This Popular Steakhouse Chain Is Missing From Just One US State

Many restaurant chains seem ubiquitous in the United States due to their reach and number of locations within the 50 states. However, while chains like McDonald's legitimately have locations in all 50 states (and the five major inhabited territories, at that), some incredibly popular restaurants fall just short of that distinction. One of the most notable of these is none other than Texas Roadhouse, which has a presence in 49 of the 50 states, with the only state missing out on the popular steakhouse being none other than Hawaii.

That's right, despite having roughly a little more than 5% as many total locations as McDonald's in the United States, Texas Roadhouse can't be found in the newest and most distant state to the mainland. Hawaii, being the sole outlier among the 50 states, came to be all the way back in 2014 when the first Texas Roadhouse location in Alaska opened up in Anchorage, allowing the largest city in America's largest state to enjoy all the delicious food and incredible deals that Texas Roadhouse has to offer.

Now, there's no official reason why Texas Roadhouse hasn't established a presence in Hawaii, but it's not particularly difficult to see how quickly semantics get in the way of the chain expanding there. Beyond many Hawaiian residents' preference for eating at local restaurants rather than mainland chains, Texas Roadhouse is also known for its very strict guidelines on beef freshness. Because of this, it could be difficult for the chain to effectively transport its USDA Choice-grade beef to Hawaii without experiencing a dip in quality or high fees to do so. Ultimately, this difficulty likely makes opening a Texas Roadhouse location in Hawaii seem like it's not worth the trouble among the chain's executives.

Nevertheless, if you find yourself craving a reliable steak while visiting Hawaii, you aren't entirely out of luck. Many will recommend that you visit Wolfgang's Steakhouse if you want to enjoy a traditional, high-end American-style steakhouse, which is especially beloved for its dry-aged meats. The fascinatingly named Ruth's Chris Steakhouse has three locations across two of Hawaii's islands, and is another classic choice for those looking for an alternative to Texas Roadhouse in the 50th state. However, if you want to go in a different direction entirely, Han No Daidokoro is a beloved Japanese steakhouse in Honolulu that famously serves A5-grade Miyazaki beef, some of the most critically acclaimed steak in the entire world.