One Magic Word At Texas Roadhouse Gets You More Flavorful Side Dishes

If you're a Texas Roadhouse fan, you're probably already among the many who find the food there good, affordable, and with Texas-sized flavor. For starters, everyone agrees ... those rolls! And the Cactus Blossom is a must-have. Texas Roadhouse is also one of the few places where you can still get a flavorful plate of pork chops and applesauce that would make even Peter Brady smile. But if you want to boost the deliciousness factor of your TR meal even further, use one magic word the next time you order your sides: loaded.

You can get several sides on the menu there loaded (and we don't mean that to refer to the rolls being loaded with staples, either, though that's been known to happen), including mashed and baked potatoes, fries, and sweet potatoes. Ordering one of these sides loaded usually means that you'll get it with add-ons: For potatoes, you have the choice of sour cream, cheddar, bacon, Texas red chili, or "buttery spread" (which is not to be confused with actual butter, apparently), among other items, while fries get cheddar, Texas red chili, or bacon. 

But there's another way to do loaded as well. The sweet potato side comes with optional sweet toppings like mini marshmallows, a honey-caramel drizzle, or honey-cinnamon buttery spread, so you can take those toppings and "load" them on other sides — like the applesauce, for instance.

Texas Roadhouse makes it easy to customize and doctor your order to your liking. And besides going loaded, there are other ways to add an extra little something-something to your meal. One way is to order your entrée with what the restaurant calls a "sidekick." This means getting a mini-order of ribs on the side, or topping your dish with several shrimp. Some sources suggest that you can even top an appetizer like the Cactus Blossom with pulled pork.

For a minimal upcharge, you can have order some entrees "smothered," which would add sautéed mushrooms and onions on top. It's also possible to get a "shrimp smother," which has fewer shrimp (and is therefore cheaper) than the full shrimp sidekick. Or you can opt for a sprinkling of bleu cheese crumbles, which will cost you next to nothing. If you don't see any of these options on your location's menu, just ask.

In case you forget to order your meal with one of these upgrades the next time, don't worry. Texas Roadhouse servers are required to use certain buzzwords such as "loaded" with you when taking your order, so there's a good chance they'll ask you if you'd like your dish that way. Of course, whether or not you'll be able to hear them over the incessant racket inside the restaurant is another story.