The Big Texan Steak Ranch

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The Big Texan Steak Ranch is a steakhouse restaurant and motel located in Amarillo, Texas, United States which opened on the previous U.S. Route 66 in the 4500 block of East Amarillo Boulevard in 1960 and moved to its present location on Interstate 40 in 1970. Fire gutted the west wing of the restaurant in 1976 and destroyed $100,000 in antiques. The restaurant reopened as a larger facility in 1977. The building is painted a bright yellow, with blue trim. A large cow statue advertises their free 72 oz. steak (see below). The now-closed Texas Tornado Museum resided off in a far corner of the parking lot on the property.^[1][2]

Contents 1 The Texas King 2 Big Texan Motel 3 References in popular culture 4 References 5 External links

[edit] The Texas King

The Big Texan is best known for its 72 ounce (4.5 pounds or 2 kg) steak, nicknamed "The Texas King." The steak is free to anyone who, in less than one hour, can eat the entire meal, consisting of the steak itself, plus bread roll with butter, baked potato, ranch beans, shrimp cocktail, and salad; otherwise, the meal costs $72.00. Those who have successfully consumed the Texas King meal have their names recorded and posted at the restaurant. To date, about 8000 people have met that distinction.

Those who take on the Texas King challenge are required to pay for the meal in advance, and if they are successful, their money is refunded. The steak is cooked to the participant's preference, and the challenge takes place at a table for one on a raised platform in the middle of the main dining room, so that all in attendance may watch.

The record for the shortest time needed to finish the entire Texas King meal is held by competitive eating champion Joey Chestnut. He finished the challenge in 8 minutes and 52 seconds, breaking Frank Pastore's 1987 record on his March 24, 2008 visit. The unofficial record is held by a 500-pound Siberian Tiger, who ate the steak in 90 seconds.^[3]

[edit] Big Texan Motel

Located 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.

[edit] References in popular culture

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (June 2008)

• The restaurant was featured in two shows on the Food Network: Unwrapped and The Secret Life Of...(Steak).
• The restaurant was featured in two shows on the Travel Channel: Steak Paradise and World's Best (in an episode titled "World's Best Place to Pig Out", which was in tenth place).
• The credits for the Disney/Pixar film Cars mentions the restaurant and well-known Route 66 booster Becky Ransom, and a visit by the filmmakers to the Big Texan is documented in a featurette on the Cars DVD.
• Maxim Magazine voted The Big Texan one of the top 10 steak houses in the USA in their November 2006 issue.
• The restaurant was featured on the debut episode of Travel Channel's Man v. Food in December 2008. Host Adam Richman completed the challenge in 29 minutes.
• The restaurant will become the official caterer for the musical drama "TEXAS" in the Palo Duro Canyon starting summer 2007.^{[citation needed]}
• 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 256 oz. (16 lb.) 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. In both episodes, a 72 oz. steak is ordered.
• The Texas King challenge is parodied in the John Candy movie The Great Outdoors, when Chet Ripley's opportunistic brother-in-law coerces him into attempting to eat a 96-ounce steak. Unlike the contest at The Big Texan Steak Ranch, Chet is required to eat the gristle, fat and bone, along with the meat of the steak.
• The Texas King challenge is also parodied in the Billy Bob Thorton movie Waking up in Reno.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official website

Coordinates: 35°11′39″N 101°45′16″W / 35.194055°N 101.754448°W / 35.194055; -101.754448

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