The Big Texan Steak Ranch

It is next to impossible to miss the Big Texan when you drive across the Panhandle on I-40: You'll see the first billboards touting the legendary deal -- EAT A 72-OUNCE STEAK DINNER IN AN HOUR AND GET IT FOR FREE! -- hours before you get to the restaurant. Beyond the hype, the Big Texan is a unique attraction in itself, with a gift shop, a motel ($55-$90 for a double), an old-fashioned shooting gallery, and an extensive collection of taxidermy and kitsch. Costumed cowboy musicians perform every night, and dancing is a regular happening in the summer.

With so much going on, you might forget that the Big Texan is a restaurant, but its legendary steaks are what put the place on the map: They're actually quite good. Beyond the 72-ouncer (which, not so incidentally, sports a $72 price tag if you don't finish it), the restaurant also serves juicy prime rib, rib-eye, New York strip, and other steaks in a dinner that includes salad, bread, and two side dishes. A smattering of seafood and barbecue dishes also delights diners. Breakfast and lunch are comparable: all-American and ultrahearty.

For the record, some 60,000 people have tried to eat the 72-ounce steak since its introduction in 1959, and about 8,500 have succeeded. One, a wrestler named Klondike Bill, inhaled two of the dinners in the 1-hour time limit, and a competitive eater finished one in under 9 minutes.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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