The Steak Side Dish That Puts Texas Roadhouse Ahead Of Outback & LongHorn

Customers flock to steakhouse chains to indulge their carnivorous cravings, but these restaurants also offer a variety of delicious sides to ensure a satisfying meal. Baked potatoes, buttered corn, fried onions, and jalapeño cheese balls are just a few of the many tempting sides and appetizers at Texas Roadhouse, but there is one side dish that customers find especially delicious. In a Mashed poll to determine the best side dish at Texas Roadhouse, 31% of the more than 600 respondents agreed that the restaurant's steak fries stood out from the rest of the chain's offerings. Mashed potatoes and baked sweet potatoes came in second and third, while sautéed onions came in dead last. 

If you think you can score hearty, thick-cut fries at similar steakhouses, think again. Outback offers lots of potato-based sides, but its seasoned Aussie fries are on the thin side compared to Texas Roadhouse's sizable steak fries. As for LongHorn Steakhouse, the chain also serves french fries, but like Outback, they can't hold a candle to steak fries when it comes to heartiness.

Despite what Mashed readers have to say about Texas Roadhouse's version of the side, some people love to hate steak fries. The overwhelming complaint is that these thick beauties feature too much potatoey goodness and not enough crispy crunchiness. As for where the steak fries concept originated, that's not entirely clear. Fries as we know them today were likely created in Europe (either Belgium or France) at some point during the 18th century. When it comes to steak fries, it's been claimed that the over-sized spuds were developed to accompany thick cuts of meat such as steak, which is where the dish likely got its name. 

Customers at Texas Roadhouse who want to sample the chain's beloved steak fries may enjoy them simply with a sprinkling of salt and accompanied by ketchup or ranch. The steakhouse also offers decadent cheese fries featuring cheddar and bacon crumbles, as well as Texas red chili-topped spuds. If you're curious about other tasty steak accompaniments (along with ones to avoid), check out our ranking of Texas Roadhouse side dishes from worst to best.