8 Texas Roadhouse Menu Items That Aren't Worth The Price

Texas Roadhouse is now the biggest and fastest growing casual dining chain in the United States. In fact, some reports indicate that, at a time when restaurant foot traffic is declining, Texas Roadhouse experienced a 7.2% increase in 2024. This can certainly be attributed to the food it serves being reasonably priced and high-quality — especially its hand-cut steaks. Plus, its sweet, buttery rolls are legendary. 

Not surprisingly, this restaurant is one of my family's go-to establishments when we want a good steak and a fun atmosphere that's not going to break the bank in the process. But, just like any restaurant you visit, some items on the menu fall a little flat. Either the quality is somewhat lacking, or the price just isn't in line with what you expect — and Texas Roadhouse has a few options worth skipping. Being armed with this information ahead of time can make your experience much more enjoyable, so here are the top eight dishes customers like myself recommend skipping the next time you visit Texas Roadhouse.

Texas Roadhouse is known for its hand-cut steaks. It's one aspect that sets it apart from other chain steakhouses. But the porterhouse, the most expensive steak on the menu (clocking in at roughly $35 in some locations), is not hand cut — despite being listed on the menu under hand-cut steaks. According to one Reddit user, an apparent former Texas Roadhouse employee, this is largely because the restaurants do not have bone saws, which are usually required to cut a porterhouse.

I experienced this letdown at my own Texas Roadhouse. Not too long ago, I took my family to dinner at the popular chain, and my mother-in-law ordered the porterhouse. Like most people who choose this cut, she appreciated that the porterhouse has two types of steak in one: a strip, and a tenderloin (or filet mignon). Unfortunately, when her steak arrived, it quickly became a disappointment; the chef had trouble cooking it properly, and it was dry. Needless to say, the next time we visited our favorite Texas Roadhouse location, she ordered a ribeye like the rest of us.

A full slab of ribs at Texas Roadhouse costs approximately $26, and goes up in price if you add a sidekick of shrimp. Because these ribs cost more than a 12-ounce ribeye, and have about 500 more calories, they may not be worth the price (or the extra calories). Plus, they get mixed reviews by customers.

Some people enjoy the ribs, with commenters on a Facebook post saying the ribs are tasty and fall off the bone. However, other reviewers find them dry and tasteless. One Yelp reviewer said their ribs were "dry and burned on the bottom," forcing them to fill up on their side dishes instead. Another Yelp reviewer said the ribs were the "saddest" part of their meal. Meanwhile, one TripAdvisor reviewer said their ribs were not meaty and instead "mostly fat and white and very dry" while another TripAdvisor reviewer noted that the ribs "tasted par-boiled" and were lacking sauce.

Because the taste and quality of the ribs can vary by location, you may be wondering if you should give them a try to decide for yourself. In that case, I recommend ordering them as a sidekick to your ribeye for $9.99, which is less expensive than ordering the Killer Ribs on the appetizer menu for $13.49. This way, you can sample the ribs without shelling out $26 for a full slab.

Once considered one of the best items on the menu, the fried catfish at Texas Roadhouse is just not what it used to be, according to some customers. One TripAdvisor reviewer reported being extremely disappointed in the catfish, saying the fish was "95% breading with a very finely sliced minuscule piece of fish in the center." Another TripAdvisor reviewer said they found bones in their catfish.

One Reddit reviewer even pointed out that the dish is misrepresented on the menu at their local restaurant. Instead of being referred to as fried catfish, it's billed as "fish and chips," which would imply you're getting halibut or cod. After talking with the manager, the reviewer discovered this establishment used a photo of fish and chips on the menu to make it "more appealing."

The menu also says the catfish is farm-raised in the U.S. instead of wild-caught. While this doesn't necessarily mean it's not nutritious or that it's unsafe, it could potentially have more contaminants in it due to living in a tank on the catfish farm. Overall, if you're not a meat eater and want to try something from the Dockside Favorites portion of the menu, I recommend the grilled shrimp instead.

When most people go to Texas Roadhouse and see the Cactus Blossom, they instantly envision the Bloomin' Onion at Outback Steakhouse. While the two do look strikingly similar, many people prefer Outback's version over Texas Roadhouse's option. In fact, one TikTok reviewer compared the two side-by-side and said the sweetness of the onion is more prominent in Outback's version. She also liked that the horseradish was slightly stronger, which complements the sweetness of the onion.

