Bob York’s Western Sizzlin Brought Fresh, Never Frozen Steaks To Lubbock For Decades

If you grew up in Lubbock during the '70s, '80s or '90s, there's a pretty good chance you remember Bob York's Western Sizzlin.

The steaks. The salad bar. The cheese rolls. The banana pudding.

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And, of course, that ridiculous mooing cow. More on my personal relationship with the famous bovine here in a bit.

Well, I recently went digging through some old newspaper archives to find out more about the restaurant, and I discovered some pretty interesting stuff about a place that was once a big part of eating out in Lubbock.

Including the fact that Bob York operated TWO Western Sizzlin restaurants in town, and one of them was buying and serving an astonishing amount of beef.

But first, a little personal history.

person barbecuing meat

My Dad Was the Voice of the Mooing Cow at Western Sizzlin

If you remember walking into Bob York's Western Sizzlin and hearing a cow moo when you opened the door, I've got a little behind-the-scenes information for you.

That was my dad.

My father handled advertising for Bob York's Western Sizzlin, and he was the voice behind that famous mooing cow.

He also appeared in the restaurant's old television commercials featuring a skinny cartoon cow.

I realize this probably isn't the sort of family legacy that gets you a statue downtown, but how many people can say their dad was the voice of a cow at a VERY popular Lubbock steakhouse?

And if you remember those commercials, there's a good chance you heard my father without ever knowing it.

That little piece of local advertising history is one of the reasons Western Sizzlin has always stuck with me.

Plus, dad had trade, so we ate there ALL. THE. TIME. No complaints from me!

Golden baked buns are piled up on a surface

Bob York Had Two Western Sizzlin Locations in Lubbock

Here's something I was able to confirm through old newspaper advertisements.

Bob York's Western Sizzlin operated at two locations:

• 5202 50th Street, near Slide Road
• 8301 Indiana Avenue, near 83rd Street

I actually worked as a busboy at the 83rd and Indiana location, so that particular restaurant brings back some memories.

And apparently, these weren't just a couple of little neighborhood steakhouses.

A historical business profile preserved in the Texas Tech Southwest Collection describes a pretty substantial operation overseen by R. L. "Bob" York.

According to that profile, the restaurants purchased and prepared their own beef locally, served USDA Choice steaks that had never been frozen, and made their salads fresh every day.

The profile also identified Curtis Davis as the man responsible for meat preparation for both locations.

But here's the number that really caught my attention.

The two restaurants reportedly purchased more than $500,000 worth of beef annually.

That's half a million dollars in beef, back when half a million dollars bought a whole lot more than it does today.

And that's just the beef.

Remember When You Could Get a Steak Dinner for $4.99?

I found an advertisement in the October 5th, 1990, edition of Texas Tech's University Daily that almost made me want to cry.

Not because it was sad.

Because of the prices.

Bob York's Western Sizzlin was advertising a meal for $4.99.

And this wasn't just a hamburger and a handful of fries.

The advertisement promised a charbroiled steak along with eight salads, six vegetables, two soups and three desserts.

For $4.99!

Nowadays, you can spend more than that getting extra guacamole on something.

An earlier advertisement from February 1990 promoted a meal special for just $3.99.

And an April 1997 advertisement for the Western Sizzlin at 50th and Slide offered five dinner options for less than five bucks.

Those prices sound completely ridiculous today, but they help explain why restaurants like Western Sizzlin were so popular with families.

You could take everybody out for dinner without needing to discuss refinancing the house first.

grilled meat on charcoal grill

Bob York Paid Attention to Every Detail

Another interesting thing I discovered was how involved Bob York reportedly was in the day-to-day business.

According to that historical profile, the restaurants offered baked potatoes weighing as much as two and a half pounds.

That's not a baked potato. That's a small agricultural exhibit.

The restaurants also used customer comment cards, which York reportedly reviewed personally. I know this for a fact, because my dad told me he did.

And remember, this was long before Google reviews and social media.

If you wanted to complain about your steak, you actually had to write something down.

The historical account paints a picture of a restaurant owner who took his business seriously, from the quality of the meat to what customers thought about their meals.

Whatever Happened to Western Sizzlin?

Western Sizzlin wasn't originally a Lubbock business.

The chain was founded in Augusta, Georgia, in 1962, by Nick Pascarella.

Its signature cooking method was called FlameKist, which involved grilling steaks with heat from above and below. The restaurants also became known for their Gold Dust seasoning.

Western Sizzlin began franchising in 1966 and eventually expanded into a major national steakhouse chain.

But like a lot of restaurant chains that were once everywhere, Western Sizzlin ran into financial trouble.

The company went through bankruptcy and ownership changes in the early 1990s before eventually becoming part of Biglari Holdings, the company that also owns Steak 'n Shake.

And here's something that surprised me.

Western Sizzlin still exists.

The company reported 31 restaurants at the end of 2025, including company-operated and franchised locations.

So while the chain is nowhere near as widespread as it once was, there are still places where you can walk into a Western Sizzlin and order a steak.

Unfortunately, Lubbock isn't one of them.

a sandwich with meat and vegetables

When Did Bob York's Western Sizzlin Close?

That's one mystery I haven't been able to completely solve.

I found newspaper references confirming that the 50th Street restaurant was operating by September 1986.

Both locations were advertising in 1990, and a Western Sizzlin was still operating at 50th and Slide in April 1997.

But I haven't found reliable records establishing exactly when Bob York opened his first Lubbock restaurant or when each location permanently closed.

I also haven't found a digitized copy of those old television commercials with my dad and the cartoon cow.

And believe me, I'd love to see one.

Google Maps

Do You Remember Bob York's Western Sizzlin?

There are plenty of restaurants that come and go without leaving much of an impression.

Bob York's Western Sizzlin wasn't one of them.

For a lot of us, it was a place for family dinners, birthday celebrations, trips to the salad bar and eating way too many cheese rolls before the steak ever arrived.

For me, it was also one of my first jobs and a place connected to my dad's work in advertising.

And now, thanks to some old newspaper archives, I've learned a little more about the man behind the restaurants and just how big an operation he was running.

So here's what I'd love to know from longtime Lubbock residents:

Do you remember Bob York's Western Sizzlin? Which location did you visit? What was your favorite thing on the menu?

And most importantly, does anybody still have a recording of one of those old commercials with the skinny cow?

Because I'd give just about anything to hear my late father moo again.