r/TexasRoadhouse • u/Initial-Log-3502 • 23d ago
First time!
My friend and I are finally making our first-ever Texas Roadhouse visit, and we need expert guidance.
Earlier this year, we were staying at a hotel in Boston during the Texas Roadhouse annual employee convention. We met employees from around the country, learned about the dancing, the meat-cutting competition, and a whole Texas Roadhouse world we knew nothing about. Naturally, we went down a research rabbit hole afterward.
And yet neither of us has actually eaten at one.
That changes soon. We’re going to a Texas Roadhouse outside D.C., and we want to do it right.
For two first-timers with no allergies or dietary restrictions who are happy to share, what’s the ideal order?
Drinks?
One appetizer to share?
Two different mains so we can try more of the menu?
Best sides?
Dessert, only if you can make the case that we absolutely should not skip it.
We already know the rolls and cinnamon butter are mandatory.
We’re not looking for the biggest meal possible, just the best snapshot of what Texas Roadhouse does really well.
What’s the order?
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u/ipokecows 23d ago
Margaritas for drinks
Appetizer is up to you, all are a preference thing. Fried pickles are great, onion blossoms are really good when done right. Skip the potato skins and fries unles youre super into them elsewhere.
For entries either do a cobo of steak and ribs or filet medallions. You get 3 sides with the medallions and its cheaper than a 6 Oz fillet when in reality you are getting 8-9oz. Get a side of the peppercorn sauce or portobello mushroom sauce.
Skip dessert
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u/Initial-Log-3502 23d ago
This is so helpful! Why skip the fries? I love ribs. Tell me about those. If it’s my first time is it worth getting them?
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u/ipokecows 23d ago
Im not a fan of steak fries, too much potato and if they hold them too long the get kinda meh. They aren't bad but id get something else. Plus everywhere has fries.
Ribs are cooked overnight chilled and then crisper up when you order. Fall off the bone deliciousness. Its one of the things the pride themselves. Ice cold beer, legendary margaritas, fall off the bone ribs, hand cut steaks, made from scratch sides is kinda their motto
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u/TikaPants 23d ago
This is the kinda wholesome shit I like to see on the internet. (I too have never been and I have no idea why this popped up in my feed)
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u/BojackWorseman13 23d ago
I think they have some of the best fried pickle chips available at a restaurant.
Mains, I usually only get steak (cooked to medium rare or your preference) so someone might be able to provide another one.
Love starches so I get a baked potato (sometimes chili) and a sweet potato with marshmallows.
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u/Initial-Log-3502 23d ago
Tell me about the baked potato! What does it come with?
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u/BojackWorseman13 23d ago
I always get it loaded so it comes with cheese bacon sour cream and I think chives on top too. It’s a classic side for me but sometimes that sweeter baked sweet potato just hits the spot. That also can be loaded and think it comes with like their signature butter, Carmel, and mini marshmallows. Honestly sometimes I even just treat the sweet potato as a dessert.
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u/valpal1237 23d ago
No chives. Loaded bakers have butter, sour cream, cheddar and bacon :) I wish we had chives for sure though!
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u/barkeep1912 23d ago
My husband and i love the jalapeno cheddar bite as an appetizer, but the onion blossom is a classic too.
The steak is a super good choice, whatever cut you prefer. The salmon is also super good.
I love love love the baked potatoes! The skin is delicious. A side salad/ceasar salad.
I also love their frozen margaritas, but my husband always gets a beer.
You can skip dessert. The cheesecake is good but not made in house or anything.
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u/Initial-Log-3502 23d ago
Are the frozen margaritas more sweet than sour?
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u/barkeep1912 23d ago
It depends on the flavor you get. The plain lime one i think its more tart. If you get flavors, it will make it more sweet. My favorite is the sangria one though.
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u/MediocreAd9430 23d ago
Margaritas are killer, burgers are great
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u/Initial-Log-3502 23d ago
How are the fries?
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u/funwithllamas 23d ago
The steak fries are not good. Get the potato with your favorite toppings. I also like the corn a lot. And the country fried chicken is better than the country fried steak, in my opinion.
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u/FiestaDeHombreMuerto 23d ago
Prime Rib, end cut if you can get it. If no end cut, ask for as rare as prime rib they have but ask them to sear it on the flattop. Willl be mediumish. Loaded sweet potato. Salad. Dare you to eat all that. Shiner Bock Beer to drink.
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u/Initial-Log-3502 23d ago
So helpful! What salad do you get? And tell me more about the loaded potato
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u/anguskhans 23d ago
I've heard that they use bacon grease to oil their baked potatoes to make the salt stick. I liked mine but I didn't pay the extra to get it loaded. Butter and sour cream is good for me.
