Texas Roadhouse: Legendary Food, Legendary Service

Texas Roadhouse is an American steakhouse chain that specializes in steaks with a Texan and Southwestern flair. It was founded by a Texan family in 1993, based on the principles of serving fresh, authentic food made by hand.

For some reason, I was expecting Texas Roadhouse to be just another restaurant, but after having their steak, ribs, and complimentary rolls with cinnamon butter with my friends, the steakhouse became one of the restaurants on my radar. Thanks to The Bistro Group for bringing this gem to the Philippines!

The complimentary rolls and homemade cinnamon butter, which are provided while waiting for your order, are ridiculously good! If they make such a statement with just that, imagine how much better their main courses must be!

Sirloin

I don’t know if it was just a bad day, but the steak served to us was kinda tough, which shouldn’t have been an issue even with our request for medium-well doneness. I was just thankful that the beef was still full of juices and flavors. Even with just salt as seasoning, and without any sauce, the steak delivered. This sirloin only weighed six ounces, so we were glad it came with two made-from-scratch side dishes. I bet it would have been better if we had ordered it medium rare, but our companions weren’t comfortable with medium-rare steak.

St. Louis Rib Platter

When they labeled their ribs as fall-off-the-bone, they really meant it. I didn’t even get the chance to cut through with a knife. The fork was enough, and no meat stuck to the bone. That’s how tender it was! They showed us what award-winning baby back ribs should be through their unique blend of seasonings. Their signature barbecue sauce was sweet and smoky. It might be expensive, but it was a great deal at that price point. This rack of ribs and the six-ounce steak were enough to satisfy our group of four.

Crispy House Wings

The Crispy House Wings looked dull and disappointing, contrary to its vibrant photo on the menu. I couldn’t help but notice how small each piece was. They’d seem insignificant compared to the more affordable wings at Frankie’s. Fortunately, these chicken pieces were flavorful from skin to bone. The interior had a lemongrass-like infusion, which I really appreciated. The skin had a lemony rub that paired well with the ranch dip, and it was crispy too. The only issue was the size, which made the meat portions limited.

Cowboy Roast Beef

My love for roast beef was rekindled when I had Texas Roadhouse’s Cowboy Roast Beef. It’s absolutely delicious! They brought out its beefy flavors excellently. The crispy edges of the thinly sliced beef were savory and addicting. It had plenty of fat, but I didn’t care anymore. In fact, the fatty areas were the best and most flavorful parts. I just wish the dish had more sauce. It came with mashed potatoes as a side dish, which had an umami taste. They were smooth and good, but I prefer buttered mashed potatoes.

Smokehouse Burger

Now, this is comfort food! Every part was well thought out, and I’ll enumerate how. The patty was solid! You can immediately tell it’s pure beef from the first bite. It was a bit dry, though, perhaps due to the smoking process. Some parts were cheeseless, but when you got a bite with the cheese, the taste was heavenly. The addition of mushrooms was a great idea. The bread was soft and had a creamy taste. The thick-cut, plain-salted fries were perfect. The flat cut made each piece crispy, like Pik-Nik. I must say that burgers are one of their specialties.

Grilled Shrimp

I love how they retained the fresh and natural briny flavors of the shrimp, even after enhancing them with lemon and butter. The grill gave them a nice charred taste, and the seasoning complemented the shellfish well. Thankfully, the size of each piece was great. However, I think plain rice would be more fitting because the fried garlic rice somewhat overpowers the mild flavors of the shrimp. It would be better if the shrimp stood out more when eaten together. Additionally, the veggies on the side had a nice crunch.

Crispy Chicken Salad

We know Texas Roadhouse mostly offers sinful items, so I wondered how they’d do with something healthier, like salad. I was eyeing for the Bleu Steak Salad, but my budget could only afford the Crispy Chicken Salad, so I ordered it through Grab delivery. The box packaging was large, making the portion seem small. They should have placed it in a bowl to make it look more appealing. I’m not usually a fan of healthy foods, but the cheese’s nutty notes and the crispy chicken bits made me enjoy the salad. After all, the greens were fresh, and the dressing was delicious. It just needed a bit more dressing.

Strawberry Mango Lemonade | Peach Dalandan Lemonade

They have a wide selection of lemonades that caught our attention with their vibrant colors. They offered Cucumber Lemonade, but we opted for less common mixes like Strawberry Mango and Peach Dalandan. We were surprised to see that they were served in large glasses, so my husband and I had a big cheers. They were refreshing. I couldn’t believe that strawberry and mango would make such an incredible combo. On the other hand, the sweetness of the peach blended well with the tanginess of the dalandan. I also appreciate that they used eco-friendly straws.