13 Things Every First-Timer Should Know Before Eating At Texas Roadhouse

When it comes to steakhouses, Texas Roadhouse is a real crowd-pleaser, delivering quality cuts of beef and hearty portions in a down-to-earth atmosphere. Though Texas Roadhouse first opened in 1993 inside Clarksville's Green Tree Mall in Indiana, the restaurant drew inspiration from the family-friendly roadhouses that lined the backroads of the Lone Star State. It turns out that the Southern-style theme resonated with diners. Today, Texas Roadhouse boasts nearly 700 locations across the U.S., with the greatest foothold in Texas, Florida, and Ohio.

While many of us have tried Texas Roadhouse at one time or another, the chain holds a few surprises in store for first-timers. After all, even the restaurant's regulars may not be aware of all the extras the chain has to offer. Patrons may know the chain's menu back to front, but not everybody realizes that you can contact the restaurant ahead to shorten wait times, choose the steak from a display case, and even take some frozen rolls home. Whether it's a casual family dinner or a birthday celebration, here are a few things to know before you step through the saloon-style doors.

True to its name, Texas Roadhouse features country-themed decor. Standing alongside steakhouse chains like LongHorn Steakhouse and Logan's Steakhouse, Texas Roadhouse has built its brand around Southern-style interiors and a lively atmosphere. Replete with wooden and brick accents, comfortable booths, and bric-a-brac, the dining establishment offers guests a rustic setting perfect for a casual night out. Even its logo — the state of Texas with a cowboy hat — is fit for the par.

The walls of many Texas Roadhouse locations are adorned with murals, each one celebrating the area's local culture. Every Texas Roadhouse restaurant boasts a mural of a Native American elder in honor of the country's indigenous heritage. Interestingly, each Texas Roadhouse location also features "Willie's Corner," an area dedicated to the country music legend Willie Nelson. The corner, complete with photos, records, and other memorabilia, pays tribute to the friendship between Nelson and the chain's late founder, Kent Taylor, who met at a Farm Aid concert.

Most restaurants have a traditional reservation system — Texas Roadhouse has a Call Ahead Seating service. This means that calling ahead, or requesting a table online or through the restaurant's app, doesn't actually guarantee immediate seating. Instead, it helps to cut down the wait time once guests arrive at the restaurant. While Texas Roadhouse welcomes walk-ins, the wait time for those who don't plan ahead is likely to be longer than for diners who use the Call Ahead Seating service.

So how do you use the restaurant's Call Ahead Seating option? It's simple. Place your request to dine about 30 to 60 minutes before arriving at the restaurant, specifying the number of patrons. The chain will add your name to the waitlist, placing you in front of any walk-ins that arrive after your call. Depending on the Texas Roadhouse location, you may be able to request to be placed on a waitlist for a specific day or time.

Diners unable to secure a table in the restaurant's dining room can sit in the restaurant's bar area. Operating on a first-come, first-served basis, the bar offers both food and drinks, as explained by one Quora user, "If the wait is too long, go sit at the bar. They'll serve you food there, too." Unfortunately, one TripAdvisor reviewer doesn't recommend the chain's bar service, saying, "Just don't let them seat you in the bar area. The bartender helps the wait staff in that part of the restaurant. They get so busy they won't have time to keep your tea filled up. I waited so long for help when I last ate there, my food got cold."

For many, the allure of warm, freshly baked bread is a huge part of the restaurant dining experience. Served before a meal, complimentary baked goods often satiate the hunger just enough to keep patrons happy until the main event. When it comes to free bread, Texas Roadhouse doesn't disappoint. Baked fresh every five minutes, the chain's iconic rolls are served with its homemade honey cinnamon butter.

The founder of Texas Roadhouse, Kent Taylor, put a lot of effort into perfecting the recipe for the rolls before they were first served at the restaurant over 30 years ago. Taylor and his kitchen team sampled many flours and yeast strains before coming up with the ideal combination, which included in-house produced yeast. It's precisely this combo of very specific ingredients that makes the chain's rolls so delicious — and tricky to replicate at home.

Those craving tasty Texas Roadhouse rolls and cinnamon butter at home, however, can order them via the chain's website. Snag a half-dozen rolls for about $2.49 or a full dozen for around $4.99. According to one TikToker, if you are lucky, you may also be able to pick up frozen batches of the rolls from some Texas Roadhouse locations during the holiday season.

Texas Roadhouse used to be famous for its buckets of free peanuts. Served at each table, the peanuts gave diners something to snack on before their meal while contributing to the restaurant's low-key charm. Patrons were even able to toss the empty peanut shells on the floor at Texas Roadhouse. Unfortunately — or fortunately, depending on how you look at it — this messy tradition is no more.

The pandemic, which reared its ugly head at the end of 2019, triggered an increased interest in hygiene. This included restaurant food safety protocols. Ultimately, this meant that Texas Roadhouse reevaluated its peanut-friendly policy. After all, peanuts are a known allergen, and peanut shells on the floor pose a risk of slipping.