Likewise, customer reviews of the Cactus Blossom are hit or miss. Though plenty of people like this appetizer, some find the breading a little too thick and the overall texture greasy. One Yelp reviewer indicated that, sometimes, the batter isn't always cooked all the way through. Another Yelp reviewer had a similar experience, indicating the appetizer came out burned and greasy.

If you're looking for a tasty appetizer before your meal, my family enjoys the fried dill pickles, which are $1 cheaper ($7.99 vs. $8.99). Meanwhile, some patrons on Reddit have said the fried rattlesnake bites (fried jalapeños and Jack cheese with Cajun dipping sauce) are really good.

At roughly $15 to $25, the sirloin is one of the more economical cuts of steak on the Texas Roadhouse menu. It can be a tempting choice if you're not that hungry. However, by nature, sirloin steaks are leaner cuts of meat with a firmer texture. This can sometimes result in a tougher steak, especially if you prefer your steak medium-well or well-done. When someone in our party orders a sirloin, they're usually disappointed.

This steak also doesn't get the best reviews from customers. One reviewer on TripAdvisor who ordered the sirloin and ribs combo said the sirloin "had to be the toughest steak that I have ever tried to eat. I had to actually 'saw' it with the knife to cut it into small pieces just to chew it up." Another TripAdvisor reviewer noted the sirloin was tough and not cooked to order.

If your budget allows, I recommend ordering the 12-ounce ribeye at $25 and taking half of it home for lunch or dinner the next day. You could also split the 14-ounce ribeye with someone at your table (about $13.75 each), get roughly the same amount of steak as the 8-ounce sirloin ($17.49), and get a much tastier cut.

For people who enjoy comfort food, the country-fried steak (or country-fried sirloin) may sound like a viable option, especially since it costs about $17 — much less than many of the steaks. But, like the sirloin, this country dinner has a tendency to be dry and, ultimately, not worth the price.

For instance, one TripAdvisor reviewer said that, while the restaurant gives you a huge piece of steak, half of it is breading. They also feel the dish is over-spiced, and one of the worst versions of this classic they have ever had. Another TripAdvisor reviewer said the dish tasted "rancid," and a Reddit user noted the country-fried sirloin was primarily gristle and inedible. "I ate my fries and vegetables and the breading off the steak and left the despicable, disgusting piece of meat on my plate."

You would think that, because Texas Roadhouse specializes in great tasting steaks, it would prepare a country-fried version that's just as tasty. Instead, this dish is often a disappointment. In my opinion, you're better off spending your money on something else.

Like the country-fried sirloin, the beef tips are another menu option made with the restaurant's hand-cut sirloin. At roughly $17, it's often a budget-conscious purchase when someone wants steak flavor wrapped in a comfort food. But, rather than coming out rich, savory, and beefy tasting with a tender chew — like beef tips should taste — this dish can be somewhat dry, tough, and a huge disappointment.

For instance, one TripAdvisor reviewer noted that "the beef tips were small pieces of grizzly meat," the dish had an overwhelming number of onions, and only a few mushroom pieces. A reviewer noted on Yelp that their beef tips were not only overcooked, but were also "more like hard rubber door stoppers." Meanwhile, a Reddit reviewer said the beef tips were bland, hard to chew, and the accompanying rice was over-spiced and sticky.

With these reviews in mind, you may want to spend your $17 on something else. If $17 is your budget, try the pork chops, also found under Country Favorites on the menu. You can get one grilled chop for $15, or a double chop for $18. They usually get good reviews: One reviewer on TripAdvisor describes the steakhouse's pork chops as a "hidden secret."

For non-meat eaters who find themselves at Texas Roadhouse, it can be disappointing to learn that the restaurant's seafood options, or Dockside Favorites, are often less than stellar. The salmon in particular tends to be mediocre at best. As a dish that costs almost $21 — $1 more than an 8-ounce New York strip steak — think twice before ordering it.

Many times, customers note the salmon is dry and flavorless. One Yelp reviewer said the salmon tasted like "sandpaper" while another Yelp reviewer said she ended up with raw salmon instead of fully cooked fish. A reviewer on TripAdvisor had a different experience: They ended up with burned salmon. This leads food writers like me to deduce that, while chefs at Texas Roadhouse are skilled at cooking steaks to order, they may struggle to get salmon right. Admittedly, I have never ordered salmon at Texas Roadhouse — but that's because I go there primarily for the steaks, not the fish.