10 Things You Should Absolutely Never Order From Texas Roadhouse

Even though it’s called Texas Roadhouse, this chain is known throughout the US and across the world. Everyone loves the taste of their buttery rolls and their honey cinnamon butter, but, believe it or not, there are definitely some things that should be avoided. Here are 10 Things You Should Absolutely Never Order From Texas Roadhouse.

10. Cactus Blossom

This is one of the first things that shows up when looking at Texas Roadhouse’s appetizer menu, and it’s definitely one of the worst. The restaurant describes it as a “Texas-sized onion, golden-fried and served with Cajun Horseradish sauce for dipping.” Though this might sound like something you would want to bite into, it’s not. Why? Because you can never really trust what a restaurant writes about its own food. Customers who order this are greeted with a greasy, soggy, and disappointing mess. Multiple reviewers claim that it’s just too greasy and sometimes even served cold! Doesn’t that sound appetizing? On top of that, not only is this unappetizing to eat, it’s also super unhealthy for you. The Cactus Blossom is one of the top contenders for unhealthiness. Including the dipping sauce, the fried appetizer contains nearly 2,000 calories. And without the sauce, it’s not that much better. Try 1,700 calories for one single item. According to the FDA, that’s most of your recommended calories for an entire day, and more than twice the daily sodium recommendation! The icing on the cake (or rather the batter on the onion) is the fact that this is on the “Just for Starters” portion of the menu. We have to wonder, if this is just the start; what could possibly be next?

9. Chicken Fried Steak

If you’re from the South, you know how comforting a good chicken fried steak can be. But, if you go to Texas Roadhouse, there’s a chance you’ll find yourself disappointed. Texas Roadhouse calls their take on this classic southern recipe the Country Fried Sirloin and describes it as “Hand-battered, fresh-cut sirloin served crispy and golden, topped with made-from-scratch cream gravy.” The reviews for Texas Roadhouse’s Chicken Fried Steak are mixed, and this dish seems to be a hit or miss. Some reviewers say that this is the best chicken-fried steak they’ve ever had, while others weren’t so pleased with what they got. For example, one Texas Roadhouse customer took to Trip Advisor, calling it the worst they had ever had. Another diner on Yelp described the entrée as “barely edible,” calling it “nothing but a chewy mess,” adding that “the grease was old and the gravy tasted horrible.” And if that doesn’t ruin your appetite, another went as far as to say it “tasted rancid” and confessed that they sent it back for another item. The general consensus seems to be that sometimes, the food there just doesn’t live up to expectations. One user described it as “spinning a wheel” on whether or not the food would be good. So, if you’re willing to take a bet on the Chicken Fried Steak, go right ahead.

8. Ribs

When thinking of Texan cuisine, one of the first things that come to mind is barbeque ribs. Everyone knows how satisfying it can be to bite into some delicious barbeque ribs, but it looks like customers at Texas Roadhouse aren’t getting that satisfaction. Seriously, though, this is such a huge part of Texas cuisine, you’d think that Texas Roadhouse would try to do a better job with these. Unfortunately, that’s simply not the case. While the restaurant claims that its ribs are award-winning and “slow-cooked with a unique blend of seasonings and their signature BBQ sauce,” many of its customers seem to disagree. One reviewer said that the sauce was simply average, while the ribs were very fatty. Another diner from Oklahoma describes them as burnt, overcooked, and overall inedible. Yikes! Lastly, one customer boldly warns people to stay away from Texas Roadhouse, calling the restaurant terrible. Not only are they unappetizing, but the ribs are also extremely unhealthy. This is one of the least healthy options at Texas Roadhouse, with over 1,400 calories and more than 40 grams of saturated fats. They’re also very high in sodium, and thanks to the BBQ sauce, the ribs also contain 10 grams of sugar. The protein content with this meal is also outrageously high – meaning your body cannot metabolize this much protein at one time. Experts say that the body can only properly break down and digest about 30-35 grams of protein per sitting. This meal exceeds that by quite a bit. So, yeah, these ribs are definitely a miss.