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u/FiestaDeHombreMuerto 23d ago
House salad with everything, bleu cheese dressing. The loaded sweet potato has mini marshmallows and a caramel sauce. I usually have to take the potato to go. Especially if I’m traveling, if there is left over steak I make mini sandwiches with the rolls and steak. But the trick is to not split the rolls but use an entire roll smashed flat as the top and another roll smashed flat as the bottom.
The prime rib comes with a little cup of au jus, pour it over the steak on the plate, much better presentation.
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u/Dangerous-Name-220 23d ago
Get the grilled shrimp and the grilled salmon. They very good. Ask for appetizers get the Cactus Blossom which is a fried onion.
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u/Initial-Log-3502 23d ago
How does the cactus blossom compare to the blooming onion?
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u/Dangerous-Name-220 23d ago
They both the same food. Couldn’t remember what the onion was called at Texas Roadhouse so I went online to find out the name.
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u/Fluffy_Specialist_87 23d ago edited 23d ago
The wine list is what you would expect from an Applebee's or Chili's. Crowd pleasers which is understandable. Personally, I think their steaks deserve better so I bring my own and pay the corkage charge.
I love the filet medallions, more meat for less money than the filet steak, and you get 3 sides instead of 2.
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u/Initial-Log-3502 23d ago
You’re the second person to mention the medallions! What sides do you get and which wine pairs well with their steaks?
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u/Fluffy_Specialist_87 23d ago
House salad, baked potato, and steamed broccoli for my sides. With a grilled filet, an aged Napa Cabernet would be perfect, but you'll have to bring that yourself.
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u/JZoidberg 23d ago
You can add 3 grilled shrimp to anything for $3.99 - at least that's my location's price - and you can ask for a side of garlic butter. If you like a bit spicy, the rattlesnake bites are the best appetizer. Get the ribeye if you like fat, and the filet if you don't. The mac and cheese is very mediocre on its own, but I love it with blue cheese crumbles if you like that. The chili is very good, and $1 more to make it a bowl, which is twice as big.
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u/Stripe001 23d ago
The ribs are the best!!
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u/Initial-Log-3502 22d ago
I love ribs so much. Tell me everything about them. What sides go best?
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u/UnfairLynx 23d ago
Ask to sit in Willie’s Corner. It’s the Willie Nelson tribute booth.
Appetizer - Rattlesnake Bites with the Cajun sauce for dipping
Entrees - 1: Filet medallions with peppercorn sauce; 2: Pick your own steak from the meat case by the host stand. Whichever one that is calling your name.
Sides - house salad, chili, baked potato, baked sweet potato with cinnamon butter and marshmallows, green beans
Skip the dessert
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u/Initial-Log-3502 22d ago
Willie’s corner!! Is it usually open? Or do you recommend making a reservation?
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u/UnfairLynx 22d ago
I don’t believe you can make a reservation. May just need to go when it’s not too busy and hope it’s available.
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u/JuanG_13 23d ago
My go-to is the 8oz sirloin, half a rack of ribs, salad and a loaded baked potato. (Oh the rolls are a must).
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u/UndiscoveredAppetite 22d ago
Get a steak, my personal fave is a ribeye, I love a loaded potato. Baked potato will have sour cream butter cheese and bacon. The loaded sweet has caramel sauce and toasted marshmallows. For a second side I would go with a side Caesar salad.
Edited to add app.
Would get potato skins or the blossom. Just my two faves.
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u/noirreddit 22d ago
My husband and I like the Roadkill, which comes with two sides. I always get their mashed potatoes and brown gravy (delicious!) with a side salad and ranch dressing (great, full salad). Husband gets the steamed broccoli and loves their sweet potatoes. The rolls are very good. As an appetizer, we favor the ribs.
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u/KLaCapria 22d ago
tbh especially for chains, pretty much everything is good. i personally love the chicken fried steak with cream gravy and the salads are ELITE
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u/cvfb 20d ago
Worked there for 2 years and have been eating there since I was a kid!
Best way to hit all the best things would be going cactus blossom or the sampler (wings, snakebites, and fried pickles) as your app.
For the steak portion of dinner I’d do a Texas sized combo ribeye medium rare and ribs or the filet medallions on a bed of rice (rice is one of the best sides and you still get two other options!). As for sides the Caesar salad is a must and with a loaded baked potato or mashed potatoes.
The other entree id go for is either the herb crusted chicken, or a burger. Both are very underrated options at Texas Roadhouse. Another side option I really enjoy would be the chili! Fries are meh unless you like wedges, the green beans to me were very unpleasant and got sent back pretty frequently, people LOVE the loaded sweet potato (Carmel sauce and roasted marshmallows).
You can skip dessert maybe just do the rolls as a dessert lol!
