As is the case with just about every chain restaurant, Texas Roadhouse has some menu
items that really aren't worth ordering. On the other hand, there are also some tried
and true dishes you should definitely try. We sampled them all and listed them from worst
to best.
Listen, there are a few hard and fast rules that pertain to eating at a chain restaurant.
First, if the restaurant is known for its pizza and pasta, don't order the burger. This
rule applies to the ribs at Texas Roadhouse. Sure, they might sound delicious, but these
aren't the baby back ribs you're going to get at Chili's, and you can bet your boots
there's no catchy jingle for the ribs at Texas Roadhouse, either.
Ribs should pretty much always be fall-off-the-bone tender, and juicy, but you're more likely
to get a plate of ribs that are overcooked and a bit burnt.
But that's not the only reason you should steer clear of the ribs at Texas Roadhouse.
According to Eat This, Not That!, the full rack of ribs at Texas Roadhouse is literally
the least healthy menu item. As nutrition expert Kelli McGrane MS, RD told the publication,
"[The ribs] are over 1,400 calories and contain more than 40 grams of saturated fat. They're
also very high in sodium and thanks to the BBQ sauce, the ribs also contain 10 grams
of sugar."
When you dine out at Texas Roadhouse, there are a few menu items that probably stick out,
but you should be forewarned: the pulled pork at Texas Roadhouse might just be one of the
worst.
Whether you get the pulled pork dinner, or the pulled pork sandwich, you'll likely be
disappointed. Sure, they might look good on paper, but underneath that shiny, greasy exterior
is a bland menu choice that really isn't great at all.
In fact, the pulled pork experience might best be summed up by one Trip Advisor review
of a Texas Roadhouse, where the user described the side of utter disappointment that they
were served alongside their pulled pork.
"The three of us eating would agree that the pulled pork barbecue was not fit for human
consumption. We requested a carryout, and our three dogs were even reluctant to eat
it."
Oh, blooming onions. The giant, head-sized appetizer dish that people fawn over at other
chain restaurants also has a counterpart at Texas Roadhouse, dubbed the Cactus Blossom.
According to the Texas Roadhouse menu, the item is described as a
"Texas-sized onion, golden-fried and served with Cajun Horseradish sauce for dipping."
As delicious as a giant friend onion sounds, it's really not that great, and definitely
not worth choosing over the other appetizer options. Not only is the onion a real mess
to eat, it's covered in grease with little fried batter pieces that go everywhere, and
it's seriously unhealthy.
According to Eat This, Not That!, the fried onion has more calories than a person might
eat in an entire day. Sure, you might be sharing with a few friends, but that's also before
the sauce, which brings us to another point: the sauce can be, to put it politely, a little
polarizing. So, save your calories for another menu item, one of their massive drinks, or
even a dessert.
"Ugh!"
The prime rib is perhaps one of the fanciest items you can order at any steak house. Normally
prime rib is rich, tender, and totally delectable. But at Texas Roadhouse, it's a mess on a plate.
Yes, the menu item might be cheaper at Texas Roadhouse than at fancier steak houses, but
there might just be a reason for that.
One TripAdvisor user claimed the prime rib they ordered during their visit to the restaurant
was less than satisfactory, writing:
"Ordered the 12 oz prime rib, and received 8 oz of fat and 4 oz of meat! Worst prime
rib I've ever eaten."
Now, the secret to a great steak lies in the marbling of fat all along the meat. But for
a prime rib to be entirely fat is just gross. So, when you head to Texas Roadhouse, stick
to another cut of meat, because the prime rib ain't it.
One of the most common side dishes at any restaurant, fast-food or not, are french fries.
If you don't specify what sides you want with your meal you'll just get french fries, and
that's the case at Texas Roadhouse. Of course, you might actually want fries, because who
doesn't love a good french fry? They could be one of the most perfect foods in the world,
but you don't find that extends to Texas Roadhouse.
The fries at Texas Roadhouse are called steak fries, and since people love steak fries,
you might be excited to give them a whirl, but at Texas Roadhouse. You shouldn't get
too excited.
Why? Because you're not just going to get served fries, you're going to get a heaping
helping of salt, too. Salt and fries go together like peanut butter and jelly, but this is
just too much. If you eat out at Texas Roadhouse, avoid the steak fries, there are plenty of
other side options to choose from.
Obviously, if you go to Texas Roadhouse, there's a good chance you might want a good steak
while you're there. It's one of the main things that Texas Roadhouse is known for, but nailing
a steak can be a tricky balance. You don't want to overcook it, but at a restaurant,
you also can't undercook it. You want enough fat, but not too much fat. You want it seasoned
well and full of flavor, but not overly seasoned. In short, steaks are hard to do well, but
still, at Texas Roadhouse, they're pretty bad.
One look at the Yelp reviews for Texas Roadhouse, and it becomes clear that the famous chain
restaurant has yet to nail the perfect steak, at least consistently. As one reviewer for
the site noted,
"I ordered a rare steak and it came back medium well."
Another reviewer described the steaks as "salty," and another claimed that
"The steaks are so tough they're hard to cut."
Yeah, that's just about the opposite of what you expect when you head to a restaurant known
for its delicious steak.
"You ok?"
"No,I'm not ok."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm not ok!"
