If you are looking for white tablecloths, subtle lighting, or a quiet place to whisper sweet…read morenothings, keep driving past Coyote Bluff Cafe (often locally called the "Coyote Bluu" or simply "The Bluff") in Amarillo, Texas. But if your idea of culinary heaven involves a grease-stained paper liner, an old-school Texas roadhouse vibe, and a burger that requires structural support, you have arrived at the right place.
Nestled just a few blocks off Interstate 40 in a historic, diminutive former dance hall moved wholesale from neighboring Claude, Texas, Coyote Bluff is tiny. With only about 12 tables packed into its 1,000 square feet, the atmosphere is alive with a loud, friendly hum, a dirt parking lot, and a vintage bathtub floating full of ice and cold beer bottles. The place is amazing!!!! The unique steaming process is really amazing. You have to try the chili cheese fries to go with it.
The menu keeps its focus tight, centering around half-pound patties of lean Texas ground beef cooked to order. While traditional options like the Hickory Burger and the Green Chili Cheese Burger are stellar, the undisputed heavyweight titleholder here is the legendary Burger from Hell. I had to try it, my wife opted for the Chicken Fried Steak. Many approach the "Hell Burger" with great trepidation, expecting it to be more of a gimmick built strictly on painful, mouth-numbing heat. Instead, it offers a beautifully layered flavor profile. The beef patty with Tabasco and their proprietary "Coyote Hell Sauce," then smothers it in gooey melted cheese, grilled onions, and fresh, vibrant sautéed jalapeños. It arrived on a toasted onion bun, it lands a solid 7 out of 10 on the heat scale. But rather than scorching your palate, it wraps it in a vinegary, spicy, deeply savory warmth.
This place also serves up classic, heavy-hitting Texas roadhouse appetizers:
Each of these are amazing sides and are worth of mentioning, First the Cheese Fries with Green Chiles, which I had with my burger and my wife had with her Chicken fried steak, it is served on a massive aluminum platter, these fresh-cut fries are heavily blanketed in melted cheese and mild green chiles. They are a mandatory companion to the burgers. Other appetizers worth of note, are the Texas Red Chili & Green Chili Stew: The thick, hearty green chili stew is packed with meat and mild green peppers, offering a wonderful warming comfort, especially during cool Panhandle days. and any of the Fried options ranging from baskets of battered fried pickles, garlic mushrooms, and stuffed jalapeños.
Because everything is cooked to order and the dining room is incredibly compact, expect a wait during lunch rushes or weekends. However, that time spent waiting in the dirt lot among locals and passing road-trippers is part of the charm. Coyote Bluff Cafe doesn't try to be anything other than a spectacular, small-town Texas burger joint, and it executes that identity flawlessly. This is a MUST Stop in Texas