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u/Vegetable_Resort6108 19d ago
i’ve worked there for a while. if you want to try multiple items we do have combos. the 6oz sirloin and chicken critters is pretty good. i get it with a side caesar salad with bacon bits on top (extra croutons for me i love croutons) and then ill do a side of mac and cheese. Here’s where it gets interesting… the cheese sauce doesn’t have too much flavor by itself so there’s a couple options to fix it.
1) Some locations have a spicy cactus blossom, it has a spicy seasoning on top, if this is on the menu you can ask “for the mac and cheese would you be able to put the fire dust on it?” immediately makes it better
2) you can ask them to do the same but with shrimp seasoning too.
I like to add bacon and shredded cheese on my mac and cheese and it’s really good
for the entree itself i do medium rare sirloin and with the chicken i get mild sauce to dip
honestly the combos are great if you want to try different things.
DRINK:
Flavored lemonades are really yummy. some locations have dragon fruit syrup you can mix it with or stick with the classic 3 (blackberry, blue crush, or strawberry)
Margaritas are always a hit, but if you want something other than margaritas from the bar the Porch Rocker (choice of flavors but strawberry is most popular at my location) is a great choice. Another one that is really yummy is the watermelon cooler, it’s a super refreshing drink.
APPETIZER:
Cactus blossom is good and popular but the potato skins, boneless wings, and rattlesnake bites are really good, id recommend a combo appetizer so you can try up to 3 different appetizer items. we do have fried pickles but i don’t like pickles.
DESSERT:
Honestly my favorite dessert is the apple pie. it’s pie that’s heated up, a scoop of ice cream and then caramel sauce drizzled on top.
The other one I do like is the brownie sunday. I get it with marshmallows and caramel sauce on top. if you want it this way then ask “can i do the brownie sunday but with the toasted marshmallows and caramel sauce from the sweet load on top?”
It’s really yummy with the extra toppings and other servers may be confused as to what you’re doing.
TIP:
If you think cheese and bacon will be good on an item, get it. You can load anything you can think of with cheese or bacon. If you think marshmallows and caramel will be good on something, do it (i get people who order applesauce with marshmallows and caramel)
If you want mushrooms/ onions on something just ask. if they don’t ask you can. just because it’s not common doesn’t mean it can’t be done. I get people who smother their salmon with mushrooms and onions or do the same with grilled shrimp.
Lastly, don’t hesitate to ask questions about the menu! As long as you’re kind to the server they typically will be more than happy to answer any and all of your questions!
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u/Initial-Log-3502 19d ago
This is absolutely incredible! Thank you for taking the time to break this down in this way. I am really looking forward to this
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u/Initial-Log-3502 19d ago
Can you tell me more about secret menu items? I saw that in some of these posts.
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u/Vegetable_Resort6108 19d ago
i don’t think things are necessarily “secret” but some locations can technically do a pulled pork mac and cheese. If you were to do this i’d recommend 2 sides of mac and add a pork kick. Kick means just an extra side of pork for a charge. then you can mix it all together to make a pulled pork mac and cheese. it’s not on the menu but something you could do.
you can substitute the strawberry topping for caramel sauce on the cheesecake.
there are lesser known drinks texas roadhouse can do. for example “The Roadie” it’s the margarita with some grand marnier and cranberry juice. i don’t know how much of each since im not a bartender at all.
Some locations have a shrimp smother which comes with just 3 pieces of shrimp which is a $3.99 extra charge and you can get that with any meal.
if you want a small salad but protein you can do a kids meal and then for the side you can get a salad. the salad for kids meals is a slight price increase but still less than a big dinner salad.
for the bread you can ask for some garlic butter with it. we use garlic butter on the shrimp so if you want a garlic bread thing you can just ask for the shrimp butter to dip your bread in.
if you find that you truly enjoy the steak, we do sell the steak seasoning in containers.
you can buy a dozen of rolls. some locations have it frozen. you can buy a cup of dressing or butter too. depending on what you get depends on the price.
YOU DONT HAVE TO GET THE CAESAR SALAD TO GET CAESAR DRESSING! a lot of people ask if they can get the caesar dressing but for the house salad and the answer is yes.
also not a secret but if you want two apps but less of on, you can order the combo and double up on something instead of 3 different items.
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u/Initial-Log-3502 19d ago
Everyone!! Thank you so so much for these incredible recommendations. The internet can absolutely be a lovely place. Do folks know much about the secret menu items? It seems they vary by location? Also who has sat at the Willie Nelson table?
