10 Things To Know Before You Eat At Texas Roadhouse

When the economy is bad, the restaurant industry is often one of the hardest hit sectors. Cooking at home is often more affordable than dining out, and consumers come to view eating at a restaurant as an unnecessary luxury. 

Despite a difficult economic environment, Texas Roadhouse is thriving. The global chain's sales were up 15% last year, beating out other popular spots like Olive Garden and Chili's. People love the chain for a few key reasons: the food is good, it's made from scratch, and it's affordable. In fact, despite the state of the economy, the chain has managed to keep prices lower than inflation. This makes it a popular spot for when people are willing to spend a little extra for dinner out. However, if you've never been to the chain before, the whole experience can feel a little overwhelming your first time -– Texas Roadhouse has a very specific way of doing things as well as some unique quirks.

First, the basics: Texas Roadhouse is an international steakhouse chain with over 650 restaurants worldwide. The first restaurant opened in 1993 in Clarksville, Indiana, which is decidedly not Texas, but was created to provide a Texan atmosphere and from-scratch food. The chain is now based out of Louisville, Kentucky, and while most U.S. locations are corporate-owned, there are a few franchise locations left. This means your experience can vary from location to location. Below, we dive more into the specifics you need to know before your first visit.

While Texas Roadhouse isn't quite a themed dining chain, the restaurants all have a specifically crafted atmosphere. Sure, it might be a steakhouse, but the ambiance is distinctly southern casual. There's no set dress code, meaning that — while you still need to be dressed appropriately for venturing out in public — no one will mind if you wear jeans, flip flops, or want to keep your hat on inside.

When you pull up to the restaurant, you'll notice a sort of rustic, cabin-like vibe, and that continues through to the inside. The walls are usually exposed brick or unpainted wood, with partitions and booths made of unpainted wood as well. Southern-style decor, including neon signs, antlers, taxidermy, artwork, and other touches, is common.

Servers are friendly and welcoming, and there's usually music playing. While it can get a little loud at times, it's still very much family-friendly; items like children's menus and high chairs are available on request. On top of that, prices here are more affordable than at a standard steakhouse, meaning you won't break the bank by taking the whole family.

Just like Olive Garden has its breadsticks and Red Lobster has its Cheddar Bay Biscuits, Texas Roadhouse has its fresh-baked rolls. They're not the specific reason you go to the restaurant, but you'll definitely enjoy one or two (or more). Like at the aforementioned restaurants, the fresh rolls at Texas Roadhouse are brought out before your meal. This gives you something to snack on before the food arrives, and they can be refilled if you ask. You'll receive a basket, as well as some of the chain's delicious honey cinnamon butter.

When Texas Roadhouse calls its rolls fresh, it means fresh. The rolls in your basket will likely still have steam coming off of them, and that's because new batches are baked every five minutes. Additionally, everything at Texas Roadhouse is made from scratch, and that includes its incredible rolls –- no reheated-from-frozen nonsense here.

If you love the dinner rolls as much as we do, however, you can ask to buy frozen ones. Some locations are happy to sell frozen rolls that can be baked at home to customers. Don't have a location close to home? Texas Roadhouse sells mini versions of its dinner rolls at several big box retailers and grocery stores, including Walmart, Target, and H-E-B.

If gluten isn't your friend or you're just in the mood for something with more of a crunch, Texas Roadhouse also offers peanuts as a pre-meal snack. Whole peanuts have long been an option for diners as the chain works to emulate the vibes of a Texas ranch. They are just as much a part of the Texas Roadhouse experience as the Southern decor and line dances (more on that later). Despite that, the peanuts — like many things — underwent some changes when the restaurants reopened after the COVID-19 pandemic.

