{"id":57215,"date":"2025-05-09T00:01:38","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T06:01:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=57215"},"modified":"2026-04-06T11:30:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T17:30:07","slug":"the-big-texan-steak-ranch-amarillo-texas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=57215","title":{"rendered":"The Big Texan Steak Ranch – Amarillo, Texas"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Anyone Who’s Traveled East on I-40 Through Amarillo Has Seen This Signage<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you’ve ever wondered about the meaning of the line “I’ll be lookin’ for eight when they pull that gate<\/em>” in George Strait’s classic hit Amarillo By Morning, here’s a theory you probably haven’t heard.\u00a0 The country crooner was actually looking for eight brawny guys to help him finish the 72-ounce steak at Amarillo’s The Big Texan Steak Ranch.\u00a0 Seriously it might just take a few of your most hungry friends to tackle that behemoth slab of beef–four and a half pounds of well-marbled meat with a deep, rich flavor and mahogany color.<\/p>\n

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Everything is Bigger In Texas, Including Steak Restaurants<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since its launch in 1960, The Big Texan has thrown down the gauntlet to all comers with Texas-sized appetites: finish the 72-ounce Steak Dinner Challenge–shrimp cocktail, baked potato, salad, roll with butter and of course, the 72-ounce steak–in an hour and you don’t have to pay for it.\u00a0 Fail to complete the challenge and you’ll have to pay the entire $72 cost.\u00a0 You might\u00a0 be surprised at just how many hearty diners have bested the challenge.<\/p>\n

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Cows in Texas Do Grow to This Size<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From 1960 through 2021, nearly 10,000 intrepid eaters have successfully completed the challenge from among some 68,000 who have attempted it.\u00a0 The Big Texan records <\/a><\/strong>their names, weight, age and the time it took to finish the challenge.\u00a0 The hallowed list of stalwarts to surmount the challenge includes professional wrestlers, collegiate and NFL football players, professional baseball players, professional gurgitators and men and women of all stripes, including Adam Richman of The Travel Channel’s Man v Food<\/strong><\/a> show.<\/p>\n

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The Capacious Dining Room at About 2PM<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

None, however, are as formidable as Molly Schuyler, a 120-pound woman from Nebraska who devoured not one, not two, but three 72-ounce steak dinners in 20-minutes back in 2019.\u00a0 That’s thirteen-and-a-half pounds of meat, never mind the sides.\u00a0 Schuyler, a competitive eater by the way, holds the world record by consuming 501 chicken wings.\u00a0 Most of us aren’t inclined to such carnivorous cravings nor are we equipped with bottomless stomachs.<\/p>\n

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Grilling Steak to Your Exacting Specifications<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Should you decide you wish to attempt the 72-ounce steak challenge, all you have to do is apprise your server. You’ll then be escorted to a table on a small stage at the front of the humongous main dining room where, in full view of everyone wanting to be entertained, you can try your level best to consume the steak while large digital clocks above the grilling station constantly remind you how quick an hour can go by.\u00a0 Consume the 72-ounce steak and all the trimmings that go with it in that one hour and the steak is free.<\/p>\n

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A Country Crooner Visits Every Table<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Unless they’re seated in close proximity, most diners don’t pay much attention to the 72-ounce steak challenge.\u00a0 They’re busy enjoying their own sizzling slab of beef, most of us normal humans content to finish a “mere” 16-ounce portion.\u00a0 More than half a million people a year crowd into the capacious dining room which seats about 300 people in relative comfort.\u00a0 Even before you step into the dining room, the aroma from the grill will make your mouth water and maybe, just maybe inspire you to contemplate for a moment or two, taking that 72-ounce steak challenge.<\/p>\n

Though it may seem The Big Texan is more about show than substance, it’s actually a very highly regarded steak restaurant. In 2013, viewers of Bob Phillips’s\u00a0Texas Country Reporter<\/i> voted the Big Texan the “No. 1 Steakhouse in Texas.”\u00a0 In the Lone Star state where beef is king, The Big Texan placed fourth on Big 7 Travel’s list of the “25 best steaks in Texas<\/strong><\/a>.”\u00a0 \u00a0It made MAXIM Magazine\u2019s list of Top 10 Steak Houses in America.\u00a0 Numerous other accolades and honors have been earned over the years. There is a circus-like element to The Big Texan experience. Throughout Amarillo youll espy long-drawn billboards beckoning you to visit the home of the 72-ounce steak challenge.\u00a0 The tallest of all, stationed on the frontage road in front of I-40 depicts a lanky cowboy in western regalia.\u00a0 Everyone who’s ever traveled I-40 going east toward Oklahoma has seen the famous cowboy and perhaps marveled at the commodious bright yellow edifice with blue trim that beckons “The Public is Invited.\u00a0 Come One and All<\/em>.” A large statue of a hefty bull in front of that edifice advertises the “free” 72 oz. steak.”<\/p>\n

