage" upon which those who choose to accept the steak-eating challenge eat their meal.
As the steak finishes cooking, the cook tells the host staff to encourage the participant to go to the bathroom. Before eating the steak, a manager explains the rules of the dinner, then the participant signs an agreement of health liability.
The restaurant also features a giant rocking chair, "shooting gallery," slot machines, limo service, and gift shop.

Big Texan Motel

Located directly adjacent to the restaurant on The Big Texan Steak Ranch property is the 54-unit 'Big Texan Motel'. The cinder-block construction motel is designed to resemble a main street in an old west town, and features Texas themed decor and a Texas-shaped pool. In 2004, a 20 stall stable was added behind the main motel building.

References in popular culture

★ The restaurant has been featured by numerous television programs, including an episode of the Food Network show ''Unwrapped'' and was named the World's tenth "Best Place to Pig Out" by the Travel Channel.

★ The credits for the Disney/Pixar film "Cars" mentions the restaurant, and well-known Route 66 booster Becky Ransom.

★ MAXIM Magazine voted The Big Texan one of the top 10 steak houses in the USA in their November 2006 issue.

★ The restaurant will become the official caterer for the musical drama "TEXAS" in Palo Duro Canyon starting summer 2007.

★ In the "Maximum Homerdrive" episode of The Simpsons, the Simpson family visits a restaurant called The Slaughterhouse. The Slaughterhouse appears to have been modeled after The Big Texan as, among other similarities with The Big Texan, it has a Western theme, its menu features a 72 oz. steak, and it has a steak-eating competition.

★ On two episodes of King of the Hill: The Company Man, and And They Call It Bobby Love, a restaurant similar to The Big Texan is visited by the Hills.

References

1. Big Texan Steak Ranch, Go World Travel Online Magazine
2. TexasMonthly Happy Trails Aug 8, 2001
3. OutdoorFlix.com - Big Texan Steak Ranch

External links

★ Official website