Texas Roadhouse Sides Ranked Worst To Best

Ordering side dishes can sometimes be a cumbersome task, especially if you aren't quite sure what to expect. And while it might not be possible to score a cheat sheet for every side dish menu, we're pleased to say that we've gone to great lengths to give you the truth about how Texas Roadhouse side dishes stack up against each other, starting with the worst down to the best.

With offerings that come from deliciously southern-inspired roots to a few that were just plain boring, we're ready to spill the tea on which side dishes to sample and which to avoid come your next Texas Roadhouse outing. We're being brutally honest this go-round, so excuse us if we come off a bit strong. Still, this information could save you money and disgruntled feelings, so get your fork and knife ready because it's time to dig in.

Oh, and don't worry; this time, the tab's on us!

Ah, hot buttered corn. It's so simple yet so satisfying — well, depending on who makes it, how it's made, and how it's dished up. Along with this comes the fact that it's very easy to utterly destroy this side dish and make it so that it's one of the plainest and least desirable options.

So, which is it with Texas Roadhouse buttered corn? The latter, sad to say. One of our biggest qualms regarding this corn is the texture. The corn is so obviously overcooked, even to the point where the corn felt like just the kernel skins. This made it so that we were missing out on the plumpness of the side dish itself, which is one of the most enjoyable parts about eating fresh corn, if you ask us.

Not only this, but the corn came across as oilier than buttery, as we weren't getting much of the buttered flavor on the backend. Sorry, Texas Roadhouse; this one just didn't work out.

Mashed potatoes are another one of those sides that feels so right when served next to a steak. We're sure that's what Texas Roadhouse had in mind when they considered offering these thick and fluffy mashers for the public to enjoy. Sadly, we were underwhelmed by these potatoes, but not for the reasons you might think.

Before we dive into it, let us first acknowledge that these mashers can get ordered in various ways. We chose to sample the potatoes with beef gravy on top because it seemed like the most obvious choice when paired with a good steak. Whether that was a good choice is a different question entirely.

The beef gravy just wasn't good. It was overly savory, almost artificially so, with a weird aftertaste we just couldn't put our finger on. On the plus side, we can say that after scraping off the unappetizing gravy, we were grateful that the mashed potatoes were actually very good. They were creamy, fluffy, and featured chunks of thick potato skin streaks throughout, giving them a rustic flavor and texture. So, if you go for the potatoes, we'd say just skip the beef gravy. They're still a solid pick, and there are other, much better ways to dress them up if you don't want to eat them plain.

Applesauce can be done in a number of ways, but if we're honest, the mere photo of the applesauce on the website alone was enough to get us less than excited. Upon first glance, the applesauce looked watery and uneventful, almost as though someone had poured it straight out of the jar and into the ramekin. The taste? Just as bland as we thought it'd be.

Now, don't get us wrong, it isn't that the applesauce tastes bad. It's got the right amount of sweetness, and there's nothing offensive about it, making it a good grab for picky kiddos. Having said that, there isn't really anything comment-worthy about this applesauce, and certainly no different than a jar of applesauce you could just as easily gobble up at home.

Our recommendation? Get a little more creative with this, Texas Roadhouse. Use real apples to give us chunky, homemade vibes, or at least add a dash of cinnamon to spice things up a bit. For now, we'll reserve this side dish for the kids; it's probably the only crowd this side dish would appeal to.

Well, at least Texas Roadhouse was honest with this one, so we can't be mad. No, the "mac and cheese" sold at Texas Roadhouse is not the homemade kind stuffed with all kinds of yummy cheeses and creams, but instead, it's the blue box kind you'd find in Walmart for a buck or two. Yipee.

Still, if you're a blue box macaroni fan, you likely won't be disappointed with this rendition of the nostalgic childhood favorite. Not only does it come deliciously creamy and velvety in texture, but it also comes without the bells and whistles of extra seasoning. Why is this important? It makes it easier for kids to stomach while also setting the stage for the cheese to shine. It really doesn't need anything extra, not even salt or pepper. We're not sure how Texas Roadhouse achieved it, but this Kraft Mac and Cheese is fairly well done. Kudos!

We had high hopes for the Texas Roadhouse sweet potato, and, unfortunately, it somehow fell flat. Let's be clear; the description Texas Roadhouse offers for this one sounds beyond delicious. A hearty sweet potato filled with caramel sauce and toasted marshmallows sounds heavenly in theory. Weirdly, it just didn't check out for us.

So, what exactly was the issue? The potato ended up being oddly sweet. Sweet potatoes already have a naturally sweet flavor, and it doesn't take much to amp them up. Adding toasted marshmallows with additional caramel sauce on top was all too overwhelming for our taste buds. Also, the charred marshmallow was a little too charred, leaving an unappetizing and bitter burnt taste in our mouths after sampling.

