R. J. “Bob” Lee opened the original Big Texan Steak House in 1960 on Route 66. In the early 1970s, Interstate 40 replaced Route 66. Bob saw the writing on the wall and bought property along the new interstate where he built a bigger and better Big Texan Steak Ranch (and an RV Park).
We could have been chauffeured (starting at 4 o'clock) to the Big Texan for dinner in one of the Longhorn limos the RV park maintained for that sole purpose. We opted, instead, to go for a late lunch and avoid the crowds.
We watched many a neighbor accept their free ride to dinner, but we opted to drive the 1 mile ourselves.
Surprise! There was still quite a large crowd at 2 in the afternoon, but we were quickly seated in the huge two-story dining hall.
The 72 oz challenge is the Big Texan's claim to fame. The current champion is 35-year-old Molly Schuyler, a 120-pound mom-of-four. She managed to eat three 72 oz. steaks (13.5 pounds total), 9 shrimp, three salads, three potatoes, and 3 rolls in exactly 20 minutes. Don't believe it? There's video, but beware, it's not pretty.
One guy was taking the 72-ounce challenge. I did not realize it meant sitting at a raised table fully on display for the entire restaurant. As he was choking down that huge chunk of meaty goodness, people would walk right up and snap a picture or have a little chat. This guy, by the way, did not win the challenge which also included a salad, large baked potato, 3 shrimp and bread. That meant he left the table with a to-go box and a $72 bill.
To be honest, we are not sure whether he won or lost. There was clapping when the clock ran out, but his name is not on the "challenge" board (and he left with a to-go box.) Maybe they only update the board once a month, in which case, we won't be sure for a while.
Joani had 8 ounces of a beautifully rare prime rib. I had the smoked brisket and ribs, maybe eight to ten ounces total and I couldn't finish it - the challenge would not be for me!
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