Amarillo, Texas is full of great local restaurants.  Some are fancy while others are around for the ambiance and the greasy food that makes you feel good.  Unfortunately, a negative review can hurt a local business especially when the business didn’t do anything wrong.

A Yelp review was recently shared on AMARILLO RESTAURANT REVIEWS…. AT YOUR OWN RISK. 

This review was bashing a local downtown restaurant Furrbie’s

The reviewer was upset after the staff would not let this person bring their bicycle into the restaurant even though he was allowed to in 2007, 17 years ago.  The negative review was posted on February 6, 2024  Here’s the review:

I first visited this cafe in 2007 while riding my bicycle across the country. It was the only gay-friendly place I could find online, and the food and service was great. They welcomed my bike inside, too. Fast-forward to 2024, and now I live in Amarillo. Rather than hit a chain restaurant along the freeway, I rode to Furrbies and was pleased it was still there. There was no bike rack or even a parking meter, so I brought my bike inside. There was plenty of room where it was out of the way. The cashier was on the phone but managed to bark at me that the bike had to stay outside. I wanted to discuss it with him (previously brought it in, nowhere to lock it up, etc.) but I was so put off by him unnecessarily being a huge D I left. I hit up Six Car around the corner, walked my bike in, and no one batted an eye. I had GREAT sliders there and a beer brewed on-site for a grand total of…$8. Can’t beat the service at Six Car, or the food or IPAs. Needless to say, I’ll never go back to Furrbies. It’s not friendly, let alone gay-friendly. There are so many boarded-up businesses in Amarillo, especially downtown. Hopefully Furrbies will either change its tune or shut down like so many other restaurants in town have. There’s a reason they’re not even on Google Maps–they probably don’t want a raft of bad reviews like this one. – Jason F. via Yelp

The irony of the situation, there is a bike rack across the street from the restaurant.

This man couldn’t be bothered to lock his bike up and walk a few feet across the street to eat at a local restaurant.  Not to mention, there was a light pole in front of the restaurant. All this reviewer had to do was lock it up on the pole and sit near a window to keep an eye on it.  (Yes, some cities do have laws where you can lock up your bike, but most allow using street signs, etc., only if you aren’t impeding the walkway.)

Can you blame the restaurant for not allowing a bike that had traveled on the dirty streets into the restaurant?  As for the employee on the phone “barking” to get the bike out, they were probably trying to take an order and were floored by the audacity of a person trying to bring a bike into the restaurant.  The employee might have been being a “huge D” as the reviewer called him, but there’s no telling what kind of gunk and germs are on the wheels of the bike and they didn’t want it in the restaurant.   Even though it might have been out of the way, what happens if it falls over and hits a customer?   Knocks over a table?  Leaves a huge mess on the ground after it falls off the wheels?

I understand keeping your property close by because you don’t want it stolen, but you can’t expect a business that serves food to just allow you to wheel your bicycle into the restaurant.  Furrbie’s dining floor is filled with booths and tables.

Furrbie’s is a great place to eat

They have a huge selection of burgers, especially the Peanut Butter Bacon Burger.   Their fries are outstanding and they have some really good fried pickles.  This is an old-school burger diner with rock ‘n roll decor.  It’s a great place to eat!

Go Check them Out and Decide for Yourself!

They are located at 210 SW 6th Ave., in downtown Amarillo.   Many other locals have made it a point to stop in, have a bite, and share their positive reviews of Furrbie’s.  If you’re craving a delicious greasy burger, sandwich, tots, or fresh-cut fries, stop by Furrbie’s for lunch.  They are open 11 AM – 4 PM.

If you decide to ride your bicycle there, you’ll find a bike rack across the street.