USA/TX: Amarillo – Big Texan Steak Ranch
If there is only one thing you can see in Amarillo – it without a doubt should be the legendary Big Texan Steak Ranch. It’s kitschy and loud, but unmistakably Texan – and everything is big in Texas. The steakhouse features plenty of excess – starting with a giant bull and a dinosaur at the entrance, to limos decorated with Texan Longhorns, to the interior decor full of stuffed animals and guns. The steakhouse is world-famous for its steaks and for the “free 72-ounce steak”. The steak is free to anyone who, in one hour or less, can eat the whole thing – 72 ounces of meat, i.e. 4.5 lb or 2.04 kg. But it’s not just meat you need to finish – it comes with bread roll with butter, baked potato, shrimp cocktail, and salad. All this happens on the central elevated stage, with countdown clocks all around it. At first I wanted to go for it, but then common sense prevailed and severe protein poisoning, clogged arteries, and heart attack were successfully prevented by purchasing a 32-ounce of a quality steak instead (for two of us), plus Rocky Mountain oysters and beefsteak tomatoes with raw jalapeños. The Big Texan Steak Ranch also has its own motel just next door, also styled like a saloon with theme beds and decor – a perfect place to stay after you overeat of big Texan steaks.
