Texas Roadhouse

I wasn't sure about trying another Texas Roadhouse after a bad experience at one close to home not too long ago. But thanks to the positive reviews here, I decided to give it a try. So glad I did. A big shout out to all the yelpers who posted reviews here. The wait was 30 minutes on a Sunday night before New Year's Eve. The waitress was a bit different, in that she didn't write down our orders but said she would get them right when she turned them in. Yes, the steaks were perfectly cooked. My wife had the 12 ounce sirlion and I had the 20 ounce bone-in ribeye, both medium well, and they were spot on. I enjoyed a Sam Adams Boston Lager with my meal and it was de-lic-ous ! Great job here.

This isn't the type of eatery I'd go to, really ever. I hate most chains, particularly when it comes to steak. If I'm getting a steak I want a good steak. Dry aged, tender, juicy, etc. I would rather pay more than get a steak that's either chemically aged or not aged at all.

But sometimes you have no say in where you eat. As such, I ended up at the Texas Roadhouse, a chain from whose parking lot you can see an infinite amount of other chains. It was enough to bring tears of pain to my eyes. All those places with terrible, microwaved food.

The ambiance wasn't really what I go for, either. True to the name, this was all country and western. And cheap, I need to stress cheap. There were paper snowflakes hanging from the ceiling and that super cheap fabric snow everywhere. It looked like the late 70s. Just fake fabric snow haphazardly tossed everywhere.

Ordering is a chore, too. The menu very clearly states what each temperature translates to (e.g., "medium rare: warm pink center), but obviously Texas Roadhouse feels its customers are idiots so every single steak ordered is followed with the waitress repeating the desired temperature, what color it is, and asking if this is ok. For a large group this is ridiculously repetitive. As a whole ordering is pretty drawn out. "I'd like the 9oz filet cooked medium rare." "Medium rare: warm with a pink center. Is that ok?" "Yes, I said medium rare. I'd like it with..." "would you your steak smothered with onions or cheese?" "No. I'd like..." "Your steak comes with two sides. Which would you like?" "I'd like a baked sweet potato..." "Baked sweet potato. Would you like that smothered with marshmallows and caramel sauce?" "Caramel? What? No. I'd also like..." "What would you like for your other side?" "Jesus, I was just getting to that. Life would be easier if you just let me say 'filet, medium rare, with a sweet potato and carrots."
It's like ordering from a robot. And while this may sound nit-picky, when you're in a party of 12 people the ordering process goes on forever as everyone is repeatedly asked the same questions, all of which are in the menu. The waitress is trained to interrupt you constantly to make sure you know every tiny bit of the order rather than let you actually order and then ask any questions as needed.

On to the food. The rolls brought out with cinnamon butter were cardboardy. My steak was cooked right but ridiculously dry. I've made this complaint at several places now, but it was amazing to get a medium rare steak, a little purple in the middle, and not have a drop of blood on the plate after. Not a single drop of juice anywhere. Others got the smaller filet and had plenty of juice, so this was an issue with the larger filets. Perhaps they don't sell as many.

I understand that not everyone can afford to go to Jeff Ruby's, Celestial, or wherever. But there still has to be better options than this. My steak was edible. That's what I'm calling it. Edible. it was tender, but not juicy or flavorful.

Good steak at a decent price.  I can recommend the burgers as well.  The staff and management are friendly and prompt.  They are very accommodating with special requests as well.  The ribs and pork chops are also excellent choices if you prefer pork to beef.  The food quality control is very good.  I would consider Texas Roadhouse being of comparable style and price to Logan's. Steakhouse  Texas Roadhouse ranks well above Logan's in steak quality and preparation.   If you are looking for the very best (and willing to pay accordingly) The Precinct, Ruth's or Morton's should be your choice.