Since April of this year, TX Tator has made its rounds throughout the panhandle, bringing together two of Texas’s most delicious and popular food staples: BBQ and tators, (not to be confused with potatoes), creating a hefty and filling menu item that is sure to bust the belt.
Owned and operated by Pete and Stephanae Cooper, TX Tator was an idea brought to life after Pete’s retirement left him needing something to fill his time and give him purpose, but also something that he could utilize his well-known culinary skills in.
“I spent 42 years in the car business and it was just time to retire,” Pete said. “So I did and we ran the motel (The Inn of Pampa) and got everything done that we needed, but I felt like I had no purpose. I hated retirement, so Steph and I were sitting around one night and I said that maybe I could get me a little food truck and do a part-time gig. She asked, ‘well, what would you cook?’ And I said I didn’t want to do BBQ because there’s so many here in town now. I love doing BBQ, I’ve won competitions for a long time, but there are six BBQ trucks here and I didn’t want to do that. So we just thought, ‘what can we do?’ and tators popped up. I could still do BBQ, like brisket, pork, chicken, turkey, ham, and chili and put them on a tator. We found us a little trailer and started playing with some things and found out where I could order some tators.”
When it comes to quality and size, Pete was particular and wanted to make absolutely sure that the customers would be getting their money’s worth of starchy goodness.
“We laugh anytime we go get a steak somewhere and they give us a little tator. That’s not a tator-what we have are tators. I refuse to serve a tator less than a pound. I buy the 40 tators at 50 pounds, and I’ve had some two-pound tators. If I have a guy in line says he’s hungry, I tell him I’ve got a tator for him. Sometimes they can’t finish it all!”
The menu is chock full of different tators all topped and stuffed with Pete’s signature BBQ, and their menu isn’t just limited to tators-they also have sandwiches, wraps and soups, making the food truck a perfectly rounded spot for a light lunch and a hearty dinner.
Stephanae’s favorite tator is The Tumbleweed that comes with butter, broccoli and cheese, and Pete’s favorite, as well as the crowd favorite, is The Outlaw that comes with brisket, butter, cheese, sour cream and a BBQ sauce drizzle. While Pete’s signature BBQ is the main, delicious feature of the spuds, he gives credit to Trigger Happy BBQ for their sauce that is drizzled on top.
Since their tires have hit the pavement, TX Tator has been in not only Pampa, but in other surrounding towns during community events, and it’s not uncommon for them to sell out by or even before the closing time. This year at the Independence Day event in Pampa, tators were flying out of the truck, and although they sold out early, Pete still headed home to prepare more tators for hungry attendees.
Pete and Stephanae have always had a servant’s heart, and it couldn’t ring more true than the many free luncheons they continue to hold at The Inn of Pampa since they first opened despite the ever-rising costs of food and basic necessities.
“Our first free meal was Thanksgiving of 2023 and over 160 people came to it that year. A few days after that, we thought, ‘well those people are going to be hungry again, so what can we do?’ So we had a Christmas Eve meal and decided to have a free luncheon every other month on the last Sunday. We’ve been blessed, and it’s something we want to pass on. If somebody needs something, we give it to them.”
The Inn of Pampa was one of Pete and Stephanae’s biggest endeavors, completely renovating and rebuilding the motel and its reputation, as well as establishing several Air B&Bs in Pampa. Pete and Stephanae have announced that they will be selling the hotel, and when asked if they will still somehow hold the luncheons, they both said it’s something they will continue to do, just in a different and bigger location. In fact, they have secured a spot at the Knights of Columbus this year for the Thanksgiving meal. More details and information will be provided closer to the date of the event.
So whether it’s a roof over your head or some food in your belly, Stephanae and Pete are there to serve, and you can guarantee that whatever service you receive, it’ll be given with a smile.
“Come and see us! We love what we do and we love to serve the public. That’s the best part of it-getting to see and talk to the people.”
TX Tator isn’t on a weekly schedule, so be sure to check their Facebook page for where they’ll be next. Today, you can catch them over at PampaFest, and if you happen to miss them, head out to Pampa Regional Medical Center every other Thursday at noon and grab yourself a tator!
