4 Tips To Get The Best Steak From Texas Roadhouse

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Despite the struggles of the restaurant industry, Texas Roadhouse is thriving. The steakhouse chain is a sales juggernaut, overtaking Olive Garden last year to become the bestselling casual dining restaurant in the U.S. The secret to the steakhouse's success is its quality cuts of beef at an affordable price, which allows diners to indulge their love of meat without taking out a second mortgage. Although it has a Lone Star State inspired name, the first Texas Roadhouse got its start in Indiana in the early '90s and has remained a beloved establishment since its inception. 

While the restaurant does pretty well with its menu as-is, you can enhance your Texas Roadhouse experience with a few simple requests and recommendations. For instance, you can get a fresher steak by asking for a size not listed on the menu. The restaurant also offers generous toppings and will cook steak to your exact preference (for good or ill). Though there are common Texas Roadhouse dining mistakes, like overdoing it on the tasty bread rolls, with our latest round of advice, we hope your next sojourn to the establishment will be undeniably delicious.

Texas Roadhouse locations typically feature a steak case somewhere in the lobby area. While it might seem like little more than a clever marketing ploy, diners can inspect the display and hand-pick a steak for their dinner. We recommend you take the opportunity to do so, as it can add a lot to your meal. Looking at the display can help you find the Texas Roadhouse steak with the most delicious marbling – intramuscular fat that melts down as the steak cooks. This fat infuses the meat with flavor and helps keep the texture tender and juicy.

Foodwise, it's easy to overdo it at Texas Roadhouse. In addition to steak, diners can also indulge in enticing sides and apps like baked potatoes and fried pickles. That's not even mentioning the toasty, buttery dinner rolls that come free to every table. As such, choosing a steak from the display ensures you get the right cut of beef for your appetite, and stops your taste buds from writing a check your stomach can't cash. 

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This tip comes courtesy of Reddit, where a self-described Texas Roadhouse employee shared some beefy secrets about the restaurant. If your goal is to get the freshest steak possible, the insider recommended specifying a size. "You can always request a specific size as long as it is bigger than the largest size on the menu," they said, explaining that tacking on an extra two ounces means your beef is cut right before it's cooked, as opposed to being served previously cut steaks from earlier in the day.

According to the tipster, you'll naturally be charged for the extra ounces, though how much depends on your location. If possible, see if you can get a thicker cut, too, as heartier steaks tend to cook up nicer than its thinner counterparts. It's easier to get a nice sear on both sides while maintaining a juicy interior when beef has a thickness of 1 ½ inches or more. Like all special requests, we can't necessarily guarantee your success, but it never hurts to ask (politely). 

With steaks, some people shy away from adding toppings and sauces. Others are more forgiving when it comes to fixings, especially at casual restaurants like Texas Roadhouse (although using something like A1 on your meat is identified as one of many ways to ruin an expensive steak). We love steak both ways, so we appreciate the restaurant offers a few enticing toppings. 

For an added fee, Texas Roadhouse patrons can choose one or more of the following: jack cheese ($0.50), sautéed onions and mushrooms ($2.29), grilled shrimp ($3.99 for three), and bleu cheese crumbles ($0.79). The chain also offers a dish called road kill, which is chopped steak topped with sautéed onions and mushrooms and jack cheese. 

Out of these options, sautéed onions and mushrooms and bleu cheese crumbles best complement the savory flavor of steak, at least in our opinion. Mushrooms are known for its meaty flavor, while the mild sweetness of caramelized onions nicely offsets beef. Bleu cheese crumbles introduce some creaminess to the dish, while also enhancing steak with deep, earthy flavor. 

At Texas Roadhouse, customers can request their steak cooked rare to well-done. Of course, just because you can do something doesn't mean you should, especially when it comes to seared beef. Steak doneness can be a matter of food safety, which is why the USDA recommends beef is cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. On the other hand, overdoing it can leave you with a sad, sorry hunk of meat and greatly detract from your steakhouse experience. 

You should never order well-done steak for two crucial reasons. Overcooking steak (well-done requires reaching an internal temp of 160 degrees Fahrenheit) depletes the meat of juiciness, which diminishes texture and flavor. If you want to ensure a safe doneness with a pleasing texture and taste, medium is a great alternative, as it entails cooking steak to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. If you're a genuine fan of charred, well-done beef, cooking to medium well (150 degrees Fahrenheit) can help retain some of the tenderness and flavor.