While the raucous tradition of peanut shell tossing is no longer in vogue at Texas Roadhouse, the restaurant still serves free peanuts. Certain locations continue to offer individually-bagged peanuts to guests at every table. If you are a peanut enthusiast, it's also worth asking for a basket of bagged peanuts, which are still available at some locations.

Texas Roadhouse offers around 10 different steak options, from tender Dallas filets and filet medallions to juicy New York strips and bone-in ribeyes. For diners who enjoy their beef with a twist, there is even a dish called Road Kill, a chop steak topped with sautéed onions, mushrooms, and jack cheese. All the cuts on the chain's menu are sourced from USDA Choice beef, offering quality without the high price tags of USDA Prime beef. Steaks made from USDA Choice beef are flavorful, juicy, and tender, but typically feature less marbling than USDA Prime beef.

Each Texas Roadhouse location employs its own in-house butcher tasked with hand-cutting each steak served at the restaurant. The chain's butchers work in chilly 34-degree coolers and process about $1 million worth of meat annually at each location. 

One Reddit user, who claims to be a Texas Roadhouse Service and Kitchen Manager, said that the steaks are seasoned after they are taken out of the cooler and placed on a flat top. "The trick is the sear plate caramalizing the seasoning and locking in the flavor," they explained. "It's tough to replicate the taste when you don't have a flat top cooking 500+ steaks a day. The cooking process is nothing fancy, we just take the steak out of the refrigerated unit down below, season it, butter on the flat top, sear both sides on the flat top, transfer to grill until [it's the] correct temperature."

While nothing beats the convenience of selecting a steak off the pages of a menu, each Texas Roadhouse restaurant features a steak display case for diners who prefer to see the cuts before making their dinner choice. It all boils down to how involved each patron wishes to be in customizing their meal. For some, choosing the cut type and the level of doneness is enough, while others prefer to inspect the color and marbling of the beef before placing their order.

So what is the best way to order from a Texas Roadhouse steak case? First, let your server know that you would like to select your own steak. After inspecting what's on offer, simply tell the butcher which cut caught your eye. They will then place a tag on the beef and give you a matching receipt to ensure that the chosen steak is delivered to your table. Perhaps one Redditor sums this up best, saying, "When they bring you the steak you usually get the other piece to show you they remembered and got you that steak."

Those not in the know may be surprised to see Texas Roadhouse employees break into an impromptu line dance, a gimmick designed to add to the restaurant's boisterous atmosphere. While the frequency of the performances depends on the individual location, some restaurants require their staff to kick up their heels every hour. A Wichita Texas Roadhouse owner explained the philosophy behind the dancing in an interview with The Wichita Eagle, saying, "It's just something fun for the guests. It's just part of what we do at Texas Roadhouse, have some fun and keep the energy up and guests love it. We pull kids out and they come out and dance and things like that."

The opinions about the performances have been divided, both among diners and the chain's employees — even if their reasoning may be a little controversial. For instance, one Redditor who claims to work as a server at Texas Roadhouse said that they love breaking into a dance, explaining, "I like dancing naturally, but being able to give my tables a big, and polite of course, 'f*** you' and ignore them for a solid 2 minutes is a good feeling during the busy ass rush." Perhaps this is one of the reasons why one Reddit user and Texas Roadhouse patron wasn't so impressed with the tradition, elaborating, "Why in the world does Texas Roadhouse make their servers do a line dance [...] and disrupt their guests' dinner by turning the music allllll the way up. [...] Am I living in bizzaro world right now? What is even happening?!"

The majority of entrées at Texas Roadhouse are served with a choice of two side dishes, allowing for customization. The chain offers a range of spud-based accompaniments, including homemade mashed potatoes, steak fries, sweet potatoes, and baked potatoes. Diners can also select from multiple vegetable options like buttered corn, steamed vegetables, green beans, and sautéed onions.

To ensure optimal freshness and consistency across locations, all of the chain's sides are made from scratch — this includes finishing touches such as dressings, croutons, and bacon bits. A self-proclaimed Texas Roadhouse Service and Kitchen Manager explained the chain's commitment to freshness in a Reddit post, saying, "The secret to everything at roadhouse is everything being incredibly fresh and made from scratch. [...] All the sides have less than a 4hr shelf life except Rice, Green Beans, and Chili. Which all makes everything taste incredibly fresh and [gives it] strong flavor."

A competitor to the Blooming Onion at Outback Steakhouse, the Cactus Blossom at Texas Roadhouse is like onion rings on steroids. Listed among other appetizers like crispy fried pickles, tater skins, and Texas red chili, the Cactus Blossom stands out as a deep-fried showstopper. The over-the-top starter is composed of a massive onion, which has been sliced to resemble an open flower, battered, and deep fried until golden brown. The appetizer is served with a Cajun or ranch dipping sauce.

