Dinner At "The Big Texan" And Parting With Friends

"Feedin' Folks Since 1960! Young man, we fed your father!" -- The Big Texan motto.

Landon, Marcella, Wayne and I had a "hoot" of a time at The Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo. It's just a mile or two east of Amarillo Ranch Campground -- that's a good thing so we wouldn't be stuck in the car for a long time after eating such a huge meal.

Along Route 66 

So here's the story about The Big Texas Steak Ranch, which is, incidentally, ONLY in Amarillo  They advertise (all along I-40) a "free 72 oz steak dinner" and this legend came about like this (according to the souvenir plastic cup I brought home): Seems this table full of hungry cowboys competed for Big Texan bragging rights by eating 1-pound steaks over a one hour period of time. When the hour ended, one cowboy had eaten four and a half of those one-pound steaks (72 ounces), shrimp cocktail, salad, baked potato and bread. The restaurant's founder vowed from that day forward the dinner would be free to anyone who could eat it in an hour.

My souvenir cup reports that a professional wrestler downed two of these gargantuan 72 ounce steak dinners (with all the extras) in the one hour time limit back in 1963. 

The big steer is a Route 66 landmark too.

The oldest person to eat the steak in the one hour limit was a 69 year old grandmother. Her name is not reported on my cup.

The youngest person to eat the steak was an 11 year old boy. Again, no name on the cup.

Marcella did not attempt the 72 ounce steak.
She barely weighs 72 pounds anyway.

The Big Texan looks like this from the road.
It's a circus!

Landon should have tried to eat the big steak but he wouldn't.
I promised to help him cheat (by eating part of it myself), but the restaurant thought of that already and
they have ways of keeping contestants hones.

Inside The Big Texan Steakhouse Gift Shop.
Marcella and I browsed for a long time and bought nothing. 
We agree we've got enough "stuff" already.  

Now, let's be clear. Landon did not eat this whole piece of cake.
It was enough for four people with one serving left to take home.

Hard to see in this picture but Wayne has chocolate frosting all over his moustache and he's proud of it.

There's a piano in the bar and I had to BEG Marcella to stop playing! Even the bear was upset!  

Sitting in the official "Longhorn Steer" chairs

They have one-armed machines here too!  No loss of $$ for me though.

Not to be outdone by Marcella, I get near the big bear too.

We were all able to leave under our own power.
Notice the Wayner's "go" cups.

This was our last night with Landon and Marcella.  Next morning they were ready to pull out long before Wayne and me.  As we always do, Marcella and I shared tearful hugs but then moved on to photographing ourselves with the new rigs...

They are headed east and we're on our way farther west in search of cool weather. Our next stop will be in Albuquerque -- we hope.

Them (in front) and us (behind).
Oddly enough, this rocky parking lot of a campground became a good place for us with shade trees between coaches.

Leaving the campground behind.

Noticed this getting on the interstate.  Funny... I guess they knew it would be.