What to Order & Avoid at Texas Roadhouse | |
---|---|
Most Nutritious Option | Least Nutritious Option |
Texas Red Chili, No Beans (Just for Starters) | Cactus Blossom (Just for Starters) |
House Salad(Salads) | Steakhouse Filet Salad Salad(Salads) |
Sirloin Steak (Steak & Ribs) | Bone-in Ribeye (Steak & Ribs) |
Grilled BBQ Chicken (Chicken Specialties) | Portobello Mushroom Chicken (Chicken Specialties) |
Grilled Salmon (Dockside Favorites) | 4-Piece Fried Catfish (Dockside Favorites) |
BBQ Chicken Sandwich (Burgers & Sandwiches) | Smokehouse Burger (Burgers & Sandwiches) |
Grilled Pork Chop (County Dinners) | Country Fried Sirloin(County Dinners) |
Chicken Critters & Sirloin (Texas Size Combos) | 12 oz. Ribeye & Ribs (Texas Size Combos) |
Kid's Grilled Chicken (Kids & Ranger Meals) | Mini-Cheeseburgers (Kids & Ranger Meals) |
Green Beans(Sides) | Loaded Sweet Potato(Sides) |
Strawberry Cheesecake (Dessert) | Granny’s Apple Classic (Dessert) |
Water (Beverages) | Flavored Lemonades(Beverages) |
Most Nutritious Option
If you're looking for a nutritious entree option at Texas Roadhouse, look no further than the grilled BBQ chicken meal, with a healthy amount of protein (46 g) for a relatively low number of calories (300).
Just for Starters
One of the first things you’ll notice when you sit down for a meal at Texas Roadhouse is an all-you-can-eat supply of shelled peanuts. Nuts can be a good source of protein, but peanuts are also high in calories and fat. In never-ending portions, you could easily add hundreds of extra calories to your day by snacking.
Texas Roadhouse also bakes bread daily, which will arrive at your table with a side of sweet honey butter. If you want something before your meal arrives, choose bread, peanuts, or an appetizer—rather than having all three.
Most starters at Texas Roadhouse are fried and therefore high in calories, fat, and sodium. Appetizers are served in portions large enough to share, but even smaller servings can be surprisingly high in calories.
For example, an order of fried pickles has 550 calories. Add ranch for dipping and you’ll have consumed nearly 1,000 calories before digging into the main part of your meal. An order of cheese fries with chili has 1,460 calories, 77 grams of fat, and 6,160 milligrams of sodium—more than double the daily recommended intake.
✓ Texas Red Chili (no beans)
A cup of the Texas red chili with no beans contains 250 calories, 15g fat, 5g saturated fat, 13g carbohydrates, 4g sugar, 17g protein, and 800 mg sodium. Note that this appetizer also comes with a side of saltine crackers, so if you're watching your carb intake, you'll want to hold off on the table-side bread which will arrive at the start of your meal.
✗ Cactus Blossom
The Texas Roadhouse Cactus Blossom provides 2,250 calories, 135g fat, 26g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 236g carbohydrates, 36g sugar, 25g protein, and 5,000mg sodium. It arrives on your table with a choice of ranch dressing or Cajun horseradish sauce for dipping, which adds a couple hundred more calories.
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Salads
Texas Roadhouse offers a few dinner-sized salads and smaller side salads. Choose a classic house salad or a variation topped with grilled chicken, shrimp, or steak.
To further improve the nutritional value of your salad, you can reduce the carb count by skipping crunchy extras like croutons or crackers.
The salad dressing choices at Texas Roadhouse each add at least 200 calories to your greens (up to 480 extra calories), as well as adding at least 7 more grams of fat (up to 56 grams) per 2-ounce serving. The Caesar dressing, for example, will add 540 calories to your meal. Consider opting for no dressing or using sparingly.
✓ House Salad (no dressing)
The house salad (with no dressing) contains 230 calories, 16g fat, 8g saturated fat, 1g trans fat, 9g carbohydrates, 4g sugar, 13g protein, and 290mg sodium. With cheddar cheese, croutons, eggs, and tomatoes served on a bed of greens, this fresh salad delivers heaping forkfuls of vegetables and even protein.
If you would like to order a side of dressing, consider the oil and vinegar option, which delivers 270 calories, 28g fat, 4g saturated fat, 0g carbohydrates, 0g sugar, 0g protein, and 0mg sodium. While not the lowest-calorie or lowest-fat dressing (that would be the low-fat ranch with 240 calories and the honey French with 7g fat, respectively), it contains no added sugar or sodium.
