Longhorn Barbecue

07/19/2026

The smell of barbecue brings back memories for Christina Franczak of her father, Kerry Murphy, barbecuing, watching the Seahawks and Nascar, and using humor to get through the toughest of times. It also reminds her of a promise he made 25 years ago, a promise to take her out for the buffet at Longhorn Barbecue.

“Growing up, we may not have had a lot of money, but you could always find Longhorn Barbecue sauce in the fridge,” Christina said. “He loved barbecue. When we lived in apartments, he’d barbecue in the parking lot at 5 in the morning when no one was around because it was against the rules. He was an amazing cook."

Unfortunately, Kerry passed away before he could make good on his promise. But Christina never forgot. On June 15, 2026, six years after Kerry died and 25 years after he had promised a Longhorn Barbecue buffet, Christina, her mom, and her aunt walked into the restaurant.

Christina took a deep breath. “That smell just instantly took me back to him barbecuing,” she said. “The atmosphere is nice. He would have loved the salad bar.”

Christina ordered the barbecue beef sandwich. She plans to come back for the buffet. After all, her dad was a buffet aficionado. “He could eat that place out of business,” she said.

It’s that kind of memory; the simple ones Christina misses most. We’re honored you shared it with us.

07/18/2026

"Three of us had a late lunch at Longhorn Barbecue. Great food and the most excellent customer experience. I left my wallet at home. The staff let us leave and go 15 miles to get the money and come back. That's service and understanding, which are rarely seen these days. Thank you, Longhorn Barbeque." -- Bill Bacon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

07/16/2026

Warning: Ordering these for the table may start a friendly fight. 🤠🧅

Our Tower of Onion Rings is stacked high, fried to golden perfection, and built for sharing… if you’re feeling generous.

Come hungry. Leave happy.

07/15/2026

Ask anyone about the Longhorn Burger Stop in Airway Heights, and they’ll instantly remember the ice cream cones and milkshakes.

“We were the number one Dairygold purchaser in Spokane County,” said David Allen Davis-Lehnertz. “Everything in Texas is bigger, and we were known for our Texas shakes and Texas-sized ice cream.”

David Allen Davis-Lehnertz is well-versed in all things Longhorn Burger Stop. His dad, David Lehnertz, bought the Burger Stop in Airway Heights with his brother, Claude. They changed it to Longhorn Burger Stop. After all, the two Lehnertz brothers knew all about running restaurants. They, along with the other Lenhertz brothers, founded Longhorn Barbecue in 1956.

Davis took over managing Longhorn Burger Stop. His crew served up plenty of burgers.

“We had the Burger Stop Burger. That was bacon, ham, cheese, lettuce, onion, and tomato. We didn't put any ketchup or mustard on it. We always let people do that themselves,” he remembered. “We had the smoky burger. That was just a hamburger with barbecue sauce, and then we had the lunch burger. We had barbecue beef sandwiches, ham sandwiches, turkey sandwiches, ribs, German sausage, and lots of ice cream.”

It’s the memories of the ice cream that linger long past the Longhorn Burger Stop's closure. A mother remembers ordering extra-small cones for their kids. “Small to Burger Stop was 4 inches of ice cream above the cone,” she wrote.

Or there's Laurie Newman, who cannot forget the mile-high strawberry ice cream cone complete with a fresh strawberry on top.

In the ‘70’s, Cheney High School used the lot as a bus stop. People still remember grabbing an ice cream (preferably a swirl) on their way home.

“We had dump trucks, semi-trucks, all these big trucks would come in because we had ten acres and a huge lawn,” David remembers. “My uncle got these old gazebos from Expo. We had picnic tables so people could go and sit.”

They also had Burger Stop Billy - a goat Don Lehnertz used so he could avoid mowing.

All of that went away when Longhorn Burger Stop served its last milkshake, cone, and burger. But the memories remain bright – memories of a simpler time, a simple menu, and mile-high ice cream cones.

Please share your Longhorn Burger Stop memories in the comments of this post. Thank you.

