The One Detail That Makes Texas Roadhouse Cheese Fries Stand Out

Texas Roadhouse has made its mark as the place to sink your teeth into a tasty and affordable steak dish. The restaurant chain has come quite a way since being founded in 1993, branching out from its humble family restaurant origins to having 784 restaurants globally in 2024. Known for its hand-cut steaks and commitment to succulent-tasting meat dishes (the Texas Roadhouse ribs are as tender as you've heard), Texas Roadhouse makes much more than hearty main meals. The appetizers deserve some excitement too, especially the cheese fries. When Chowhound tasted and ranked Texas Roadhouse appetizers, these fries didn't miss the mark.

While appetizers are not supposed to steal the show, it's always nice when they turn heads and earn their place in your regular order routine. Texas Roadhouse's cheese fries are a standout primarily because they're lathered in melted cheddar cheese and bacon bits; cheese lovers should be more than satisfied since these fries don't hold back on the stringy goodness (or the bacon). It doesn't hurt that the fries are steak cut and manage to offer a firmness without being too crispy, allowing the cheesiness to really shine through. This appetizer also manages to stay filling but not too heavy, maybe because of the restaurant's commitment to its Southern culinary roots of fresh, handmade, quality food.

While they're not the highest-ranked appetizer on the menu, they're definitely not the type of fries you side-eye or toss out. Chunky-enough steak fries and generous cheese servings save this appetizer; the simplicity also keeps it in the safe lane. Soggy fries are a universal disappointment and maintaining that balance while laced with a good amount of cheese is hard to achieve, but Texas Roadhouse manages.

Texas Roadhouse doesn't wander outside of what is expected and it's what keeps cheesy fingers plucking this dish apart. Texas Roadhouse generally delivers well on most appetizers in comparison to their competitors (except when they went head-to-head with Outback Steakhouse's original Bloomin' Onion appetizer – you can't win everything). Compared to other chain restaurants' cheesy loaded fries, Texas Roadhouse maintains the commitment to quality melting cheese, meaning you can trust that no fry is dry or flavorless. While Outback Steakhouse's Aussie cheese fries add in Monterey Jack cheese, which doesn't do justice to the fries, Texas Roadhouse sticks with trusty cheddar and gets the job done.