A tasty lunch, and a 43-foot chicken

Branson’s newest restaurant on the famed 76 Strip, the Great American Steak and Chicken House, has only been open for a couple of days, but we decided to make the trip for a casual lunch. The restaurant stands on the location of the old Peppercorn’s Restaurant, but the building has seen a $1.5 million makeover.

Great American Steak and Chicken House - Exterior

The exterior of the new Great American Steak and Chicken House in Branson

Of course, it’s really hard to miss. The new restaurant is also home to Mr. Peck… a 43-foot chicken statue that the restaurant owner says is being considered by the Guinness Book of World Records as record-holder for the world’s largest. Mr. Peck’s wooden head was carved by a chainsaw artist, and the rest of the body was molded around a steel frame on-site.

Behind Mr. Peck is a large restaurant modeled after a traditional American barn (complete with grain silo). You enter the restaurant through the beastly bird’s legs, and the farmhouse motif continues inside… complete with a tin-roof ceiling. The very well-stocked salad bar sits beneath a restored vintage Farmall tractor (and life-sized cow statue). The adjacent bar has tractor seats as barstools, and the chairs throughout the dining room are custom-made with punched-tin chicken designs on the seats.

Great steak-chicken Dining Room

Diners enjoy traditional American fare at the new Great American Steak and Chicken House

And that’s just the surroundings. The salad bar is one of the better-stocked selections in Branson, including three choices for greens, lots of topping choices and a variety of “salad sides” like chili and soup, pickled okra, pickled green-been salad, black-eyed pea salad, potato salad and more.

A substantial salad bar gives patrons many healthy and fresh options.

Diners need to prepare for a variety of traditional American fare, including steaks and homestyle fried chicken (the proprietor’s secret recipe). Waiters bring out some amazing cast-iron skillet style cornbread, and then come back to bring samples of homemade kettle-fried chips and deep-fried pickles.

On the menu, patrons can choose from various chicken and beef offerings, including burgers and sandwiches, and some other less-common options, such as fried frogs legs, deep-fried livers (chicken or beef), shrimp and more.

The Great American Steak and Chicken House also is open for breakfast, and several items from the breakfast menu are available throughout the day.

A restored Farmall tractor sits above the Great American Steak and Chicken House's soup and salad bar

The restaurant is managed by Branson’s Best Restaurants, which also manages WhipperSnappers, the Plantation Restaurant, Fall Creek Steak & Catfish House and The Baldknobbers Country Restaurant. More information is available at http://www.bransonsbestrestaurant.com/Great_American_Steak_Chicken%20House.html

Gotta get past me to go to the restroom! ;-)

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About James Little

James is the Director of Web Services for the Branson/Lakes Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. When he's not plugged into a laptop, he enjoys outdoor activities, live music and all kinds of Mexican food.
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4 Responses to A tasty lunch, and a 43-foot chicken

  1. Carolyn Brittain says:

    Coming to Branson June 12-18–can’t wait to visit the chicken! Bringing two sons, daughters-in-law and 7 grandchildren!!

  2. penelopeann says:

    No mention of prices?

  3. James Little says:

    Penelopeann: That’s my bad for not including that. All the entrees are plated, so there’s not a buffet (except for the salad bar). There’s chicken sandwiches and burgers and several items in the $6-$9 range. Most entrees were around $9-$14. The exotic meats (i.e. frog legs) were in the $16-$18 range. Hope that helps.

  4. Delores Tolbert says:

    Visited “THE BIG CHICKEN” in June 2011. Delicious food!! Dined there twice during our
    vacation week. Had the same “go together” flavors: fried chicken, baked yam, greens and
    oh, so delicious cornbread and syrup. Loved the fried pickles, although a little too salty.
    Wish they had mail-order service. Took a picture of my plate on the second visit so we can be reminded of the appetizing presentation also.

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