There's a special bond Dairy Queen fans have with their beloved steak finger basket, at least I think so. Think about it, it's a chicken fried steak you can eat on the go. Sadly, in 2022, this bond has been broken as DQ has opted to stop selling steak fingers forever... well, unless you're in Texas... The Lone Star State got to keep their steak fingers.

Having spent so much time in rural Southwest Oklahoma growing up, Dairy Queen is the "going out for dinner" for so many families. Their stores are/were located in even the smallest of towns, at least one restaurant per county. Plus, back then they only served three things as far as my entire family was concerned... Blizzards, dilly bars, and steak fingers.

You name me one person that doesn't order the steak fingers at Dairy Queen and I'll show you someone that hasn't learned to live. Probably Northerners... Honestly, who goes to DQ for the burger? The burgers are collectively the worst things on the menu... You might as well show up to a McDonald's and not get their fries. And sure, the chicken baskets aren't too bad... Most people say the chicken is too dry and requires a mandatory second gravy to consume... but in Lawton, where Popeyes is literally a stones throw from DQ, who's ordering the chicken at the steak finger place?

So why does Texas get to keep their steak fingers whereas the rest of the world has to do without?

I don't know. In fact, Texas Dairy Queens have doubled down, now offering a classic basket where the steak fingers are stuffed with pepperjack cheese... What a crock!

You know, for years I've made peace with the fact the Texas DQ steak fingers were much bigger than those we found in Lawton. I even made peace with the face the gravy was usually lumpy at our local DQ, but I don't think I can bear the weight of Dairy Queen ditching the only universally edible food item on their menu.

Sure, they still have the delicious blizzard, but we all know the Wayne's Wizzard is better. They still offer dilly bars, if you buy a whole package of them. They still offer the time-honored dip-cone, but only in vanilla... Did you know lots of Dairy Queen's also offer chocolate soft-serve? Yeah, they do... In Texas.

All is not lost though. One good thing about Dairy Queen serving the same steak finger basket for so long is, there are some real solid copy-cat home recipes that really hit the nail on the head.

When it comes to the best foods in Southwest Oklahoma, you can always trust the cowboy Kent Rollins to deliver the goods. His simple recipes are easy to follow, and the taste is always second to none. Plus, when you make them yourself, you can make those epic Texas-sized steak fingers you've probably never been able to experience.

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