✗ Steakhouse Filet Salad
The steakhouse filet salad has 1,340 calories, 103g fat, 25g saturated fat, 2.5g trans fat, 42g carbohydrates, 21g sugar, 71 g protein, and 2,870mg sodium. If you’re adding protein to your salad, stick to grilled chicken over steak. Surprisingly, the chicken Caesar salad is a close second for the least nutritious salad option. It also has 1,100 calories in a single serving.
To keep your salad lower in calories and fat, as well as avoid extra sodium and added sugar, order it without dressing or ask for dressing to be served on the side.
Steak & Ribs
Texas Roadhouse is known for hand-cut steaks, which are cooked to order. You'll have your choice of popular cuts like sirloin, NY strip, porterhouse, and ribeye, in multiple sizes—most between 6 to 12 ounces.
Steaks can also be ordered “smothered” with a variety of sauces and add-ons. While tasty, most of these options make your meal considerably higher in calories, fat, and sodium than if you keep your steak simple. Avoid salty, high-fat smothers like gravy, green chile, and cheese.
✓ Sirloin Steak (6 Ounces)
The 6-ounce sirloin steak provides 250 calories, 6g fat, 2.5g saturated fat, 3g carbohydrates, 1g sugar, 46g protein, and 560mg sodium. Order it plain or with a side of green beans and sautéed mushrooms for an additional 190 calories.
✗ Bone-In Ribeye (20 Ounces)
The 20-ounce bone-in ribeye contains 1,480 calories, 101g fat, 44g saturated fat, 10g trans fat, 20g carbohydrates, 4g sugar, 143g protein, and 1,720mg sodium.
While Texas Roadhouse mainly focuses on steak, you can also order a rack of fall-off-the-bone ribs. However, the chain's ribs are higher in calories and fat than some of the steaks.
A full slab of ribs has 1,450 calories and 102g of fat, while a half-slab has 900 calories with 63g of fat. You’ll want to keep the nutrition info in mind if you’re planning to add ribs to your entree as part of a combo meal.
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Chicken Specialties
If you’re looking for a protein source other than beef, you’ll find several chicken options on Texas Roadhouse’s menu. The fried and smothered dishes can be high in calories, fat, and sodium. Instead, choose from several grilled chicken options.
The most nutritious chicken dishes at Texas Roadhouse are relatively simple. Grilled chicken without any thick sauces or marinades will be a lighter option than those that are fried or slathered with gravy.
✓ Grilled BBQ Chicken
The grilled BBQ chicken option contains 300 calories, 3.5g fat, 1g saturated fat, 19g carbohydrates, 15g sugar, 46g protein, and 450mg sodium. Opt for no BBQ sauce on the chicken breast to save 80 calories, 270mg of sodium, and 14g of sugar. For the most nutritious meal, consider ordering lower-calorie sides including applesauce, grilled beans, sautéed mushrooms, or sautéed onions.
✗ Country Fried Chicken
The country fried chicken has 780 calories, 45g fat, 16g saturated fat, 45g carbohydrates, 10g sugar, 48g protein, and 1,460mg sodium.
With any chicken dish, keep your choice of sides in mind. Stick to steamed or grilled veggies rather than starchy pairings like mashed potatoes or french fries.
A 480-calorie order of Chicken Critters—Texas Roadhouse’s take on fried chicken tenders—comes with your choice of dipping sauce. Options like honey mustard and ranch will add 200 to 300 calories and around 30g of fat to your meal. While the BBQ sauce has just 80 calories and no fat, it also has 14g of sugar.
Dockside Favorites
Texas Roadhouse offers a few seafood dishes, though several are only available regionally. As with chicken options, a small portion of grilled fish is a more nutritious choice than dishes that are battered and fried. As with steak and chicken, most of the side options for seafood are carb-heavy choices like fries or rice.
As with steak and chicken meals, avoid adding seafood to another entree. Combos with steak, chicken, and seafood can easily be upwards of 1,000 calories. With sides and beverages, you can consume a full day’s worth of calories in a single meal.
✓ Grilled Salmon (5 ounces)
The 5-ounce grilled salmon contains 410 calories, 33 g fat, 8g saturated fat, 2g carbohydrates, 0g sugar, 27g protein, and 770mg sodium. Loaded with healthy fats and minerals, salmon is a lean protein choice for a main dish. The grilled preparation also helps keep the calories and sodium lower than the fried options. You can also save some calories and fat by ordering without the lemon pepper butter.