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Fluffy Bread Rolls<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The main entrance offers several options.\u00a0 To your left is The Big Texan gift shop<\/strong><\/a> replete with signature items such as the homemade steak seasoning, and “hot sauce hotter than the Texas heat<\/em>!” “From cowhide bags to six-foot longhorns mounts,” the gift shop has “every piece of Texas you could imagine<\/em>.”\u00a0 Straight ahead as you walk are an ice cream shop and a bar.\u00a0 You just might want to have ice cream before your main meal because there’s no guarantee you’ll have room for ice cream afterward.<\/p>\n

Step into the palatial two-level dining room and the bovine theme seems pervasive in the decorating. Covering every very one of the long community tables is a black and white cowhide pattern.\u00a0 Mounted on the walls bisecting the dining room is the work of an army of taxidermists–wildlife (especially deer) hang overhead.\u00a0 Also on the wall are longhorn mounts with some horns spanning six-feet.\u00a0 For those of us most interested in the source of the intoxicating aromas, the dining room’s cynosure is the grill area where steak chefs are dutifully preparing steaks to your exacting specifications.<\/p>\n

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16-Ounce Prime Rib at Medium-Rare<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Whether you’re perusing the menu or enjoying your meal, you’re likely to be visited by a wandering troubadour crooning country favorites.\u00a0 Predictably you’ll hear George Strait’s Amarillo by Morning at least once.\u00a0 My Kim requested Tennessee Whiskey hoping for a rendition similar to Chris Stapleton’s.\u00a0 Let’s just say the Cabrona virus reminiscent mask may have interfered with the singer’s version sounding like Stapleton’s.\u00a0 \u00a0Still, it’s a nice departure from piped-in muzak.\u00a0Perhaps the most requested tune in the troubadour’s repertoire is Amarillo By Morning, George Strait’s 1984 classic.<\/p>\n

There’s a brand of Southern hospitality unique to Texas.\u00a0 It’s called “Texas friendly,” a mix of kindness, warmth, and respect.\u00a0 Cecilia, our server, exemplified Texas friendly.\u00a0 With an utterly charming Texas drawl, she guided us through our meal, providing sage recommendations and regaling us with tales of eating feats that would put a bear preparing for hibernation to shame.\u00a0 She was quick to replenish our empty cups and to clear the table so make room for more food.<\/p>\n

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24-Ounce Porterhouse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5 March 2021<\/strong>: While we were perusing the menu, Cecilia ferried over a basketful of fluffy bread rolls.\u00a0 Pads of butter in their wrappers were already well positioned for our pleasure.\u00a0 The bread rolls<\/strong><\/em> are light, soft and slightly sweet, just beckoning for butter.\u00a0 These are the type of rolls you’d want to enjoy by the dozen, but do so at your own peril because any more than two and your appetite may be compromised.<\/p>\n

The Big Texan menu<\/strong><\/a>is a celebration of carnivorous excess.\u00a0 Sure you can have fried mushrooms, fried pickles, onion rings, deep-fried jalapenos, even Rocky Mountain oysters (they’re not seafood) and there are rumors that somewhere on that menu you’ll find a salad, but no self-respecting Texan will admit to having ever ordered one.\u00a0 No, my friends, this is all about magnificent meats: baby back ribs, chicken fried chicken, chicken fried steak, half-pound burgers, half-pound buffalo burgers…and this is before you even reach the steak section of the menu.\u00a0 First on the carnivorous compendium is a 48-56 ounce tomahawk ribeye.\u00a0 Then you’ll find steak quesadillas, a 16-ounce Big Texan strip and three top sirloins, ranging in size from eight- to 21-ounces.\u00a0 Ribeyes, T-bones and a Porterhouse range from adult-sized (12- to 16-ounces) to “OMG, is that a full roast<\/em>?”.\u00a0 Among the latter is a 36-ounce ribeye.<\/p>\n

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Texas Chili<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5 March 2021<\/strong>: Because I’m not nearly as enamored of steak as she is and would, in fact, just as soon have two baked potatoes and no steak, my Kim once actually declared that my “man card” should be pulled.\u00a0 She recanted that declaration in seeing the 16-ounce prime rib<\/strong><\/em> \u00a0that hit our table.\u00a0 Prepared at medium-rare, it had the characteristic reddish hue of prime rib at my preferred degree of doneness but no bloodiness.\u00a0 Slowly roasted, juicy, very tender and seasoned nicely, it was as good a prime rib as I’ve had in a while even though the house horseradish sauce was a bit on the wimpy side.\u00a0 My preference is always for prime rib with a little “bark” on the edges.\u00a0 There was no bark on my prime rib, the only thing missing in an otherwise nearly perfect prime rib.<\/p>\n