There really is nothing quite like a delicious, big, juicy burger, but if you're craving a
hamburger, Texas Roadhouse probably isn't the place to go. While their burgers might
look tempting, try a sandwich instead.
If you're doubtful, you should consider that common complaints include burgers that are
either under- or over-cooked, and ones seasoned so much it's almost impossible to tell what
the actual meat tastes like.
And to top it off, the burgers are one of the most unhealthy menu items you can order
from Texas Roadhouse. The fat and calories here are bad, but even worse is the sodium
content: just one of their burgers has more than the amount of sodium you should be eating
in a day. So, if you order the burger from Texas Roadhouse, you'll be severely disappointed
and bloated.
As with most steakhouses, Texas Roadhouse offers a large variety of side dishes to accompany
your main course, including a few different kinds of potatoes to go along with your meal.
There's fries, a baked sweet potato, mashed potatoes, and a loaded baked potato, and that
loaded baked potato might just be one of the best things on the menu.
Business Insider agrees, saying that the baked potato really has no place on the side dish
menu, as it was so filling on its own. The publication described their own meal featuring
a baked potato this way:
"It really was fully loaded. Warm, soft, and incredibly cheesy, this baked potato was a
satisfying dish all on its own. I would probably choose mashed potatoes for my side next time,
but I'd eat the baked potato by itself."
You might not think of a salad when you think of a place like Texas Roadhouse, but as it
turns out, the salad is truly one of the best things you can order at the chain restaurant.
They're all pretty tasty, but it's the Chicken Critter Salad that regularly gets a shout-out
for not just being delicious, but also pretty healthy. Well, as healthy as you would expect
from a restaurant salad, and they're definitely not boring!
"I think it looks great."
"Doesn't it look good?"
"What is that, grilled cheeses?"
"No, baked tofu."
"Oh."
As one TripAdvisor user wrote in a review, the Chicken Critter Salad really took them
by surprise.
"First of all it is huge and has a delicious combo of things in it. I found that the best
dressing to bring out the flavors of the chicken tenders and egg and bacon etc. is the honey
mustard."
You truly haven't lived until you've had a jalapeno popper, and Texas Roadhouse's take
on jalapeno poppers are called Rattlesnake Bites. They're addicting. Per the restaurant's
menu, they are
"Diced jalapeños and jack cheese, hand-battered, lightly-fried and served with Cajun Horseradish
sauce for dipping."
Obviously, the description alone should be enough to convince you that the Rattlesnake
Bites are worth ordering. But if you need more proof, then just check out this review
on Trip Advisor:
"This is an appetizer similar to jalapeño poppers served with a horseradish dip!!! Killer
good food!"
Bottom line? They may just be an appetizer, but the Rattlesnake Bites at Texas Roadhouse
are truly out of this world.
Oh, Texas Roadhouse. The chain restaurant might offer a ton of great entrées and combo
meals, but the real stars of the show tend to be the appetizers, and the fried pickles
will leave you totally satisfied and happy with your choice. The menu describes them
as
"Basket of pickle chips hand-battered, golden-fried and served with Ranch or Cajun Horseradish
sauce for dipping."
But here's the thing: the fried pickles are so delicious and perfect, you'll want to eat
the entire basket by yourself. Of course, pickles can be a controversial food item on
their own, but even if you've never been a fan of plain pickles, you should still give
fried pickles a try. You never know, they might just become a new favorite.
There are a lot of ways a restaurant can mess up salmon, but it's not a huge gamble when
you eat at Texas Roadhouse — because despite the fact that Texas Roadhouse is a steakhouse,
the salmon is delectable.
The dish is incredibly popular with fans of the steakhouse chain on social media. One
Texas Roadhouse fan on Twitter called it their "all time favorite" while another patron said
that they could eat the dish every day. While fish might not exactly be what you initially
think of when you head to Texas Roadhouse, you shouldn't discount the salmon if you ever
find yourself at the beloved steakhouse. After all, trying new things is part of the fun
in eating out, right?
If you're from the South, or spent any amount of time in the region, you probably know just
how delicious a chicken fried steak can be. A tender, juicy slab of sirloin steak, deep
fried to perfection and dripping in grease and gravy. It's truly an edible masterpiece
and Southern comfort food you need to try, and the Country Fried Sirloin at Texas Roadhouse
is the perfect example of that. As the menu describes it, the entrée is a
"Hand-battered, fresh-cut sirloin served crispy and golden, topped with made-from-scratch
cream gravy."
Customers are definitely fans of this offering that combines all that's good about hearty
comfort food on a single plate, with some native Texans even going as far as declaring
this the best country fried steak they've ever had.
If there is one thing that Texas Roadhouse is known for, it's the free rolls and butter
that come to your table while you're waiting to order and receive your food and drinks.
There's a ton of copycat recipes that claim they'll help you make your own rolls at home,
because people just love them that much. But they're not quite the same. And don't just
take our word for it.
A review on Business Insider claimed that while the rolls were fine, it was the combination
of the rolls and the special cinnamon butter that made the combination so perfect. They
wrote:
"The buns were slightly oily and crispy on the outside. By themselves, they weren't all
that special ... However, they were clearly created to be married to the lightly sweet
and slightly spiced cinnamon butter."
So, there you have it. If there's one thing you simply must try at Texas Roadhouse, it's
the rolls and butter. And go ahead and ask for a second order, you'll need it.
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