Have you ever wondered what makes Texas Roadhouse steaks so good? The chain restaurant uses fresh, USDA Choice beef, and there are butchers on site at every location, slicing the steaks by hand before they hit the grill. Yes, it's a steakhouse, but that doesn't mean red meat is the only tasty item on the menu. In fact, there's a chicken dish with a serious fandom, and it's so good that it just might make you say, "Hold the beef, please."

In a writer-tested ranking of Texas Roadhouse chicken specials, Mashed contributor Sam Zwick crowned portobello mushroom chicken the best of the bunch. The dish stars marinated grilled chicken breast doused in portobello mushroom sauce and topped with Jack and parmesan cheeses. Priced around $17, it also comes with a choice of two sides, which range from a baked potato or Caesar salad to seasoned rice. "It's the perfect marriage of a well-cooked chicken breast and a host of toppings that complement one another," Zwick attests.

It's similar to the restaurant's smothered chicken, which comes with sautéed mushrooms and a choice of cheese or gravy, but Zwick says the portobello mushroom chicken is better. "Different from the brown gravy I chose for the smothered chicken, Texas Roadhouse's portobello mushroom sauce is richer in flavor, thanks to thicker, meatier slices of mushrooms. The parmesan also adds a nutty, savory note that plays especially well with the mushrooms, while minced parsley adds a fresh, herbal element that further elevates the dish."

Reviewers agree, Texas Roadhouse's portobello mushroom chicken is worth ordering

One big mistake everyone makes when eating at Texas Roadhouse? Only ordering steak. If the idea of portobello mushroom chicken hasn't won you over yet, consider these positive reviews. "I had the chicken portobello. Oh my gosh, that was awesome. I'm normally a ribeye guy," one steak fan admitted on TripAdvisor. "I had the portobello mushroom chicken, and it was fantastic," said another TripAdvisor reviewer. 

Over on Reddit, a Texas Roadhouse server listed the portobello chicken as one of their recommended dishes — as long as you enjoy mushrooms. The savory mushrooms and sauce flavor every morsel of the dish, much to the delight of diners. A customer who ate at a Texas Roadhouse in Ohio proclaimed in a Google review, "Portobello mushroom chicken was the best I've ever had. 

You could certainly pull off a similar dish in your own kitchen by ladling rich, homemade mushroom gravy and a melted cheese blend over marinated grilled chicken. If you decide to visit the restaurant, you may want to take Mashed contributor Sam Zwick's suggestion and ask to add the sautéed onions that come with smothered chicken. That way, you can taste the best of both dishes in one go. For sides, we recommend green beans with bacon, mashed potatoes, and buttered corn.