Kerrville’s Cowboy Steakhouse to close on Dec. 31

The iconic Cowboy Steakhouse, a Kerrville staple for 45 years, will close its doors at the end of the year.

Employees were notified earlier this week, and the restaurant management told the Kerrville Convention and Visitors Bureau it would close on Dec. 31. Calls for comment to the restaurant have not yet been returned to The Lead.

For decades, the steakhouse served as a place to relax, make deals and tell tall tales. It was an unassuming restaurant from the outside of its Main Street location, but it was warm and memorable on the inside. The current location opened in 1994. In January, the restaurant’s larger-than-life founder Richard Ferris died at 84. He was present at many community events throughout his more than 50 years in Kerrville, where he first came to work for Mooney Aircraft.

One of the restaurant’s signature dishes remains a 32-ounce steak dubbed the “saddle blanket.”