Texas Roadhouse

Texas Roadhouse
18194 Gulf Freeway
Friendswood
Houston
Texas 77546
United States Of America

13345 Farm To Market 1960 Road West
Cypress-Fairbanks
Houston
Texas 77065
United States Of America

https://www.texasroadhouse.com/

Texas Roadhouse Signage

Fall-Off-The-Bone Barbecue Pork Ribs, Hand Cut Beef Steaks, Great Service

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 8
Food & Beverage: 9
Service: 8
Value for Money: 9
Spent about USD $38 / SGD $52 per person.

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Update, Dec-2024: Over 10 years later, and I've finally managed to revisit Texas Roadhouse, the iconic restaurant chain founded by Wayne Kent Taylor in Clarksville, Clark County, Indiana, United States Of America, in February 1993. Much has changed, Texas Roadhouse is certainly less of a rowdy bar now, and more like a formal restaurant where families and friends gather for special occasions. Prices have certainly risen sharply as well, not just due to inflation, but because of their now premium positioning. Still, Texas Roadhouse promises a fantastic dining experience, which I'm glad I got to experience again.

Texas Roadhouse Exterior

Texas Roadhouse Interior

Ambience at Texas Roadhouse remains buzzing and noisy. There's still the dim lighting, cramped wooden booths, and cowboy themed decor, with country music videos playing on screens. Smoking or vaping is no longer allowed indoors, note also that Texas Roadhouse prohibits openly carrying firearms as at the time of this post. The open kitchen and beef steak display at the entrance is a welcome sight for diners waiting to be seated. The place is also much cleaner than before, without peanut shells littering the floor.

Service at Texas Roadhouse is still efficient and attentive. Staff are assigned sectors, so you're assured to be well taken care of, as the assigned staff will regularly check on your dining experience. I visited twice in 2 days, and each staff demonstrated good product knowledge, being able to describe dishes on the menu, as well as proactively topped up drinks and cleared finished plates. I observed staff celebrating birthdays for other guests, and while there's no dancing anymore, they do break into the birthday song with gusto, exhorting nearby tables to cheer along.

Food at Texas Roadhouse is American cuisine, focused on East Texas style barbecue and Tex-Mex. This means low and slow cooking, with meats marinated and basted in sauces. Quality of food is well-executed and consistently delicious. The menu is more extensive now, and portions remain large for individuals. Sharing platters are huge. It also appears that peanuts are served on request now, and diners are expected to discard the shells into metal pails on each table. Prices have increased and now command a premium, budget about USD $38 / SGD $52 per person.

Texas Roadhouse Entrance

Open Kitchen

Meat Display

Decor

Seating

Their Iced Tea (USD $3.19) is served with a wedge of lemon, lending a zesty sour tangy flavour, and is refillable. The unsweet version features thin black tea chilled with ice cubes with earthy flavour. I appreciate that staff help to proactively top up drinks.

Iced Tea (USD $3.19)

Iced Tea

The Soft Drink Coca-Cola (USD $3.19) is also refillable, but the carbonation makes you feel more full. Has a lively fizzy thin texture, with balanced herbal spice bitter sweet flavour, tasting like a combined blend of combination of liquorice, vanilla, caramel, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Also refillable, but rather than actually refill it, staff simply bring you another huge mug.

Soft Drink Coca-Cola (USD $3.19)

Soft Drink Coca-Cola

The Bread Roll (USD $Complimentary) here is famed in its own right. Baked fresh every 5 minutes and served complimentary to each table upon being seated, these soft fluffy chewy bread rolls are paired with a blend of honey, cinnamon, and salted butter, making them completely irresistible with buttery bready sweet floral honeyed savoury spice flavour. The demand for this is so high, they now sell frozen packs of bread rolls for customers to enjoy at home. Highly recommended!

Bread Roll (USD $Complimentary)

Bread Roll

Bread Roll

Love the freshness of the Caesar Salad (USD $Complimentary With Main Dish Ordered), feels so wholesome. Their version omits the use of anchovies, and is served already tossed and garnished, but is still pretty tasty. The mix of romaine lettuce, bread croutons, cherry tomatoes, chicken eggs, and parmesan cheese, has crisp crunchy juicy tender textures, with vegetal eggy sweet tangy sour spice flavours. Highly recommended!

Caesar Salad (USD $Complimentary With Main Dish Ordered)

Caesar Salad

Love the Chili Con Carne (USD $Complimentary With Main Dish Ordered) here, with its good depth of flavour. Less meaty than other versions, the ample use of crisp diced red onions, shredded cheddar cheese, and blend of fresh tomatoes with tomato paste, herbs, and spices, help round out the tender minced beef stew. Their version omits beans. Has a chunky grainy smooth texture with bright meaty savoury salty spice flavour. Served with crackers on the side, I find this good enough on its own. Good!

Chili Con Carne (USD $Complimentary With Main Dish Ordered)

Chili Con Carne

Overflowing out the sides of the bowl, the Mashed Potato (USD $Complimentary With Main Dish Ordered) is deliciously tasty, with a thick creamy smooth texture and starchy savoury buttery salty flavour. Paired with a brown gravy, making it gently addictive. Highly recommended!