Call us boring, but when it comes to sweet potatoes, sometimes less is more. Maybe just a smear of cinnamon butter topped with gently roasted marshmallows would fare better. It definitely doesn't sound as enticing as caramel sauce, but we truly believe it'd come off tastier and wouldn't send us into a diabetic coma along the way. But hey, that's just our opinion.

Do you know what's strange? When you take a bite of something, and you're like, "Mmm, yum..." and also like, "Ew, what's that?" at the same time. It's a total flavor rollercoaster. Oddly, that's the experience we had when sampling Texas Roadhouse's mushrooms, and it was certainly an experience we won't soon forget.

At this point, you're likely wondering what could cause us to have such a split reaction. Let's start with the pros, and that's surely the texture. This was our first time biting into a mushroom so firm and meaty, with the perfect amount of tender juiciness.

Despite their near-perfect texture, Texas Roadhouse gets it wrong with that darn umami flavor again. It comes off too strong, along with a mix of very potent black pepper, making it taste like a beef bouillon and peppercorn explosion happened in the kitchen, and not in a good way. This makes us unsure whether to recommend the mushrooms. For this one, we'd say give it a go and see what you think. You might have a different opinion!

Green beans are seemingly boring fixings to pair with steak, but once again, Texas Roadhouse proved us wrong by offering green beans that'll make your mouth sing. Now, full disclosure here: These green beans aren't your average frozen sort that's been heated and tossed in a bit of butter. At first glance, you'll notice that the green beans take on a brown tinge and seem to be swimming in a brown broth. On top of that, you'll notice finely diced onions and a hearty sprinkle of bacon. All these clues could only mean one thing, folks: We've got ourselves some Southern-style green beans right here.

Yep, a whiff and a quick taste confirmed what we knew all along, and we were ecstatic to see it. Just know that though this yummy serving of green beans tastes almost as good as Grandma's, it still doesn't quite make the cut. There's a certain artificial beefiness that almost comes off too strong at times, depending on your palate. Still, it's good enough for us to recommend it, especially if you love smoky green beans cooked in bacon. Yum!

Sautéed onions as a side dish? Yep, Texas Roadhouse offers them, and no doubt, they're meant to be paired with mushrooms and a beefy slab of steak. Still, we were grateful to be given the chance to taste these on their own to see how fresh they were, and honestly, they weren't too bad.

Unlike the mushrooms, we weren't getting any weird flavor vibes on this one. The onions were perfectly cooked — not too firm but also not completely mushy. They seem to be tossed in soy or beef broth, though it's impossible to tell which. They also seem to feature black pepper and a bit of flavoring to up the ante. Overall, this was an enjoyable bite that we'd imagine to be a show-stopping topper when added to a juicy steak. Order a side of these onions and give it a go. We definitely give them two thumbs up.

A good and hearty steak fry is the perfect accompaniment to steak, burgers, and other savory entrées. The best steak fries come hot, crispy, and salted. So, how did Texas Roadhouse steak fries compare? Pretty well, actually.

Though there were a few fries with ends that were burnt to a crisp, we have to admit that this unassuming side was undoubtedly delicious. They come nice and hot, featuring fluffy potatoes inside with a perfectly browned outside. We could probably devour these with or without ketchup because they're really that good.

One thing we really appreciate about these fries is their simplicity. Though some restaurants like to jazz up seemingly plain entrées like these with special seasonings and whatnot, we were pretty stoked to see that this one comes simply salted, just like a good steakhouse fry should be. As for those charred ends? It wouldn't deter us from ordering again. We just ate around the ends and tossed the blackened butts to the side. Hearty, filling, and delicious, the steak fries are definitely a good pick.

Steamed broccoli is yet another one of those seemingly meh sides when you go out to eat, but it definitely serves its purpose, especially if your goal is to eat light. We went into this one thinking we'd get some plain hum-drum florets, maybe tossed lightly in butter and sprinkled with a bit of salt, but instead, we got something far different. Though the presentation wasn't much, we're happy to report that there were some nuanced flavors exhibited here that surprised our palates.

Rather than biting into a floppy, bland broccoli floret, we found ourselves chewing nicely formed broccoli pieces with an interesting flavor combination hitting our tongues. The website indicates a lemon pepper butter on the broccoli, which we'd have to assume is the flavoring we're tasting here. Just know that it doesn't exactly have a citrusy taste, but rather something more like soy, lemon, and garlic if you ask us. Still, the broccoli is a winner and may not be as drab as expected.