It used to be (and still is, at some franchise locations) that servers would bring a bucket of whole peanuts to the table. Diners would shell them, eat the nut inside, and carelessly toss the shells on the floor. Throwing shells on the ground wasn't seen as rude –- in fact, servers would often tell customers to do just that. Today, at most locations, peanuts are offered to guests in sealed bags, and shells on the ground are a thing of the past. There are a few reasons for this, primarily health-focused. First, throwing shells on the ground is just gross, and after COVID, many restaurants worked on upping their health and safety practices. Additionally, the practice made the restaurant unsafe for many customers with peanut allergies. Finally — although this was probably not the driving factor — it just created extra work for the staff. The restaurants reached a compromise with their peanuts, providing them to patrons in a safer, less messy way.

One problem with Texas Roadhouse (if you want to call it that) is that it offers so many great options for before your main meal that you're at risk of not being hungry once your entree comes out. Not only are the rolls and peanuts fun options, but there are many great appetizers as well.

One of the most popular options is the Cactus Blossom, Texas Roadhouse's version of a blooming onion (check out our breakdown of the dish at Texas Roadhouse vs Outback Steakhouse). Similar dishes — like fried pickles and rattlesnake bites–balls of jack cheese and diced jalapeños — are also available, all served with Cajun sauce for dipping. If you're craving potatoes, baked potato skins and steak fries are both available, topped with plenty of melted cheddar cheese and bacon bits. More in the mood for meat? Boneless buffalo wings — with your choice of mild or hot sauce — can be found on the menu, as can a basket of award-winning ribs as well as a hearty Texas red chili made with a from-scratch recipe. Whatever you pick, you can't go wrong ... just try not to fill up too much before your main dish comes.

Steak is, of course, the star of the menu at Texas Roadhouse. The chain hand-cuts nearly all its steaks in-house, providing the freshest flavor possible. Leaner options include the sirloin and New York strip, while the more tender choices include the Fort Worth ribeye and the Dallas filet. For bone-in, the restaurant offers bone-in ribeye and a Porterhouse T-bone. There are also options, like the Road Kill, which is a chop steak smothered with sauteed onions, sauteed mushrooms, and jack cheese; and the filet medallions, which are three tender filets served with your choice of sauce and over seasoned rice. Most dishes allow guests to choose two sides, like some type of potato, veggies, or mac and cheese.

When it comes to steak, however, Texas Roadhouse does something not a lot of other steakhouses do. In addition to choosing which type of steak you want and how you want it cooked, you also have the option to choose the specific steak you want. At most locations, when you walk in, you'll see a display case full of raw steak. If you'd like, you can ask your server to let you pick out your own, and in general, they're happy to oblige. There are a lot of factors to consider when picking out your steak at Texas Roadhouse, but if you know what to look for, the right steak can completely transform your meal. That said, there's nothing wrong with trusting the chefs, either.

While most people go to Texas Roadhouse for steak, there are plenty of other menu options as well. Ribs are another favorite at the chain — available in full or half racks — and smothered in the chain's special blend of seasonings and signature barbecue sauce. If seafood is more your style, a grilled Norwegian fillet salmon is available with a lemon pepper butter sauce, as is a fried, breaded catfish dish.

You'll also find half a dozen chicken dishes, ranging from fried and grilled options smothered in chicken or cheese; or seasoned with a variety of herbs and spices. There are also basic chicken tenders and barbecue chicken. Multiple cheeseburgers, plus chicken and pulled pork sandwiches, are also available. Other main dish options include grilled pork chops, country-fried sirloin, and beef tips. Can't decide? Several combo options are available that allow you to choose more than one meat. Even vegetarians can enjoy dishes at Texas Roadhouse, though their options are limited to a few salads and the country vegetable plate. Most mains come with your choice of one to two sides.

If you've got young ones with you, they'll have plenty of options, too. A kid-size hand-cut sirloin steak is available, as are steak bites, if they want in on the steak experience. Otherwise, standard kids' meal options, like chicken tenders, cheeseburgers, and hot dogs, can be ordered as well.