✗ 4-Piece Fried Catfish
The 4-piece fried catfish meal has 1,170 calories, 93g fat, 15g saturated fat, 45g carbohydrates, 1g sugar, 40g protein, and 1,490mg sodium. Both the 4-piece and 3-piece fried catfish meals are the highest-calorie seafood meals on the menu (the 3-piece meal delivers 990 calories), and boast the most fat. However, the fish & chips meal provides the most sodium, with about 4,770 mg per plate.
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Burgers & Sandwiches
You’ll find a few traditional burger-and-fries options at Texas Roadhouse, as well as chicken and pulled pork sandwiches. Almost all the burgers and sandwiches on the menu are 1,000 calories or more—even before you factor in the side of steak fries.
✓ BBQ Chicken Sandwich
The Texas Roadhouse BBQ chicken sandwich has 640 calories, 18g fat, 5g saturated fat, 63g carbohydrates, 24g sugar, 55g protein, and 1,310mg sodium. The chicken sandwich is topped with lettuce, tomato, and onion and served alongside steak fries and a pickle.
✗ Smokehouse Burger
The smokehouse burger contains 1,080 calories, 67g fat, 28g saturated fat, 4g trans fat, 60g carbohydrates, 20g sugar, 58g protein, and 2,490mg sodium. With mushrooms, onions, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a blend of cheeses, this burger is the highest in calories, fat, and sodium of all the available burgers and sandwiches.
If you're craving a burger, the kid’s menu offers one burger choice that's a bit lower in calories. You can order a pair of mini cheeseburgers for 670 calories, 36g of fat, and 890mg of sodium. By comparison, the regular menu all-American cheeseburger has 880 calories, 55g of fat, and 1,970mg of sodium.
Country Dinners
Dinner entrees at Texas Roadhouse are built around a portion of meat paired with rice or potatoes and rounded out with multiple veggie sides. These hearty entrees can be high in calories, fat, and sodium, but you can up the nutritional value somewhat by looking for lean sources of protein, avoiding creamy sauces, and choosing sides wisely.
✓ Grilled Pork Chop (Single, No Sauce)
A single grilled pork chop dinner entree with no sauce contains 290 calories, 12g fat, 4.5g saturated fat, 4g carbohydrates, <1 g sugar, 41g protein, and 1,620mg sodium. The pork chops are typically served with a peppercorn sauce, which adds 150 calories and 14g of fat, so consider ordering without the sauce or ask for it on the side. Overall, pork can be a healthy lean meat option—it is high in protein but lower in fat compared with other red meats.
✗ Country Fried Sirloin
The country-fried sirloin dish contains 1,180 calories, 76g fat, 22g saturated fat, 1.5g trans fat, 72g carbohydrates, 10g sugar, 52g protein, and 2,220mg sodium.
The country vegetable plate may at first appear to be a healthier choice for a meal, but it all depends on what you choose to include. Vegetables are typically a nutritious choice, but most of the veggies at Texas Roadhouse are cooked in butter—making them higher in calories, fat, and salt than at many other restaurants.
For example, a country vegetable plate with mixed veggies, corn, green beans, and a plain baked potato has 880 calories, 40g of fat, and 4,120mg of sodium.
If you order your baked potato with butter and sour cream, it adds another 160 calories and 17 grams of fat. Tack on a house salad for 230 calories and the veggie plate will be more than 1,000 calories—more than a plate of pork chops.
Whenever you’re dining out, portion control is key. Full entrees at most restaurants, including Texas Roadhouse, are large and contain more than one serving of food. If you choose one of the dinner meals, look for the most nutritious option and consider sharing or packing up half to take home.
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Texas Size Combos
The Texas-size combos on the Roadhouse menu pair two proteins with two sizes, making for a full plate of meat and starches, but can be customized to maximize nutritional value. In general, the Texas-size combo meals are best shared.
✓ Chicken Critters & Sirloin
Pairing fried chicken tenders and a 6-ounce sirloin, the chicken critters and sirloin Texas size combo packs in 520 calories, 18g fat, 5g saturated fat, 19g carbohydrates, 2g sugar, 72g protein, and 1,240mg sodium. Keep in mind these nutritional values are without the included sides, so make sure to choose veggie-based sides like green beans, steamed broccoli, or sautéed mushrooms to keep the calorie and sodium counts low.
✗ 12-ounce Ribeye & Ribs
On the other hand, the 12-ounce ribeye and ribs combo delivers a whopping 1,510 calories, 111g fat, 46g saturated fat, 6g trans fat, 18g carbohydrates, 6g sugar, 122g protein, and 2,040mg sodium. If you're craving ribeye and ribs, consider the 10-ounce option, which will cut down on cholesterol, calories, and sodium. This is also a meal that's best shared.