07/13/2026

"My wife and I stopped by Longhorn Barbecue for dinner and had a fantastic experience! The staff was super friendly and seated us quickly. My wife went with the BBQ beef sandwich, and she absolutely loved it. I couldn’t resist the all-you-can-eat salad bar, and I was really impressed with all the delicious options available. We had a wonderful meal and a great time!" -- Dale L. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

07/11/2026

🤠🔥 WIN LUNCH FOR TWO AT LONGHORN BARBECUE! 🔥🤠

Nothing brings people together like a great barbecue 🥰

One lucky Winner will receive a Longhorn Barbecue Lunch for Two.
Here's how to win 👇👇👇

1️⃣Like this post.
2️⃣ Share the name of the person you'll take to lunch in the comments of this post.
3️⃣ Follow our page.
4️⃣ Please share this post.

👉 Winner announced on Facebook on Friday, July 31, 2026. The Winner will receive a direct message from our Facebook account via Facebook Messenger with instructions on how to claim the prize. Please be cautious and avoid sending your personal information to suspicious accounts 👈

Authentic Texas-style Barbecue
📍2315 North Argonne Road Spokane Valley
TENDIN’ THE PITS SINCE ‘56!

07/08/2026

Every Thursday is Prime Rib Thursday at Longhorn Barbecue 🔥🔥🔥Your choice between a 10oz Prime Rib:$34.95 and a 16oz Prime Rib: $41.95 😋 Comes with a baked potato and house vegetables 😍 Join us on Thursday at 5 pm 🏃 🏃‍♀️ 🏃‍♂️

07/07/2026

Passages Family Support promised a free lunch for attendees of the Resource and Self-Care Fair at the Spokane County Fairgrounds. Organizers ordered enough food from the fairground’s preferred caterer, Longhorn Barbecue, to feed the expected 300 people.

But then something unexpected happened.

“About one hour into the event, we were already at 400 people,” said Brad Naccarato, Passages Family Support Marketing Coordinator. “I knew there was going to be a problem there. I went back, and I talked to the Longhorn Barbecue kitchen staff, and they got us another 200 lunches ready to go on the spot.”

We’re proud to have pivoted to meet our customers’ needs, especially for something as critical as the Resource and Self-Care Fair. Passages Family Support partners with dozens of vendors to provide resources to families who are eligible for Medicaid. The list includes free food distributions, health clinic screenings, behavioral health therapy, and more.

“We had over 500 people there, and so we were really happy to have Longhorn Barbecue with us this year,” said Brad. “We'll definitely be using them next year.”

We’re happy we helped you pull off an amazing event!

07/05/2026

Longhorn Barbecue is proud to support Project Beauty Share and its mission to restore hope and dignity for women and their families as they heal from abuse, addiction, homelessness, and poverty.

Join us at The Evening en Blanc, from 5-8:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 16, 2026.

This one-of-a-kind event features delicious food, a variety of drinks, live and silent auctions, raffles, and an exciting dessert dash.

Most importantly, it raises money for basic personal hygiene items. The idea is simple – help restore dignity for women and their children in crisis.

You can find more information attached to this post.

We hope to see you at the CenterPlace Regional Event Center on August 16, 2026.

07/04/2026

Between the fireworks shows, backyard barbecues, and Longhorn Barbecue meals, we encourage you to take a moment to reflect on the true meaning of July Fourth.

Our patriotic roots run deep.

In 1956, five brothers from Texas, Don, Claude, Dave, Chic, and Gene, took a leap of faith and opened Spokane’s first Longhorn Barbecue nearly 1,800 miles away from their hometown of Muenster, Texas.

But then you might say the brothers lived large and believed in the American dream. Their parents, Agnes and Joe, raised ten children – nine boys and one girl – in Muenster. Five brothers served in World War II, with several being honored for their service. In the late 1950s, the Muenster area VFW awarded Agnes the Mother of the Year title because all 10 of her children served in the military in some capacity.

We are grateful to keep the Lehnertz brothers’ dreams alive as our country celebrates its 250th birthday. Be sure to celebrate with family, friends, and neighbors this holiday. We are grateful for the freedom we share, and our families, friends, coworkers, and customers who make it all possible.

Longhorn Barbecue is open for dine-in and takeout during Independence Day Weekend. We are excited to see you.