How To Get A Freshly Cut Steak At Texas Roadhouse, According To Reddit

One reason people are willing to pay a premium at a steakhouse is the promise that what they'll be served will be high-quality and fresh. Not everyone has the time or expertise to whip up a really good steak, so leaving it to the pros is just good business. That being said, not having control over the cooking side of things does leave you at risk of being served subpar food. Most steakhouses worth their salt do their best to limit that risk as much as possible, but there's only so much a huge chain can do.

For Texas Roadhouse, one way it eases customers' concerns over this issue is by cutting the meat in-house. The only type of steak Texas Roadhouse doesn't cut in-house is the porterhouse T-bone. This matters because once the meat is cut there's more surface area for air to interact with, which increases the rate at which the meat loses its fresh quality. It makes sense if you think about it. If you could choose between a cut of steak that's been out for a few days versus one that's just been sliced off the bone, the one that's fresher will undoubtedly taste better.

To that end, a Texas Roadhouse employee recently took to Reddit to share some tips about how to ensure what you're ordering is as fresh as can be. "If you want to ensure your steak is cut to order (instead of precut that morning like many 6/8/11 [ounce sirloin]) you can always request a specific size as long as it is bigger than the largest size on the menu," said the post.

The downside of this trick is that you have to buy the largest portion available and then some, which costs more money. If money is no issue and you're hungry enough for it, this trick is a no-brainer. Otherwise, you can ask your waiter for advice or opt for a steak cut that isn't as likely to have been cut hours before. The Reddit post specifically mentions sirloin. It's a popular cut that chefs know will sell, so they're more prone to pre-cutting those beforehand. If that logic holds true, ordering something off the beaten path could net you a cut made to order. Similarly, if you're eating at a busy time like late dinner and food is flying off the shelf, you're less likely to get a cut of steak that's been sitting out a while.

With Texas Roadhouse making such a fuss about cutting its meat in-house, you might wonder if that means other steakhouses aren't doing the same. The practice will vary from restaurant to restaurant, and businesses that choose not to cut the meat themselves aren't exactly going out and sharing that information, so the best way to determine if you can take these tips and use them somewhere else is to ask the restaurant you're thinking of if it also cuts the meat in-house. If so, the advice the Texas Roadhouse employee gave should carry over well enough. If all this sounds like more hassle than it's worth, rest assured that Texas Roadhouse is well-loved for a reason. Personally, between Texas Roadhouse and Longhorn Steakhouse, we prefer the former.