Kids & Ranger Meals
The kids and ranger menu offers smaller portions of some of the chain's most popular flavor combinations. From macaroni and cheese and cheeseburgers to steak and ribs, this part of the menu packs in the favorites.
✓ Kid's Grilled Chicken
The kid's grilled chicken contains strips of boneless chicken breast for 110 calories, 2g fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 0g carbohydrates, 0g sugar, 23g protein, and 90mg sodium. This is all before any sides, so stick with green beans for the most nutritious dinner.
✗ Mini-Cheeseburgers
Meanwhile, the mini-cheeseburgers order 670 calories, 36g fat, 15g saturated fat, 0.5g trans fat, 57g carbohydrates, 9g sugar, 30g protein, and 950mg sodium. If craving red meat, consider ordering the Lil' Dillo steak bites, which deliver only 170 calories, 4g fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 2g carbohydrates, 31g protein, and 370mg sodium.
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Sides
With fresh-baked bread, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, and an array of vegetables, you’ll have many choices for sides at Texas Roadhouse. While these sides are typically smaller portions than entrees, many of them are high in calories, fat, and sodium because they’re cooked in butter, meat juices, or animal fat.
✓ Green Beans
A side of green beans at Texas Roadhouse includes 100 calories, 3.5g fat, 1g saturated fat, 13g carbohydrates, 4g sugar, 6g protein, and 1,070mg sodium. Green beans are also high in fiber and are a good source of minerals and antioxidants—and have even been found to aid in brain and bone health.
While a side of green beans does deliver all of the health benefits of the stringy vegetable, the Texas Roadhouse menu option is quite high in sodium. For a lower-sodium side, consider the sauteed mushrooms (120 calories and 480mg sodium) or sauteed onions (150 calories and 570mg sodium).
✗ Loaded Sweet Potato
A loaded sweet potato side contains 770 calories, 28g fat, 12g saturated fat, 126g carbohydrates, 70g sugar, 7g protein, and 310mg sodium. This dish includes a baked sweet potato topped with honey cinnamon caramel sauce and marshmallows, making it a sugar-filled side.
Texas Roadhouse’s take on fries is a plate of thick-cut seasoned steak fries. A plain side of fries is 360 calories while the cheesy, bacon-topped option has 510 calories. For a smaller portion of fries, order a kid’s size for just 200 calories.
A baked potato or sweet potato can be a nutritious base for building a meal, but you’ll want to avoid "loaded" options. Additions like butter, sour cream, bacon bits, mini marshmallows, and caramel sauce add calories, fat, carbs, and sugar to the side without adding much nutrition.
Dessert
You’ll only find a few desserts at Texas Roadhouse, all of which are high in calories, carbs, and sugar. Traditional choices include cheesecake, brownies, and apple pie with vanilla ice cream, but you can throw together a lighter sweet treat by looking elsewhere on the menu.
✓ Strawberry Cheesecake
The strawberry cheesecake dessert has 780 calories, 45g fat, 24g saturated fat, 81g carbohydrates, 59g sugar, 38g protein, and 560mg sodium. It includes a slice of cheesecake topped with strawberry sauce and a dollop of whipped cream. Consider sharing this dish with a dinner partner or taking half home with you for later.
If you’re looking for a treat that isn’t as high-calorie, try finishing your meal with fresh-baked bread rather than starting with it. For around 220 calories and 25 carbs, a single slice of bread coated with a swipe of honey cinnamon butter can make a subtly sweet dessert.
✗ Granny’s Apple Classic
The Granny’s apple classic dish has 1,260 calories, 62g fat, 30g saturated fat, 170g carbohydrates, 106g sugar, 10g protein, and 940 mg sodium.
Beverages
In addition to coffee, iced tea, lemonade, milk, fruit juice, and fountain sodas, Texas Roadhouse also offers a menu of alcoholic beverages. Whichever drink you have with your meal, keep the added calories and sugar of your choice in mind when you’re planning the rest of your meal.
✓ Dasani Bottled Water
Dasani bottled water has 0 calories, 0g fat, 0g carbohydrates, 0g sugar, 0g protein, and 0mg sodium. In general, plain water is always the healthiest option, whether you're dining out or at home. To add some flavor, consider asking for a slice of lemon or lime.
The slow-brewed iced tea is another no-calorie, sugar-free beverage choice if you’re looking for a cool drink that isn’t water. For something warm, if you order hot coffee and tea without cream, milk, or sugar, these beverage choices don’t add many (if any) calories to your meal. However, remember they will have caffeine unless you ask for decaf.