The menu doesn't exaggerate when it describes the Cactus Blossom as "Texas-sized." As such, the appetizer is best for sharing, as highlighted by one Yelp reviewer. "We also ordered the Cactus Blossom which was a delightful appetizer that can definitely be shared between 3+ hungry adults!," they posted. Another Yelper has also praised the dish, saying, "It was really well-seasoned, and the sauce balanced it perfectly — didn't taste greasy at all." If you're really hungry, you can also upgrade the Texas Roadhouse Cactus Blossom by adding pulled pork.

While the desserts at Texas Roadhouse aren't exactly bad, they are unlikely to leave a memorable impression. With just three predictable dessert options on the menu, the chain plays it pretty safe. The first choice is the Strawberry Cheesecake drizzled with strawberry sauce and topped with whipped cream. The Granny's Apple Classic pie comes with vanilla ice cream and honey cinnamon caramel sauce. Finally, the Big Ol' Brownie arrives at the table garnished with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. Texas Roadhouse doesn't offer special desserts for children.

The chain's trio of desserts will do in a pinch, but they are probably not the best choice for diners seeking something truly indulgent and may, in fact, disappoint. A case in point is one TripAdvisor reviewer who was rather unimpressed with their sweet treat. "I rarely order dessert, but I asked and decided to try the strawberry cheesecake," they posted. "I received a horrible piece of inedible dried plain cheesecake with 2 strawberries (from a can) on top. I couldn't eat more than 2 bites, it was so dry." Similarly, one Yelp reviewer didn't recommend the restaurant's apple pie, saying, "Still wondering what that disgusting black slimy stuff which took up a quarter of the dessert plate was."

While Margaritas may be the darlings of Mexican restaurants, their widespread popularity has also earned them a place on the menus of other restaurants, including many steakhouses. Texas Roadhouse takes things a step further by offering seven different types of Margaritas. Whether enjoyed before, during, or after a meal, the classic cocktail delivers a welcome burst of citrusy flavor that's both bold and refreshing.

The recipe for a Margarita was first published in Esquire magazine in 1953. A medley of tequila, Cointreau, and lemon juice, the beverage was served in a glass with a salted rim. Texas Roadhouse serves versions of the cocktail that are close to the original, and others that depart from the classic take on this popular cocktail. The chain's signature Margaritas, which come on the rocks or frozen, are mixed with Dorado Gold Tequila. The strongest option on the chain's Margarita menu is the Legend Margarita, a potent concoction that combines three types of tequila — Patrón Silver, Patrón Reposado, and Patrón Añejo.

Texas Roadhouse also offers a choice of flavored Margaritas. The Fruity Margarita is blended with strawberries or raspberries. True to its name, the Mango Margarita comes with mango purée. Meanwhile, the Hurricane Margarita is a concoction of the restaurant's house Margarita, Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, grenadine, orange, and pineapple juice. Last but not least, the restaurant's Sangria Margarita combines a classic version of the cocktail with sangria.

In a world where everybody is constantly on the go, dining out as a family can provide a much-needed time to slow down and reconnect. This is why it's sometimes crucial to choose an establishment that caters to all ages. This is precisely what Texas Roadhouse delivers, creating a casual space where the young and the older can enjoy spending time together over a meal. The restaurant's former CFO Tonya Robinson summed this family-friendly philosophy up in a 2016 interview with The Motley Fool, saying, "It's just a comfortable place for families to go where they feel they can take their kids and they're going to be okay. [They] don't have to worry about them crying or screaming."

To cater to little steps, Texas Roadhouse has curated a special children's menu that features simple classics and kid-friendly portions. The "Kids & Rangers Meals" include a mix of steakhouse dishes and fast food-inspired choices. Fans of fast food can enjoy mini-cheeseburgers, hot dogs, and crunchy chicken tenders. Meanwhile, more adventurous young diners can opt for a steak, rib basket, or grilled chicken.

Texas Roadhouse knows how to make birthdays feel special with a unique birthday ritual — the chain's signature saddle ride. To explain, birthday guests can climb atop a mounted saddle while the restaurant's employees gather around shouting birthday greetings. Sometimes, the entire dining room gets swept up in the celebrations.

One happy TripAdvisor reviewer summed up the neighboring table's birthday experience, saying, "The highlight was seeing a horse saddle seat brought to a nearby table of diners. Servers gave the child who'd climbed into the saddle a happy birthday cheer (nothing long or obnoxious, just something like a genuine 'Yahoo' or 'Yippie' and then clapping). What a thrill for the birthday boy and fun for us to watch such joy unfold."

Aside from the saddle celebration, Texas Roadhouse offers a host of other birthday benefits, depending on the location. For instance, guests can mark the special occasion with a complimentary appetizer, side of ribs, or dessert. To claim the freebies, patrons must first sign up for the Texas Roadhouse VIP Club through the chain's website or app.