Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
steaks are ideal - thick and perfectly charred - but most have the plate-swamping
chicken-fried steak. Follow your nose here, past corrals and railroad tracks.
Big Texan Steak Ranch
(
www.bigtexan.com
;
7701 I-40 E, exit 74; mains $10-40; 7am-10:30pm; )
A classic, hokey Route 66
roadside attraction, the Big Texan made the move when I-40 opened in 1971 and has nev-
er looked back. Stretch-Cadillac limos with steer-horn hood ornaments offer free shuttles
to and from area motels, marquee lights blink above, a shooting arcade pings inside the
saloon, and a big, tall Tex road sign welcomes you (after taunting billboards for miles in
either direction).
The legendary come-on: the 'free 72oz steak,' a devilish offer as you have to eat this
enormous portion of cow plus a multitude of sides in under one hour, or you pay for the
entire meal ($72). Contestants sit at a raised table to 'entertain' the other diners and you
can watch anytime via a live webcam (we watched one beefy guy who started out all
cocky but by the 45-minute mark was less than half done and staring glumly at the door).
Less than 20% pass the challenge, although one lunatic wolfed it all down in 8 minutes
52 seconds in 2008. Insane eating aside, the ranch is a fine place to eat, the steaks are ex-
cellent - and still huge - and we had a very fine prime rib. Adding to the fun are strolling
cowboy troubadours, a beer garden with 11 superb house-brewed beers, a buzzing bar and
the willfully schticky vibe. In a word, it's a hoot!
STEAKHOUSE
$$
Shopping
The stretch of SW 6th Ave west of Georgia St has numerous antique and junk shops that
recall the old Route 66 beat.
6th Street Antique Mall
MAP
ANTIQUES
GOOGLE MAP
10am-6pm Mon-Sat)
Anchors a strip of antique stores.
(
806-374-0459; 2715 SW 6th Ave;
WESTERN WEAR
Boots 'n Jeans
( 806-353-4368; 2225 S. Georgia St; 9am-6pm Mon-Sat, 11am-6pm Sun)
A one-store-only local le-
gend (although it is now owned by retail giant Sheplers), Boots 'n Jeans leaves little about
its inventory to the imagination. Some Panhandle locals will only shop here.
