The Texas Roadhouse Steak Dish One Customer Called 'Hard Rubber Door Stops'

If you're a regular at America's top casual dining chain, Texas Roadhouse, you probably have a favorite dish that comes to your mind upon hearing the restaurant's name. But if you're anything like one Yelp reviewer, it's unlikely to be the beef tips. In theory, the beef tips — which are 1-inch cubes of grilled sirloin smothered in mushroom gravy with onions, sour cream, and a side of seasoned rice or mashed potatoes — should be delicious. Some diners say otherwise. In a brutal one-star review of the Texas Roadhouse in Orem, Utah, one Yelp reviewer said his beef tip dinner was less like the tender, gravy-bathed pieces of beef you would hope for and "more like hard rubber door stoppers," overcooked well past the medium temperature he ordered.

The reviewer is not alone in his disappointment. The small size of beef tips and the leanness of sirloin mean that grilling even slightly too long can overcook them, and his experience wasn't unique. In fact, a commenter on a Reddit post asking if Texas Roadhouse's quality has declined said this: "We couldn't even eat the tips because they were so tough and bland. And the rice was awful, too — overwhelmingly spiced and wet/gooey." The Texas Roadhouse beef tips do have their defenders, though. A fan on Reddit declared, "The beef tips meal is the biggest bang for your buck at any sit-down restaurant in America."

If you're a Texas Roadhouse first-timer and would just as soon avoid weighing in on the controversial beef tips, don't worry, as there are plenty of other dishes to try. Some of the best items on Texas Roadhouse's menu, according to customers, include the bone-in ribeye and the prime rib. One Facebook user even called the ribeye "one of the top three steaks I've ever had."

Remember, even if you have a craving for the rich mushrooms, onions, and gravy served with the beef tips, there are ways to enjoy it with other meals at the steakhouse. You can try a Texas Roadhouse ordering hack by requesting a dish of brown gravy, plus sauteed mushrooms and onions from the "sides and extras" section on the menu, to top up another steak beef tips-style. On the other hand, if you're not in the mood for as much meat as a ribeye but like the idea of well-topped beef, you might enjoy the Road Kill.  It's a chopped steak (which is like a hamburger patty) covered in mushrooms, onions, and jack cheese — though this Texas Roadhouse dinner is unappetizingly named, it's perfect for anyone that wants a creamy, gooey, savory meal.