5 March 2021<\/strong>: For my carnivorous consort only a Porterhouse would do.\u00a0 The Big Texan’s version weighs in at 24-ounces, a pound and a half of “hanging off the edge of the plate” meat.\u00a0 Combining a tender filet mignon with the umami-rich New York strip, the Porterhouse<\/strong><\/em>is two cuts in one.\u00a0 With a nice sear on the outside displaying restaurant-style diamond grill marks in all their glory, it’s a beautiful cut.\u00a0 The filet is less flavorful, but much more tender while the slightly tougher strip steak is resplendent in its beefy flavor.\u00a0 Both are reasons enough to visit The Big Texan.<\/p>\n

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Chicken Fried Steak with a Side of Green Chili Cream Corn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

9 May 2025<\/strong>:\u00a0 It’s probably unmanly to admit my favorite cut of steak is chicken fried steak<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 Yeah, take away my man card.\u00a0 Chicken fried steak is one of those dishes only Texas truly does better than anywhere else.\u00a0 Characteristically, they also do it bigger than anywhere<\/strong><\/a> else.\u00a0 Chicken fried steak is one of those versatile dishes that goes as well for breakfast as it does for lunch and dinner.\u00a0 The only difference is usually the sides with which it is served.\u00a0 At the Big Texan, the hand-breaded chicken fried steak is served with two sides plus the aforementioned bread rolls.\u00a0 The chicken fried steak is thicker than most, but just as tender as you’ll find.\u00a0 The cream gravy is flecked with pepper which gives the steak a potent punch.<\/p>\n

9 May 2025<\/strong>: Senator Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) noted in 1983: \u201cNew Mexicans know that \u2018chili\u2019 is that inedible mixture of watery tomato soup, dried gristle, half-cooked kidney beans, and a myriad of silly ingredients that is passed off as food in Texas and Oklahoma<\/em>.\u201d Domenici conceded Texans should spell their chili with an i to differentiate it from the far superior New Mexican versions of the dish.\u00a0 I should have paid more attention to Saint Pete’s proclamation.\u00a0 Failure to do so resulted in a bowl of Texas chili<\/strong><\/em> that no self-respecting New Mexican would have served.\u00a0 It didn’t have beans and it didn’t have piquancy.\u00a0 But, it was better than the green chili cream corn<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 \u00a0Cream corn is one of those staple sides served throughout Central Texas.\u00a0 It’s almost always terrific.\u00a0 Big Texans version was neither piquant nor sweet.\u00a0 It just laid there on a bowl and bored my taste buds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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16-ounce Big Texan Strip<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

9 May 2025:\u00a0 <\/strong>The strip steak is known by many names: New York strip steak, ambassador steak, strip loin steak, Kansas City strip, club steak, or the Omaha Strip\u2026 but most people call it New York Strip. So why did \u201cNew York\u201d stick? Simple: that\u2019s where it all began \u2013 the great steakhouses of New York City.\u00a0 Don’t dare order a New York Strip in Texas.\u00a0 In the Lone Star State, it’s known as a Texas Strip.\u00a0 On the menu, other strips are told “Move over New York and Kansas City, our strip has made a name for itself<\/em>.”\u00a0 The 16-ounce Big Texan strip<\/strong><\/em> is as tender and delicious as any steak you’ve had anywhere else.\u00a0 It’s grilled to your exacting specification where medium is mostly pink with a small ring of grey on the outside and a strip of red in the center.\u00a0 The Big Texan grillmasters are artists.<\/p>\n

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5 March 2021<\/strong>: It might be sacrilege to declare that there is one item on the menu better than The Big Texan’s magnificent meats.\u00a0 That would be the chocolate cake<\/strong><\/em>, described on the menu as “4 Layers of chocolate insanity with whipped cream.”\u00a0 After all we ate, there was no way we could put more than a two-forkful dent on this behemoth slab of decadence, but we polished it off for breakfast the following day.\u00a0 It’s a Texas-sized cake made from a darker chocolate blend and it’s absolutely terrific.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Four Layer Chocolate Cake<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

