Buzzwords Texas Roadhouse Servers Have To Say Every Shift (But Customers Never Notice)

I once worked for a fancy cruise line that required us to use approved vocabulary when speaking to folks onboard. Say "guests," not passengers. Say "suites," not cabins. And if someone thanked us, responding with "No problem" or even "You're welcome" was forbidden. The obligatory response was an enthusiastic "Certainly!" Texas Roadhouse likewise requires servers to use buzzwords with every table. Here are some, according to social media.

At 33-year-old restaurant chain Texas Roadhouse, don't be surprised if your server greets you with a "Howdy." That's the required Roadhouse way of giving you the full Texas experience. Your whole meal will be legendary — your server is expected to throw in the adjective "legendary" in front of any menu item they can, but especially when it comes to margaritas. Not to mention that the beers are "ice-cold," the steaks are "hand-cut," and the bread is "fresh-baked." And you're sure to hear about all of that during your interaction with Texas Roadhouse staff.

As soon as your butt hits the booth, your server will likely begin their spiel, which will include asking, "Is this your first time dining with us?" If you answer yes, they will segue into another pre-scripted monologue meant to familiarize you with pertinent Roadhouse information and highlights. Then, getting back on track, they'll continue with the playbook that was drilled into them during training, suggesting various menu items, likely ending with "And may I recommend our fall-off-the-bone ribs?"

The buzzwords and by-the-book lingo that servers are trained to use will continue throughout the meal. For starters, staff are strongly encouraged to upsell to bump up your bill. And the Texas Roadhouse equivalent of "Would you like fries with that?" is to ask if you'd like whatever you ordered "smothered" (with extras like shrimp) or "loaded" (with things like cheese or bacon), or if you want a "kicker" (extra shot) with your margarita or mushrooms and onions on your steak. "And how about some of our made-from-scratch sides? They're legendary!" In other words, your server will ask you countless questions — the food isn't the only thing being grilled.

Speaking of ordering steak at Texas Roadhouse, your server's expected to translate the temperature of the meat into layman's terms. As in: You say, "I'll have my steak medium rare." They say, "That's going to come out warm and red in the center." They're also required to read your whole order back to you to avoid errors and verify that everything's correct. (That part's just basic Table Service 101.)

To appease any impatient tables, servers are also coached to give important reasons for any delays, such as "I have more fresh-baked rolls coming out ASAP, but it could be a minute. Our bakers take their time to make the bread right." New staff must know the whole menu by heart before they're allowed to wait on a single table. And they're also supposed to memorize the cheesy birthday song to sing to guests. It's all verified by undercover guests known as secret shoppers, who check up on servers to make sure everything is legendary.