Mashed Potato (USD $Complimentary With Main Dish Ordered)

Mashed Potato

Their rendition of Macaroni And Cheese (USD $Complimentary With Main Dish Ordered) is milder than elsewhere, due to the use of white cheddar cheese. Has a soft gooey creamy texture, with starchy cheesy salty sweet milky flavour. Decent but unremarkable.

Macaroni And Cheese (USD $Complimentary With Main Dish Ordered)

Macaroni And Cheese

The Combo Appetizer (USD $12.99) offers a trio of their signature appetizers. Of the 3, the Buffalo Wings was disappointing, being dry and tough. Loved the Baked Potato Skins and Fried Dill Pickles, both of which were well-executed and tasty. The Baked Potato Skins have a crisp crunchy exterior, a fluffy tender creamy gooey interior, and robust smoky cheesy salty starchy savoury sweet earthy flavour. The Fried Dill Pickles has a crispy crunchy exterior, a juicy soft interior, and carries vegetal salty savoury spice sour tangy flavour. Highly recommended!

Combo Appetizer (USD $12.99)

Combo Appetizer

Baked Potato Skins

Baked Potato Skins

Fried Dill Pickles

Fried Dill Pickles

Buffalo Wings

Some dishes are served with a choice of Barbecue Sauce or Ranch Sauce, the former thick sticky with tangy sour sweet savoury spice flavour, the latter thick creamy with tangy zesty milky sweet savoury herbal flavour. Good!

Barbecue Sauce

Ranch Sauce

The Fall-Off-The-Bone Ribs Plate (USD $17.99 Half Slab / $22.99 Full Slab) is served with 2 side dishes, I opted for Chili Con Carne and Macaroni And Cheese. Their signature house smoked Barbecue Pork Ribs really has tender fall-off-the-bone texture, infused with bold smoky meaty savoury tangy sour sweet herbal spice flavour from the low and slow cooking over hickory wood. Nicely succulent. Highly recommended!

Fall-Off-The-Bone Ribs Plate (USD $17.99 Half Slab / $22.99 Full Slab)

Fall-Off-The-Bone Ribs Plate

Fall-Off-The-Bone Ribs Plate

Barbecue Pork Ribs

Barbecue Pork Ribs

The Pulled Pork Dinner Plate (USD $13.99) is served with 2 side dishes, I opted for Caesar Salad and Mashed Potato. Their signature Pulled Pork has a tender chewy texture, with bold smoky meaty savoury tangy sour sweet herbal spice flavour from the low and slow cooking over hickory wood. Additional barbecue sauce is served on the side for dipping. Highly recommended!

Pulled Pork Dinner Plate (USD $13.99)

Pulled Pork Dinner Plate

Pulled Pork

Pulled Pork

Their serving of Cheesecake (USD $6.99) is huge, large enough for 2 people, with the dessert having a dense soft firm texture to the actual cheesecake, and a crumbly grainy base of crushed graham crackers. Dressed with a thick strawberry compote and whipped cream, this has cheesy milky floral biscuity sweet fruity zesty sour flavour. Highly recommended!

Cheesecake (USD $6.99)

Cheesecake

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Original Post, Sep-2013: Texas Roadhouse is a restaurant chain that was founded by Wayne Kent Taylor in Clarksville, Clark County, Indiana, United States Of America, in February 1993. Texas Roadhouse specialises in generous portions of tasty hand cut beef steaks, tender fall-off-the-bone barbecue pork ribs, locally brewed Texas beer, and service staff who occasionally break into dance.

Ambience at Texas Roadhouse is similar to a country bar, with wooden furniture and flooring, dim lighting, and cowboy themed decor. Booths are rather cramped and arranged in dining configurations of 4. Country music blares loudly in the background. Smoking is allowed within Texas Roadhouse, so expect to see diners light up after a meal.

Service at Texas Roadhouse is efficient and personal. While staff are generally friendly, each staff is assigned a specific table, and your tip will go to them, which means other staff will ignore you except for your designated server. If you can't spot your server in the dimly lit and noisy environment, ask the other staff to call him / her. Texas Roadhouse staff will break into a country dance / hoedown when the mood strikes, and diners are welcome to join in.

Food at Texas Roadhouse is served pretty quickly, and portions are large. The menu isn't very extensive, but decent enough so that you won't get bored on repeat visits. Generally, you choose a main, and 2 sides dishes. The more popular items include the beef steaks, beef brisket, pork ribs, and pulled pork. Prices are relatively reasonable for the amount you get, and the local beer is cheap. We spent about USD $22 (or SGD $28) per person. Excellent!

Gaudy neon lighting of the huge Texas state shape makes the place stand out, even at night.

Peanuts are provided as an appetizer, and the peanut shells are also used to clean up spills, by throwing them on the floor to increase traction.

The local beer Ziegenbock is available on tap, but isn't listed on the menu. Ask the staff for it.

Beer Ziegenbock

If you're up for trying various items, the Combo Platter might appeal to you. There are a few different types, but all feature 2 of the various specialties of the place.