✗ Flavored Lemonades
The flavored lemonades at Texas Roadhouse contain 150 calories, 0g fat, 40g carbohydrates, 38g sugar, 0g protein, and 30mg sodium. While water is always the healthiest beverage choice, you will find some other options at Texas Roadhouse that won’t add calories to your meal.
Diet-Specific Options
If you have special dietary needs or need to avoid certain ingredients, you’ll need to look closely at what Texas Roadhouse offers. The Texas Roadhouse menu has dishes that accommodate low-carb, diabetes-friendly, and low-fat diets, but there are few options for gluten-free, low-sodium, vegetarian, and vegan diets.
Gluten-Free
While Texas Roadhouse does indicate which items on its menu are "gluten-free diet-friendly," the chain can't guarantee any dish is gluten-free. This is especially important to know if you have Celiac disease.
While your food may be prepared without gluten-containing ingredients, the ingredients may have come into contact with other ingredients that contain gluten or wheat (what's referred to as cross-contamination).
Options considered that may be suitable for a gluten-free diet include:
- Salmon
- Steak (without seasoning or butter)
- Baked sweet potato (salt and pepper only)
- Grilled chicken salad (oil and vinegar only, no marinade or croutons)
- Steakhouse filet salad (no Texas Roadhouse Seasoning, oil and vinegar only)
For a nutritious meal, order the grilled chicken salad, making sure to ask for no croutons and no marinade.
Low-Carb
A low-carb meal at Texas Roadhouse is possible if you order a lean protein. For a healthy meal, choose the NY strip steak, which has less than 1g of carbohydrates in an 8-ounce cut.
- Sirloin (3g carb per 6-ounce portion)
- Grilled salmon (<1 g carb)
- Dallas filet (6g carb per 6-ounce portion)
- NY strip steak (<1 g carb per 8-ounce portion)
- House salad (no dressing or croutons)
Diabetes-Friendly
You can DIY your diabetes-friendly meal by choosing the grilled shrimp and green beans side. This protein- and fiber-rich meal is primed with vegetables and lean protein.
- Green beans
- Grilled shrimp
- Prime rib (6 oz)
- Grilled pork chops
- Lil’ Dillo steak bites (kid’s menu)
Low-Fat
Create a low-fat meal at Texas Roadhouse by ordering the grilled BBQ chicken. A single serving of this dish includes 3.5g of fat, before adding any sides.
- Applesauce
- Sirloin (6 oz)
- Grilled shrimp
- Dallas filet (6 oz)
- Grilled BBQ chicken
Vegetarian & Vegan
You won’t find an abundance of meat-free options at Texas Roadhouse and the restaurant doesn’t offer any certified vegan dishes on its menu.
Items that are often a go-to for vegans when dining out, such as a plain baked potato or a side of veggies, won't necessarily be vegan-safe choices at Texas Roadhouse, as these items are usually cooked in or basted with butter, animal fat, or bacon grease.
A few side items like applesauce may be vegan, but you’ll want to ask your server for information about the ingredients before placing your order. Depending on the type of vegetarian diet you follow, a simple side salad or items from the country veggie plate may be suitable.
Food Allergies and Safety
Texas Roadhouse doesn’t provide a printable chart or guide to the common food allergens present on its menu, it does offer a special diets tool on its website.
Texas Roadhouse uses proprietary spice blends and therefore does not make a full list of ingredients publicly available. If you have a food allergy, be aware that these blends may contain allergens.
The most notable and obvious allergen at Texas Roadhouse is peanuts. You’ll find in-the-shell peanuts served at the table, shells discarded throughout the restaurant, and peanut dust in the air.
As for the rest of the menu, it's reasonable to assume that many dishes contain other common food allergens such as milk, eggs, soy, fish, shellfish, peanuts, and tree nuts. These allergens are frequent ingredients in many recipes and menu items may be vulnerable to cross-contamination.
If you have a food allergy, it's always a good idea to be cautious when going out to eat. If you are allergic to certain foods or need to avoid specific ingredients, let your server know before you place your order.
A Word From Verywell
Texas Roadhouse offers a range of hearty family-style meals, but the large portions can make it easy to overshoot your calorie goal for the day. If you follow a special diet or need to avoid certain ingredients due to a food allergy, you may struggle to find something that suits your needs and tastes at Texas Roadhouse.
The best way to prevent being overwhelmed by the menu is to review as much of the nutrition information as you can before you go. Having a sense of your options will help you choose a satisfying meal you can enjoy while still staying on track with your goals for health and wellness.
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