Texas Roadhouse Vs Outback Steakhouse: Which Chain Has The Better Deal On Ribs?

Nothing says barbecue more than a slab of smoky, tangy, and tender pork ribs. Generally less expensive than steak per pound, baby back and spare ribs offer a good overall value for a generous portion of tasty, fresh-off-the-grill meat. While Texas Roadhouse and Outback Steakhouse both serve BBQ ribs, Texas Roadhouse offers the better deal when it comes to price. In fact, a full rack of ribs at Texas Roadhouse costs around the same price as a half rack at Outback. 

BBQ ribs come in different styles, including baby back, spare, and St. Louis Style. Baby back ribs are the most tender, fall-off-the-bone variety and are smaller in size, making them the easiest to eat. Meanwhile, spare ribs, cut from the belly of the pig, are larger, take longer to cook, and have more fat, which typically means more flavor. They are also generally less expensive than baby back ribs. St. Louis-style ribs are similar to spare ribs (fattier, larger), but are trimmed to remove cartilage and allow more even cooking. 

Ribs are typically served or sold in the grocery store as a full rack or half rack. A full-rack of baby back ribs weighs approximately 1.5 to 2 pounds and consists of 10 to 13 ribs. This is usually described as enough to feed two people (or not, depending on your appetite). Ribs are best cooked for an extended time with low heat (low and slow) to deliver that melt-in-your-mouth, fall-of-the-bone meat, using the oven, smoker/grill, or slow-cooker. 

While price vary per location, a full slab of Texas Roadhouse ribs in Wisconsin costs $24.99, while the half slab costs $18.99. It comes with two sides of your choice, such as baked or sweet potato, fresh vegetables, salad, mac and cheese, or steak fries. 

Texas Roadhouse advertises its ribs as "fall-off-the-bone," likely due to its low-and-slow, three-day cooking process. Indeed, in a segment on KTTC News, Texas Roadhouse chefs in the Midwest explain that they cook the ribs at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for around 10 hours. In the general process, on day one, the ribs are hand-cut just like the restaurant's premium steaks. Day two involves a heavy seasoning process and arranging the ribs in shallow pans filled with water and a secret ingredient to lock in moisture and flavor. The pans are covered with foil and placed in the oven for several hours. On day three, the ribs are grilled to create a caramelized flavor and covered with a generous amount of barbecue sauce that's on the sweet side. Find out exactly what type of BBQ sauce is used on Texas Roadhouse ribs.

Several Redditors in a post on the BBQ Subreddit are in favor of Texas Roadhouse's ribs, with comments such as, "Honestly they're delicious," and "Their ribs are solid as hell for a chain restaurant." However, some find them overly sauced and not true Texas-style ribs since they come covered in sauce instead of dry-rubbed with the BBQ sauce on the side. 

Again, keeping in mind that price varies per location, a full rack of ribs from Outback Steakhouse in Wisconsin costs around $30.99, while a half rack is priced at $23.29. Like Texas Roadhouse, the ribs come with two sides of your choice such as baked, sweet, or mashed potatoes, salad, soup, fries, or steamed veggies. 

According to Outback's website, its ribs are "smoked, brushed, and grilled with a tangy BBQ sauce." In a ranking of chain restaurant ribs on Tasting Table, the reviewer tasted ribs from ten different restaurants and found Texas Roadhouse to have the number one, best-tasting ribs, while Outback was declared runner-up. They describe Outback's ribs as "extra saucy," with a "scrumptious glaze that was sweet, smoky, and particularly tangy." 

Meanwhile, describing Texas Roadhouse's barbecue sauce, the taste-tester states, "It was thick and rich with distinct savory and sweet notes, but what I loved most was the essence of the grill." Both restaurant's ribs are reported as tender, with a fall-off-the-bone quality. For more chain restaurant ribs comparisons, check out a guide to which has better ribs: Texas Roadhouse or Chilis?

Static Media owns and operates Mashed and Tasting Table.