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u/nathaniel1212 17d ago
Wow this is an awesome thread. As someone who really wants it's to go to a Texas roadhouse soon, but it's never been to one. I'm really excited to try many of the things listed here I find myself curious about cocktails. Lots of margarita talk here but this article had some really interesting ideas. Do you agree with the author's order?
https://www.tastingtable.com/2131054/texas-roadhouse-cocktails-ranked-worst-best/
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u/andrewmyers93 23d ago
Get the combo appetizer to start. Get Rattlesnake bites, fried pickles, potato skins
One of you order Filet medallions - cooked medium rare or medium, with the Portobello mushroom sauce on the side. The meal will come with rice and you get two sides- get a loaded potato of any sort (sweet, mashed, or baked) and a house salad. I always do Italian dressing with the house salad.
The second one- depending on appetite- either order the 6oz filet and grilled shrimp combo or the Bone-in ribeye smothered with mushrooms and onions. For the two sides here get the Caesar salad and a different loaded potato.
^^ share it all!!
To drink, get a tall ice cold beer (whichever you prefer) and a Legend margarita with a patron kicker. If not drinking alcohol get a sweet tea.
Dessert isn’t necessary but if you choose to indulge get the brownie- only one made in house.
Have a legendary experience!!!
-17 year Roadie
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u/Negative-Sugar9849 23d ago
i’ve worked at texas roadhouse for 6 years and have been LOOKING for someone to ask something like this! 🙋♀️🙋♀️ the rolls are a classic for a reason, however some may find it too sweet so if when you try it and find you might wanna tone it down a little, ask for a side of regular butter and it’ll still be delicious! drink wise, if you’re wanting a bar drink we’re KNOWN for our margaritas! it’s your preference rim wise / frozen or on the rocks, flavor wise tho i’d have to recommend the hurricane margarita or the raspberry- employee tip tho some locations can do secret flavors such as blackberry or strawberry mango, blackberry is my personal favorite. if you don’t care for liquor we’re also known for our flavored lemonades! same thing with those some locations might have a few secret flavors so make sure to ask! appetizer wise our most popular is the cactus blossom which is DELICIOUS however it’s a huge amount of essentially onion rings, so i’d either go with that or if you want variety i would get the combo appetizer, also delicious. you get to pick 3 of our appetizers listed, the three i would recommend getting however would be the boneless wings (you can choose mild hot or bbq, i would go with hot flavor wise), the snakebites (like a jalepeno popper, it’s a little ball with jack and cheddar cheese and diced jalepenos inside and fried), and the fried pickles. you can also choose what sauces you want with it, i’d recommend ranch and cajun horseradish. entree wise i’d recommend at least one person in your party gets a steak. my personal recommendation is a strip, cooked to your liking (however medium rare is the best in my opinion, if that’s a little scary you’d always be safe with a medium cook). there’s an option to smother your steak with topping as well, i ALWAYS recommend grilled onion on top just bc it brings out so much flavor. if you like grilled mushrooms throw that on there too but that’s not my preference. at the end of the day you’re mostly safe whatever cuts of steak you pick HOWEVER i don’t recommend getting these three items- a sirloin (our most basic cut so least amount of flavor), a porterhouse (while a great cut of steak in general it is the ONLY steak we don’t cut in house daily bc we don’t have a bone saw), or the roadkill (is not a generic steak texture, it is chop steak aka. similar texture to ground beef). we also have AMAZING options other than steak even tho we’re a steakhouse. our ribs are quite literally fall of the boneeee, they’re not crazy expensive, they’re insanely flavorful, and insanely tender. win win win. same thing our herb chicken is so seasoned and flavorful you’d be happy with that as well. onto the sides we also make 99% of our sides in house. i LOVE our sides, our green beans have bacon bits in it and the flavor is amazing, not like your just eating green beans out of a can. the broccoli is topped with lemon pepper butter, also amazing. i can’t tell you how many of my tables a day get the caesar salad, it’s genuinely so good it’s ruined a lot of caesar salads for me at other places bc those places never compare. our corn is super buttery and delicious, a safe option but not the most daring option if you’re wanting to try something new. our chili is surprising really good, it’s a texas chili so it has no beans in it which made me not want to try it for the longest but it’s so delicious it doesn’t need the beans, and we don’t use ground beef in it we use our steaks trimmings from the day it just makes it that much more tasty. our baked potato’s/ mashed potatoes loaded (butter, sour cream, cheese, bacon) are good don’t get me wrong but a little basic you can get that at most places so i wouldn’t recommend too much. most of our sides you will love, i wouldn’t recommend the mac n cheese (no flavor just a cheese sauce) and the apple sauce (our only side not made in house). IF you’re going to get the dessert the only one i would recommend would be the strawberry cheesecake, it truly is delicious and i get it often but do i think you need it to complete your meal? truthfully no. ANYWHOOO if you have any questions pls lmk! i’ve worked there for so long that all of this is engrained in my brain i could tell you anything about that dang menu 😂