5 Menu Items You Should Start Ordering At Texas Roadhouse

Even though the word “steakhouse” isn’t in the name, that’s exactly what Texas Roadhouse is, and the spécialité de la maison (steak, of course) is many people’s go-to order. I, personally, am partial to the 6-ounce sirloin, which is the chain’s best-selling cut. At the nearest TR to me (in Oak Creek, Wisconsin), this entrée, plus two sides, comes in under $15. Even in such a steak-centric restaurant, however, there are other options that are well worth exploring.

In the past, we have covered several non-steak Texas Roadhouse specialties, including the staff’s favorite fish dish (fried catfish, which is unfortunately not on the menu at every location). We’ve even extolled the budget-friendly (if unappetizingly-named) Road Kill dinner that consists of chopped steak topped with melted cheese, mushrooms, and onions. This list includes a few more fan favorites that also deserve their props. Each entrée has received rave reviews from customers and is well worth checking out if you can ever tear yourself away from the steak section of Texas Roadhouse’s menu.

If you’re in the mood for beef but you want something saucy and easy to eat, here’s a tip: Try ordering Texas Roadhouse’s beef tips, which can be found on the Country Dinners section of the menu. This tasty mélange consists of cut-up chunks of steak smothered in brown gravy and sour cream and accompanied by a mix of sautéed mushrooms and onions. The $16.49 meal comes with a choice of either mashed potatoes or seasoned rice, but you still get to pick one additional side of your choice.

One TikTok reviewer, upon trying the beef tips for the first time, had this to say of the dish: “This was so good. The brown gravy is well-seasoned and so rich in a good way. Everything worked so well with the rice.” The dish has fans on Facebook, too, with one person posting: “I discovered their beef tips my last visit and fell in love. Tonight, they were just as great.” A commenter concurred, “Absolutely love their beef tips! I get them every time!”

Another item found in the Country Dinners section of the Texas Roadhouse menu is a pulled pork dinner. What you get here is a heaping helping of slow-cooked pork with a side of barbecue sauce, along with two pieces of toasted bread. You also get to choose two of the same sides that come with a steak dinner.

So why order pork at a steakhouse? Because it’s pretty darn great, that’s why. One Yelper described the dish by saying: “The meat was tender and flavor[ful],” while another enthused, “I got the pulled pork dinner, and it was Ah-mazing! For 10 bucks, I make 3 meals out of it.” Admittedly, this review was written before prices went up — in my area, the meal now sells for $14.49. Even so, that’s a pretty good deal since you can easily pay that much for an unaccompanied sandwich at a local food truck. Speaking of sandwiches, the pulled pork is also available on a bun. This option costs $12.49 and comes with a pickle spear and a side of steak fries.

Ordering a burger at a steakhouse? There’s nothing wrong with that. Even the fanciest establishments offer them — last year, for National Burger Month in May, Morton’s sold a $39 wagyu smashburger. Coming in at just over one-third of that price is Texas Roadhouse’s $13.99 Smokehouse Burger, which may not have beef from a pedigreed cow but does come topped with two cheeses (American and jack), sautéed mushrooms, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, and barbecue sauce. You also get steak fries and a pickle, while bacon is available for an upcharge.

One Redditor described this burger as “huge and just delicious.” A YouTube reviewer echoed these sentiments, saying, “Yeah, that is a big, huge burger … it’s got a really, really good flavor to it.” He rated the burger five out of five because he liked the seasoned patty and all of the toppings, but he did acknowledge that it was pretty messy to eat. Then again, he attempted to do so while sitting in his car. It’s probably less sloppy if you’re holding it over a plate.

Chicken is usually a pretty solid alternative if you’re not into red meat, and Texas Roadhouse offers several different chicken dinners. If you’re ordering for health purposes, you’ll probably want to stick with something plain like the herb-grilled chicken, which comes in at a low 260 calories (minus whatever sides you pick). For something more indulgent and flavorful, though, we’d recommend the smothered chicken, which amounts to a grilled chicken breast topped with mushrooms and onions, along with your choice of jack cheese, brown gravy, or cream gravy. (Or all three, if you like.) Surprisingly enough, this $15.99 entree only has 330 calories, so it, too, is still on the healthy side.

One Facebook user claimed the dish doesn’t need any toppings (even gravy), saying, “The chicken was so moist & delicious!!!” Texas Roadhouse’s smothered chicken also made a convert of a steak-loving TripAdvisor user. As they related, “I almost always order steak at Texas Roadhouse, but this time decided on the smothered chicken. OMG, it was so moist and so delicious, I will be ordering it from now on.”

Even when I do want steak, sometimes I prefer something a little lighter than a hunk of beef with two sides. In that case, I almost always order Texas Roadhouse’s steakhouse filet salad. At $17.99, it’s a bit more expensive than the 6-ounce sirloin I usually get, but it’s made with higher-quality beef. It doesn’t come with any sides (apart from the deservedly famous Texas Roadhouse rolls), but the salad itself more than makes up for this lack. In addition to a heaping helping of greens, it includes tomatoes, red onions, bacon bits, croutons, blue cheese crumbles, and two kinds of dressing: Italian and creamy blue cheese. (The latter is served on the side.)

It appears I’m not the only one who’s a super-fan of this salad. One Facebook user wrote, ” … it’s my favorite steak salad anywhere!” while a Yelper enthused, “It was a great salad! I would not hesitate to order it again.” Me neither. In fact, I’m kind of craving one now.