Dining at the Big Texan in Amarillo, Texas
By Meg Brunson
What can I say about an establishment that offers a 72 oz steak dinner for free if you can eat it all - including the 3 fried shrimp, side salad, and baked potato, within an hour besides the fact that one very ambitious individual ate 3 of these meals in 20 minutes? It turns out, quite a lot.
This is not a place to go if you’re looking for the ‘true Texan experience,’ it is 100% tourist. I highly recommend you lean into it and enjoy every over-the-top bit. From the very functioning hotels across the parking lot, to the dog run, to the limousines with steer horns on them that run from the RV Ranch to the restaurant itself, everything about the establishment with the giant dinosaur and steer in the parking lot just screams HUGE.
You might think the inside would settle down a bit, but there’s where you would be mistaken. The famous meal itself is always on display on a bed of ice just inside the front door so anyone entering that portal to deliciousness will know just what they’re in for if they decide to attempt it. There’s also an entire gift shop and amusement park style shooting gallery just to the side of the restaurant area by the bar. The quick walk from the front door to the dining area passes you by decadent desserts that I’m quite unsure how anyone has room enough to eat after their meal, although I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that they do considering the appetites of those looking to conquer the 72 oz monstrosity.
The dining area is really more of a theatre than a dining room, as the room itself is bedecked for the pageantry of your meal. There are stuffed animals of every imaginable variety adorning the walls, and the heavy wooden tables and chairs speak to great times had by one and all. There was even a roving musician who would play “your favorite country tune while you eat.” The topper to it all, pun very much intended, were the cowboy hats that came with each kids meal that put the biggest smiles on our kids’ faces.
Plan your next meal at https://www.bigtexan.com/!
Read about some of the other adventures we're having on our Year-Long Road Trip!
© 2019 Meg Brunson
All opinions expressed are my own. See more on Instagram!
Meg is a mommy blogger, Facebook marketer, and much more. She is a mom to four kids who live full-time in an RV exploring the US! As a former Facebook employee, Meg remains a Facebook addict and handles KidsOutAndAbout.com's Social Media Marketing in addition to providing freelance services for other small businesses on how to best leverage Facebook as a part of their marketing strategy. Meg also hosts the FamilyPreneur Podcast, a podcast for parent entrepreneurs raising entrepreneurial children. Learn more about Meg at MegBrunson.com!