7. Bread Pudding

Once known as “poor man’s pudding,” bread pudding dates back to the 11th century. The reason that this deliciously sweet dessert came into being was that frugal cooks didn’t want their stale bread to go to waste! So, they took their stale bread, added some milk, some eggs, and boom, bread pudding became a thing. While it’s not as popular as it used to be, it’s definitely still prevalent in various parts of the world, including the Southern United States. The most popular recipe for bread pudding includes old bread, soaked in custard and topped with a sweet sauce of some sort. However, it looks like Texas Roadhouse didn’t get the memo. Their bread pudding is made from the restaurant’s famous rolls and drizzled with honey caramel sauce. The restaurant’s recipe doesn’t exactly capture the spirit of traditional bread pudding, but hey, you can’t win them all. Keep in mind that we’re not saying that this necessarily tastes bad; it’s only extra, super sweet, and not so authentic. Oh, and it’s also super unhealthy. This small plate of sweet, sticky yumminess comes at the cost of 1,740 calories. You’re also looking at more than 300 grams of carbohydrates and a startling 240 grams of sugar. Just to put that in perspective, the American Heart Association recommends men have no more than 36 grams of sugar per day and women have no more than 25 grams. 

6. 20 Ounce Bone-In Ribeye

Texas Roadhouse is undoubtedly known for its steaks. Not only is it known for its steaks, but it brags about them. Specifically, it brags that it hand-cuts every single steak that gets served to customers and that they end up chopping an average of $1 million worth of meat each year at each location. That’s a lot of steaks! That being said, just because they’re cutting up that much meat, that doesn’t mean that what they’re serving is always good. When it comes to the 20 oz Bone-In Ribeye, that definitely gets proven true, and it’s something you might want to avoid. As far as steaks go, this is one of the unhealthiest ones on the menu. It comes in at 1,480 calories, with more than 100 grams of fat! Even if you’re not concerned about counting calories, you’ll still be in for a disappointment. Texas Roadhouse claims that its ribeye is “juicy, flavorful” and “served on the bone for extra flavor.” But not everyone agrees. One diner from Louisiana said in a TripAdvisor review that the ribeye tasted like it “must have come from a very old cow,” saying it was tough and not even that tasty. This steak contains double the maximum amount of saturated fat you should consume daily. Save your heart from the stress it will endure trying to digest this beast and order something that you’ll actually enjoy.

5. Beef Tips

The good news is that if you don’t feel like eating an entire steak at Texas Roadhouse, there are plenty of options for you. The bad news is that some of those options are not that great. For example, Texas Roadhouse’s Beef Tips. It’s listed as one of the restaurant’s Country Dinner plates, and this dish is described as “cuts of steak with sautéed mushrooms, onions, brown gravy, and sour cream.” On top of that, you get the choice between mashed potatoes or seasoned rice! But not only is this dish super unhealthy, but it’s also just not worth it. A diner in Kansas who ordered the entrée called his meal “completely disappointing,” in a review on TripAdvisor, adding that “everything was over salted.” Another reviewer on Restaurant Guru said the beef tips are “horrible” and said the last time they ordered them, they “only got [three] chunks of meat.” Registered dieticians warn customers to stay away from this country dinner, calling it the most unhealthy combo on the menu due to outrageous amounts of sodium and saturated fat. And if you think that you can get away with it by choosing the rice over the mashed potatoes, think again. Dieticians say that the mashed potato option is higher in saturated fat, but the seasoned rice is extremely high in sodium! Neither option is good for you because both of them are almost double the amount of recommended sodium for the day. Do yourself a favor and skip this dish.

