Life in the Panhandle: Big Hats, Big Smiles, Big Steaks

Belly Up at Big Texan Steak Ranch

Feast on a 72-oz. steak and hospitality from owner Bobby Lee (below) at the Big Texan Steak Ranch. (Photos by Roberta Sotonoff)

There's nothing bland or small about Amarillo's Big Texan Steak Ranch.

The capital letters of a huge sign flush against the facade of the building are unmistakable as is the building's yellow and blue trim. In the parking lot stands a large bridled cow, an intense look on its face as if it's saying "you must come in". Inside, the seating area is massive and the ceilings 15 to 20 feet high. Shucks, even owner Bobby Lee is tall and likes to wear a big, wide, white cowboy hat.

But for all that Texas bigness, there's one thing that beats 'em all. It's "The Texas King", a 72-oz. (4.5-lb.) monster of a sirloin whose reputation has been built on a dare.

Says Bobby and the dozens of road signs along the famous Route 66 and other highways that lead into Amarillo: if you can eat The Texas King and its sides of bread roll, butter, potato, ranch beans, shrimp cocktail and salad within an hour, you don't have to pay. If you can't the bill is $72. That's still a bargain even if your stomach doesn't agree.

The evening we arrived at the ranch, a lone gent, clad in shorts, gym shoes, white socks and spectacles, was inhaling the biggest piece of meat you ever did see. About 10 feet to his right, clamped to the wall, a digital clocked ticked away. It read 43 minutes and six seconds, the amount of time he had left to finish the job or pay up.

Saddled high above the chomping throngs in the main dining area were furry busts of deer, elk, moose and even a buffalo. Strolling cowboys played the fiddle, guitar and bass singing songs about life on the range and pretty women. Toes tapped and jaws flapped in cadence.

It was Bobby and Danny's daddy, R.J. "Bob" Lee who one day in 1959 arrived in Amarillo, "the yellow rose of Texas". He came down yonder from Chicago and liked what he saw in this area commonly known as the Panhandle. His entrepreneurial spirit quickly took over since he couldn't find a steak house to his liking. In 1960, he opened the Big Texas Steak Ranch and not long after created the 72-oz. mega-meal that's now known far and wide. The light went of in R.J.'s head after a rancher rode into town and declared that he was so hungry he could eat the whole darn cow. R.J. felt obliged and the rest is, as they say, history.

Unbelievably over the years, some 40,000 people have taken R.J. and now Bobby and Danny up on their challenge and have succeeded. The world "human" record for eating the 72 ouncer and all the trimmings is a jaw-dropping 8 minutes and 52 seconds held by the world's hot dog eating champ. One unconfirmed report states that a Bengal Tiger ate the steak in 90 seconds.

Now, going on 50 years in business, the Big Texan holds the distinction as being the "Best Place to Pig Out" by the Travel Channel. As for the pilgrim who accepted the challenge to devour the mammoth meal in 60 minutes or less, he didn't have a chance. With 10 minutes left on the clock, he calmly pushed away the plate and its contents, pulled the napkin from his shirt and slowly walked out the front door into the sunset. He said nothing. Not a discouraging word. Not even a moo.