Chili is often done up many different ways, and depending on where you're from, there's likely a specific way you'll take your bowl of this delicious goodness. While we tend to like our bowl of chili with a hint of sweetness, we're pleased to say that though Texas Roadhouse chili won't come off as sweet, it won't come off as gross, either.

Topped with shredded cheddar cheese and a sprinkling of potent red diced onion, the flavor on this one was top-notch. It's got a strong chili taste with little to no heat, but the spices, along with the toppings, work just right to keep both your tongue and stomach happy. It also comes with a pack of crackers, so you can dip or break them over the top of your chili bowl just like you would at home. It's like ordering a bowl of comfort ... and we're totally diggin' it.

We don't know about you, but there's something about Caesar salads that seem so unimpressive and mundane. Not sure if it's the lack of toppings or the lackluster dressing they usually come with, but Caesar salads typically don't make our "A" list for the most impressive salad choice out there.

With that said, you may be wondering why on earth Texas Roadhouse's Caesar salad ranks so high on our ranked side dishes list. The answer? This Caesar salad is done remarkably well.

No, seriously. Everything from the crispy and flavorful croutons right down to the dreamily thick and creamy dressing left us salivating and gulping down each bite, possibly without even taking a single breath of air. Yes, it's that good, and no, we aren't kidding. This seems to be the trend with Texas Roadhouse salads, and we're not at all mad. Try the Caesar salad for yourself and see what we mean; you won't regret it, especially if you're already a Caesar salad fan.

We know, we know. How good could a simple house side salad be, right? Wrong. Actually, Texas Roadhouse's salads are unreal. We'll start with the house salad to prove it.

One thing we love most about Texas Roadhouse's unassuming house salad is the loads of toppings you get. While other restaurants may give you a smattering of lettuce with a sprinkle of cheese and tomatoes, Texas Roadhouse kicks things up a notch by dressing crispy lettuce and greens in thick shredded cheddar, with the crispiest, crunchiest, most flavorful croutons you could ever imagine, all before topping it with vibrant diced tomatoes and a heaping helping of hard-boiled eggs as the icing on the cake.

Meanwhile, Texas Roadhouse offers delicious dressing options, with the French dressing being our top pick. The flavors all come together in one mouthwatering salad that tastes almost as good as the entrées that await. Dee-lish.

There isn't usually a lot to say about rice. In most cases, rice is just rice, and it sometimes takes a lot to make rice taste like something special, even when dining out.

Interestingly enough, Texas Roadhouse's seasoned rice really did a number on our taste buds, and we mean that in the best way. We didn't go in with high hopes because, after all, it's just rice. But a quick taste of the stuff and our minds suddenly changed. Not sure what kind of magic was performed here, but the flavor stood out. It seemed like it was doused in all the deliciousness you'd associate with a seasoned roasted chicken, with flavors like butter, parsley, chicken broth, and garlic all dancing merrily on the tongue.

Like many of the other side dishes, Texas Roadhouse, unfortunately, does not give us much insight into the ingredients used here as there is no in-depth description to match the side dish at the moment. Still, we give this rice a hefty thumbs up for its outstanding flavor. It's a win!

If you don't already know, Texas Roadhouse serves some of the best baked bread out there. Coming as individual dinner rolls presented to you in a basket, these warm and fluffy buns do well to whet your appetite and tantalize your tastebuds.

Before biting into one of these, we were sure to put a giant glob of cinnamon butter on ahead of time to get the full effect. The result is a mouthful of goodness with a perfectly balanced flavor that's subtle, sweet, and buttery to make anyone go wild. These were so good, in fact, that we had to stop eating them to keep our stomachs empty enough for the main course.

So, if you're the type who loves a good dinner roll, be sure to bring along with you a good measure of self-control. When it comes to these extra fresh baked rolls from Texas Roadhouse, you're definitely going to need them.

We've finally made it to the most delicious, show-stopping side dish available on the Texas Roadhouse menu: the loaded baked potato. To be honest, we never saw this one ranking as number one, although the toppings did sound darn delicious. Many of us have had loaded baked potatoes before, and though good, they usually don't seem to scream "best side dish out there" upon the first bite.

Oh, but this loaded potato... wow! To start, everything comes served on top of a fluffy and perfectly cooked warm potato. This already impressive foundation is then stacked with butter, sour cream, cheddar, and bacon. The cheddar cheese shreds were thick and noticeable, almost as if they had been shredded fresh using a hand grater. The flavor of the cheese was undeniably sharp, leaving a burst of intense cheesiness that enveloped our tastebuds and lingered in our mouths with its powerfully delectable presence.

Next comes the best part about the potato, and that's the bacon. The bacon is amazing! Its flavor is dynamically smoky, and its texture is spot on. It was thick and chewy in the perfect way, and honestly, we finished most of this potato before sampling any of the other sides. It was really that good.