Did This Man Invent Texas Toast? If Not, Who Did?

Do you know the truth about who actually invented Texas Toast? It turns out, like bread itself, there may be two (or more) sides to story of who invented the thick cut awesomeness that is Texas Toast.

Who Created Texas Toast?

The topic has had the spotlight turned back on to it after a social media post went viral from a steakhouse in Dallas. Dunston's Steakhouse claims that its very own Gene Dunston is the creator of Texas Toast. In a Facebook Reel you can watch below, Dunston claims that in 1955 he went to Golman Baking Company in Oak Cliff in the Dallas area and that he had ordered toast uncut and that he would cut the toast thick. Again, this was back in 1955 and according to the post, he claims he with some help from the Golman Baking Company created "Texas Toast".

Get our free mobile app

You can watch the video here.

There's only one problem with Dunston's claim to Texas Toast. It was actually invented in 1941, but debate rages over who invented it.

The Pig Stand Fight Over Texas Toast

The story of who invented Texas Toast actually seems to come down to two Pig Stand drive-in restaurants. The first claim is from The Pig Stand in Beaumont in 1941. According to Texas Monthly, that's when Royce Hailey placed an ordered for sandwich bread that was double the thickness of regular sandwich bread. When he learned that the bread would not fit into the toaster, he slapped some butter on both sides and put the bread on the restaurant's griddle. And at that moment, Texas Toast had been born.

But, another Pig Stand location, this one in Denton claims that their cook, Wiley W. W. Cross came up with the idea. All the details? They are told the same way. According to TexasHillCountry.com, Cross is credited with coming up with pairing the toast with chicken fried steak resulting in Kirby's Pig Stand's chicken fried steak sandwich.