Skip to main content

K-Bob's Steakhouse ~ regional chain : Raton, New Mexico


Last visit: Jun 2023 (Raton, New Mexico)

First visit: Jul 1983 (Abilene, Texas)

I hadn't quite finished writing about our last trip to Santa Fe. Now it's the final day and we're on our way home. The plan all along was to enjoy a lunch in Raton. We had great success with the Ranch House in Santa Fe, so let's try our luck at another steakhouse. This is only my second time to K-Bob's, the last almost exactly 40 years ago! Which is probably a record for the RJG in between visits. I was with my parents and we were heading to Lubbock for summer orientation for my freshman year at Texas Tech. Dad had some business in Abilene so we went that route instead of the usual TX-114. Wow - so long ago.

There was a time when K-Bob's had ~100 locations throughout the south, and their heyday was in the 1980s. This K-Bob's looks all the world like an early 80s steakhouse. Wood paneling, and a "salad wagon". In the old days the salad bar would come with your meal, but no more. I ordered a steak, and it was priced fairly. But sad to say in this case it was a cheap cut of meat. They undercooked it, and I had to send it back. I had a side of rice which was quite bland. Mrs. RJG's experience was the opposite. She had the Chicken Fried Chicken and loved it. And a baked potato that she also enjoyed. She wants to go back. OK, I'm game. I'll get something else next time. Maybe Chicken Fried Chicken? Hmmm....

Today, K-Bob's is down to only 7 locations. They have 4 in New Mexico, including the original in Clovis along with 3 others in Texas. Abilene's locale is long gone. Even popular locations - at least they seemed popular - like the one in Childress, Texas, are now closed. Their website indicates strong ownership and growth. The data doesn't support that though.

7//83; 6/22/23 (new entry)

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Five Guys Burgers and Fries ~ national chain : Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Oct 2023 (Colorado Springs - Interquest) First visit: Jan 2007 (Reston, VA) Locations: 49 states + DC. Only Alaska is missing. There are 30 in Colorado (4 in the Springs). That's +3 from last year. Texas has 68 (our former locale of Southlake is closed, so Hurst would have been the closest). There are 123 in California which is their largest state presence. The original Reston location that I first went to is still going.  In what appears to be a recurring theme, I state each year this will be my last visit to Five Guys. Only to return anyway. This year's excuse is I wanted to try their new location, which very recently opened up close to our house. This is definitely the closest we've ever lived to a Five Guys - even the Reston location was further from my office at the time. And I thought maybe it would make a good choice for a weekday lunch while working from home, thus putting Five Guys back into the rotation. I put that idea to the test here this Saturda...
2 comments
Read more

Denver's Old School Italian Restaurants

I know, I know... I haven't posted anything in 6 months. You were checking back every week, then every month and now I've fallen completely off your radar. Sorry about that. My only lame excuse is that I've been "saving up" for a good one. I've been wanting to write about Denver's Italian restaurants since we returned part-time last year. And you all know how the RJG feels about this style of restaurant . As someone who grew up in Dallas, perhaps I've been more drawn to cities that embrace their history rather than completely demolish it. Only recently has Dallas become more acutely aware of their past. Previously, any buildings not in use have been razed as fast as possible, to make way for the next brand new shopping center - all in the latest architecture naturally. Contrarily you have cities like St. Louis that are 19th and 20th century industrial ghost towns - places frozen in time because for most everyone who could, they just up and left to ...
8 comments
Read more

Pietro's Italian ~ Dallas, Texas ***CLOSED***

Last visit: Feb 2016 First visit: Sometime in 1984 When Mr. Music told me this earlier in the year, my heart sunk. It was reason enough to stop talking and writing about restaurants. All I can say is this: We did give you advance notice. The below was published on  March 28, 2010 , so Pietro gave you a good 7 years to check it out. If you missed it, then I'm sorry to say there is no replacement. No other place like it. A part of me went with it too... January 2014 update: Pietro's is as magnificent as ever. Mrs RJG and I just had another exquisite meal here. It remains my all-time favorite restaurant even after 30 years of going here. I beg and urge you all to try it at least once if you have a hankering for Old School Italian food. I'm sure it will not be here forever. Pietro must be close to 80 now, and it's hard to imagine the restaurant without him. We try to go 3 to 4 times a year, almost always on a Saturday or Sunday because of the traffic to get to inner Dalla...
12 comments
Read more