It's not just the food at Texas Roadhouse that folks love; it's the beverages. In particular, the margaritas are must-haves. Over half a dozen margaritas are available, with the most well-known being The Legend. This margarita blends three different types of tequilas with the chain's signature margarita sour, topped off with black lava salt around the rim. It one came in on top in our ranking of every Texas Roadhouse margarita.

Don't sleep on the other margaritas, though. The House Rocks margarita provides a traditional margarita experience, while the fruity margarita is available in strawberry or raspberry. Other fruity options are available, like the mango margarita with a mango puree; the hurricane margarita made with Captain Morgan spice rum, grenadine, orange, and pineapple; and the sangria margarita.

If you're not a margarita person but still want to enjoy happy hour, you have plenty of other options as well. Classic cocktails like the Old Fashioned and Long Island ice tea are on the drink menu, as other fun, fruity drinks. You'll also find options like beer and wine, plus nonalcoholic drinks if you want to stay sober.

We mentioned before that Texas Roadhouse strives for the southern ranch feel, and part of that is with frequent line dances throughout the day. If you're not familiar with line dancing, it's a style of dance where participants stand in lines and perform coordinated moves, like shuffling and kicking; the Electric Slide and Cupid Shuffle are popular examples.

For places like Texas Roadhouse, the songs are more commonly country classics, like "Cotton-Eye Joe" and "Boot Scootin' Boogie." Depending on the location you visit and your timing, you may get to watch the servers perform these line dances while you eat. You'll hear the music change and get louder before one starts. Line dancing is so key at Texas Roadhouse that teams from the chain sometimes competes in national competitions.

These line dances are not just entertaining; they're strategic as well. When servers are dancing, they aren't taking orders for a few minutes, which gives the kitchen time to catch up if it's falling behind. It can also offer a distraction from longer-than-normal wait times. The loud music discourages folks from lingering too long after their meal, so there's higher turnover at tables and less of a wait at the door. On top of all that, the dances keep the energy high and contribute to the overall atmosphere of the restaurant.

Plenty of restaurants do something nice for birthdays, often a free appetizer or dessert, but Texas Roadhouse goes all out. It starts with the birthday saddle (not on a live horse, thank goodness; that would be too much even by Texas Roadhouse standards). No, this is a saddle mounted on a pole, and the birthday boy or girl is made to sit on it. Depending on your location, you may even be given a cowboy hat to wear. Then, one of the servers will loudly call for everyone's attention, letting everyone in the restaurant know that there's a birthday.

What happens next varies by location. Some places sing a song, while others have a call-and-response; either way, the word "yee-haw" is typically involved in some capacity. Depending on your personality, it can be one of the more embarrassing birthday celebrations, but you're not obligated to participate. Most locations are still happy to give you your free dessert, even if you don't participate in the saddle ritual.

For a better birthday boost, sign up for the Texas Roadhouse VIP Club. Through this, you can get one of three dishes for free during the month of your birthday. You can sign up online.

If you're planning a trip to Texas Roadhouse, don't expect to reserve a table ahead of time; unlike many steak restaurants, the casual chain doesn't take reservations. On busy nights, you could be waiting a long time for a table. To help combat that, try the chain's waitlist.

This feature gets you added to the list of patrons who are waiting for a table, even if you're not at the restaurant yet. You can access the waitlist via the website or the app. Whichever option you choose, you'll select the location you're planning to visit and how many people are in your party. The page typically shows an estimated wait time for this information, so you can add yourself to the waitlist at the right time — your table will only be held for 15 minutes after your name is called. If the time frame works for you, you'll add your contact information and submit. You should then receive an updated wait time. Once you arrive at the restaurant, follow the prompts to let the restaurant know you're there. You should then receive a text message or notification when they're getting your table ready. This allows you to wait in the car, if you prefer.

Note that this doesn't apply to groups of six or more. For larger groups, the restaurant prefers to know ahead of time. You still can't make reservations online, so you'll need to call the location you plan to visit directly.