One Texas Roadhouse Margarita Flavor Hides A Rum-Infused Surprise

Texas Roadhouse, the casual dining chain that's all about the Lone Star state, can be full of surprises. For instance, you may be shocked to learn Texas Roadhouse has not one, but two mascots. Then there's the unexpected combination of flavors in one of the company's signature drinks that combines two classic cocktails in one: For sheer audacity, the Texas Roadhouse hurricane margarita is a drink worth exploring.

It starts with the company's house margarita, then melds it with some of the ingredients of the New Orleans-born hurricane cocktail, such as rum, orange juice, and grenadine. The combination of tequila and rum might seem odd, but it's featured in several cocktails, including Long Island ice teas and mai tai margaritas. Does Texas Roadhouse pull it off here as it does with the Legend margarita, which we chose as one of the 14 best chain restaurant signature cocktails? The answer depends on who you ask, and may also come down to the individual bartender.

The Texas Roadhouse Hurricane margarita starts with Dorado gold tequila; Texas Roadhouse's signature sour mix of Persian lime, Mexican agave, and orange oil finishes the drink. The second half of this cocktail strays from the original hurricane, which New Orleans bar Pat O'Brien's invented in the 1940s. It originally contained dark rum, red passion fruit juice, and lemon juice. These days, it often also contains a light rum, orange juice, lime juice rather than lemon, and grenadine. Texas Roadhouse's version uses Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, orange juice, grenadine, and (oddly) pineapple juice instead of passion fruit. It does give the drink a bit more of a tropical vibe.

On Tripadvisor, the cocktail has gotten mixed reviews. Some folks found it delicious while others felt it was watered down. Chowhound ranked it fifth (out of seven) in our definitive list of Texas Roadhouse margaritas. Our reviewer found it to be well blended and flavorful, describing it as "a hurricane with a little kick of tequila," but you have to try this mashup cocktail with a rum-infused surprise for yourself.