9 May 2025<\/strong>:\u00a0 Inexplicably, far too many so-called lemon cakes just don’t taste lemony.\u00a0 In fact, they’re downright plain with very little tang.\u00a0 Such isn’t the case at the Big Texan where the lemon cake<\/strong><\/em> has a lemony taste–not so much that it purses your lips, but enough so you’ll know lemon and lemon zest were used in the baking.\u00a0 It’s not solely the thick frosting that has a lemony zest.\u00a0 Lemon flavor permeates the entire slab.\u00a0 My Kim prefers her cake a la mode.\u00a0 \u00a0Big Texan offers only vanilla ice cream though not far away near the entrance to this grand palace of meat, you’ll find one of the best gelaterias in Texas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Lemon Cake a la Mode<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Despite the circus-like atmosphere, The Big Texan is serious about its steaks.\u00a0 Unless you’re an avowed vegan or vegetarian, it’s a must-stop on any visit to the Texas Panhandle.<\/p>\n

The Big Texan Steak Ranch<\/strong>
\n7701 Interstate 40 East Access Road
\nAmarillo, Texas<\/strong>
\n(806) 372-6000
\nWebsite<\/strong><\/a> | Facebook Page<\/strong><\/a>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 9 May 2025
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 3
\nRATING<\/strong>: Very Good<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013\u00a0Good to very good food; generally solid; delivers consistent quality, strong technique, and a comfortable, enjoyable dining experience
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$$ – $$$$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: \u00a0Four Layer Chocolate Cake, Prime Rib, Porterhouse Steak
\nREVIEW #1211<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you’ve ever wondered about the meaning of the line “I’ll be lookin’ for eight when they pull that gate” in George Strait’s classic hit Amarillo By Morning, here’s a theory you probably haven’t heard.\u00a0 The country crooner was actually looking for eight brawny guys to help him finish the 72-ounce steak at Amarillo’s The Big Texan Steak Ranch.\u00a0 Seriously it might just take a few of your most hungry friends to tackle that behemoth slab of beef–four and a half pounds of well-marbled meat with a deep, rich flavor and mahogany color. Since its launch in 1960, The Big Texan has thrown down the gauntlet to all comers with Texas-sized appetites: finish the 72-ounce Steak Dinner Challenge–shrimp cocktail, baked…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":70102,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[703,5631,79,35,553],"tags":[849,847,840,4904,838,852,4905,4903,3777,846,851,850,841,4902],"class_list":["post-57215","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dog-friendly","category-very-good","category-steak","category-texas","category-across-america","tag-72-ounce-steak","tag-adam-richman","tag-amarillo","tag-big-texan-strip","tag-chicken-fried-steak","tag-chocolate-cake","tag-fried-okra","tag-green-chili-cream-corn","tag-lemon-cake","tag-man-v-food","tag-prime-rib","tag-steak-challenge","tag-texas","tag-texas-chili"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Big Texan Steak Ranch - Amarillo, Texas - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=57215\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Big Texan Steak Ranch - Amarillo, Texas - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If you’ve ever wondered about the meaning of the line “I’ll be lookin’ for eight when they pull that gate” in George Strait’s classic hit Amarillo By Morning, here’s a theory you probably haven’t heard.\u00a0 The country crooner was actually looking for eight brawny guys to help him finish the 72-ounce steak at Amarillo’s The Big Texan Steak Ranch.\u00a0 Seriously it might just take a few of your most hungry friends to tackle that behemoth slab of beef–four and a half pounds of well-marbled meat with a deep, rich flavor and mahogany color. Since its launch in 1960, The Big Texan has thrown down the gauntlet to all comers with Texas-sized appetites: finish the 72-ounce Steak Dinner Challenge–shrimp cocktail, baked…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=57215\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nmgastronome\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-05-09T06:01:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-06T17:30:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/BigTexan03-1-scaled.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Gil Garduno\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Gil Garduno\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"14 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=57215#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=57215\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Gil Garduno\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf\"},\"headline\":\"The Big Texan Steak Ranch – Amarillo, Texas\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-09T06:01:38+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-06T17:30:07+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=57215\"},\"wordCount\":2455,\"commentCount\":10,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=57215#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/03\\\/BigTexan03-1-scaled.jpeg\",\"keywords\":[\"72-Ounce Steak\",\"Adam Richman\",\"Amarillo\",\"Big Texan Strip\",\"Chicken Fried Steak\",\"Chocolate Cake\",\"Fried Okra\",\"Green Chili Cream Corn\",\"Lemon Cake\",\"Man v Food\",\"Prime Rib\",\"Steak Challenge\",\"Texas\",\"Texas Chili\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Dog Friendly\",\"Rating: Very Good\",\"Steak\",\"Texas\",\"United States\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=57215#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=57215\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=57215\",\"name\":\"The Big Texan Steak Ranch - 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Please take a few minutes to tell me what you think. 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