The GoldenLight Cafe and Cantina in Amarillo sits in a row of post-World War II era nondescript block buildings that disguise the true character within the brick walls. The oldest restaurant in the Panhandle city, and one of the oldest still in existence at the same location on the old Route 66, still serves a juicy hamburger and a bowl of chili that will remind you of its presence long after the meal is finished.
Since the burger joint opened on the dusty curb of the mother road in 1946, motorists traveling from Chicago to Santa Monica, Calif., have gotten their fill at the wooden tables scarred and marred by countless spills. Part roadside diner and part neighborhood bar, the cavernous GoldenLight survives on a loyal clientele of locals and out-of-towners.
Route 66 has been replaced by I-40, which zips across the western half of the nation with a bland efficiency that will never be honored by song or television show. Restaurants like the Big Texan (opened in the 1950s) moved its “free 72-ounce steak” sign out to the interstate highway to survive. Not the GoldenLight — people come looking for it in the San Jacinto area of northeast Amarillo among the antique shops and used-car lots.
Marc Reed was managing a local oyster bar when the burger joint came up for sale. Some friends that wanted to help him buy and preserve the place took him there to have a cold beer and listen to the jukebox. “It was a Monday afternoon, and it was nearly empty,” Reed says. It was a nice, quiet place, but Reed worried about its prospects as a business opportunity.
“Then we came back on Saturday, and there was a line out the front door,” Reed says. “I said, ‘This is more like it,’ and signed the papers the next week.” The proud owner of an establishment that has reached national-legend status, Reed enjoys the mix of people that the place attracts.
“It started as a neighborhood bar, and it retains that feel,” Reed says. There is an old-timer who retired from the railroad who comes in every day at 2pm. “You could set your watch by him,” he says. It is the kind of place where judges and lawyers sit next to roofers and mechanics enjoying chili-covered French fries and a cold drink.
The menu is typical bar food with burritos, onion rings, and chicken sandwiches. What is not typical is how good the cheeseburgers are. Thick and juicy with a hint of smoke, it is like the sandwiches are partially flavored by ambience. The green chili stew is one of the most popular menu items during the winter. “When you’re stuck eating cheeseburgers every day, you start experimenting with what ingredients you have on hand,” Reed says to explain the oddly named concoctions on the menu.
In 1997, Reed combined his love of Texas music with the diner and added the cantina by adding a door into the store next door. Although the music room is small, he has hosted Pat Green, Bruce and Charlie Robison, Joe Ely, and other Panhandle legends. Cooder Graw plays the hall occasionally, and the band’s guitarist, Matt Martindale, has a standing gig at the GoldenLight every Tuesday night. “When Matt got married, the wedding party moved from the church to over here,” Reed says. “Matthew McConaughey was one of the guests.”
When the GoldenLight opened, the glory road to the promised land of the West Coast was little more than a two-lane brick street across the northern edge of downtown Amarillo. Since Chester “Pop” Ray opened the doors, Reed is the fourth owner to carry on the tradition.
The GoldenLight Cafe and Cantina is at 2908 W. Sixth. The best way to find it is to go north on Georgia Street from I-40. The cafe is open Monday through Saturday from 11am to 10pm. The cantina is open Tuesday through Saturday with live music from 4pm to 2am. For more information, call 806/374-9237 or visit their Web site at www.goldenlightcafe.com.
598th in a series. Day Trips, Vol. 2, a book of Day Trips 101-200, is available for $8.95, plus $3.05 for shipping, handling, and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, PO Box 33284, South Austin, TX 78704.
This article appears in November 22 • 2002.