4. Fish N Chips

Considering that Texas Roadhouse is known for its steak, is it really that surprising that its seafood wouldn’t be that good? This restaurant specializes in all things beef, which should be a clear indicator to stay away from anything involving fish. Fish n’ chips aren’t even the only seafood dish that Texas Roadhouse serves; the chain also offers shrimp, catfish, and salmon. In any case, when you order it, don’t expect it to be great. Called the Roadhouse Fish Fry, this dish is only offered at select Texas Roadhouse locations, and consists of “beer-battered white fish served with steak fries.” However, if you’re expecting a plate of fresh, crispy fish, you may be in for a disappointment. One diner in Boston did not mince words in his TripAdvisor review, saying the fish and chips come swimming in a tide pool of grease so deep you could drop a line in it. Oh, yes, a pool of grease, that’s what everyone wants to see on their plate! He also added that the fish tasted like it was clearly frozen at some point, which honestly isn’t that big of a surprise considering what a big chain Texas Roadhouse is. The reviewer also mentioned that the food tasted like it was well beyond its expiration date, which is just icky on a different level. The lesson here is this: if you want to get seafood, go to a place that specializes in seafood, not a steakhouse.

3. Porterhouse T-Bone Steak

While this steak is described as a 23 oz.,Texas-sized USDA Choice steak, you might do well to stay away from it. A California diner said in a Yelp review that when they tried to order the porterhouse at Texas Roadhouse, the waiter kept pushing for them to order a ribeye instead.  It’s one thing if the customers don’t like a certain food, but if the employees are warning against it, there’s got to be a good reason. Texas Roadhouse claims that its butchers cut every single steak that’s served at their restaurants, but according to statements made by some employees, that might not be the truth. Some Texas Roadhouse servers admitted on Reddit that the chain’s Porterhouse T-Bone Steak is oftentimes not hand-cut in-house but is rather shipped to the restaurants frozen. One employee said that their managers always told them not to suggest the Porterhouse T-Bone steak. This is because the steak is considered one of the worst ones by the people who work there. This is echoed by reviews on Yelp and other websites: customers complain that this steak is mediocre, and some of the meat is way too tough. If you’re going to Texas Roadhouse anytime soon, be sure to listen to what the employees recommend. They know what’s good!

2. Burgers

Texas Roadhouse is known for its beef, and for good reason. As we saw with the fish n’ chips, when the chain tries to leave its comfort zone, things start to get… Questionable. We can see this happening yet again with Texas Roadhouse’s burgers, which, unfortunately, leave much to be desired. There are a few burger options that this chain offers, including a Bacon Cheeseburger and a Smokehouse Burger that’s topped with mushrooms, onions, and barbecue sauce. Sadly, despite how yummy that sounds, all those toppings aren’t enough to mask the disappointing taste of the burgers themselves. One reviewer described the burger as two very well-done hockey pucks seasoned with too much salt, ending their statement by saying they will never have a hamburger at the restaurant again. Many other customers had similar complaints, calling the burgers bland, unflavored, and overcooked. And it doesn’t end there. Sadly, a lot of these burgers are bad for you, too. Take, for example, the Smokehouse burger. It has 1,200 calories and 33 grams of saturated fat. To put that into perspective, it has nearly 5 times more calories and 11 times more saturated fat than a regular hamburger from other fast food joints! It also exceeds your daily recommended sodium limit, and that’s not even counting the fries on the side. The bottom line is, if you want a burger that’s going to taste good without giving you way too much sodium, you’d be better off going somewhere else.

1. Peanuts

One of the best parts about going to restaurants is when they give you free appetizers. Unfortunately for Texas Roadhouse, their free appetizer is peanuts. Sure, peanuts are great, but it’s nothing compared to some bread rolls. Part of the chain’s long-standing casual vibe is the barrels and buckets of peanuts sitting around the restaurants, free for anyone to dig into. After everything that has happened this past year, not too many people would still be down to grabbing some of those peanuts. A Texas Roadhouse employee on Reddit warned that peanuts are a hub for germs, pointing out how many people stick their hands into the peanut containers every day without washing their hands. Another server commented that the peanuts left on tables often just get put right back in the barrels. So, you never know what you’re going to find. One customer in Chicago wrote on TripAdvisor that they were munching on some peanuts while waiting to be seated and found a half-eaten lollipop stick with a peanut shell stuck to it! Yeah, we’ll be skipping that part of the meal, thanks.

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