Texas Roadhouse Vs The Keg Steakhouse: Which Is Better?

There are steakhouses, and then there are steakhouses. Some are fancy affairs with crisp white tablecloths and top-notch service, while others are down-to-earth joints with a jovial atmosphere and hearty fare. The Keg Steakhouse and Texas Roadhouse sit on either end of this scale. The Keg is a fine dining establishment that offers elegant atmosphere, creative dishes, and a wide range of wine pairings. In contrast, Texas Roadhouse is a low-key steakhouse with a Southwestern theme and a lineup of hearty American dishes.

While deciding whether to dine at Texas Roadhouse or The Keg Steakhouse is a matter of personal preference, there are certain factors that can make this choice easier. To keep you informed, we have pitted the two chains against each other in a number of areas, such as ambiance, dish choices, and beef quality. To learn more about the criteria we used to evaluate the restaurants, please scroll down to the methodology section at the end of this article.

With the motto, "Built for Good Times," The Keg is elegant without being stuffy. In fact, the upscale steakhouse chain prides itself on its welcoming and "accessible" atmosphere where guests can forget about the formalities normally associated with fine dining. This being said, The Keg does boast modern decor that blends elegance with a touch of creativity. While the chain's locations differ in their designs, some of the restaurant's decorative elements include wooden paneling, warm lighting, faux brick walls, open fireplaces, and colorful wall art.

In contrast to The Keg, Texas Roadhouse is more casual and lively. The Southwestern-themed steakhouse celebrates the American countryside and hospitality. Some of the upbeat elements here include periodic line dancing performances by the chain's servers, screens televising different sports, and plenty of free peanuts — you may need to overlook the peanut shells on the floor. The restaurant's low-key decor features country-style elements such as wood paneling, neon signs, and taxidermied animals. Notably, each Texas Roadhouse location has a corner dedicated to Willie Nelson to celebrate the American country legend's friendship with the chain's founder, Kent Taylor.

The story of The Keg dates back to 1971 when George Tidball opened a restaurant called Keg n' Cleaver in North Vancouver, Canada. The restaurant was initially a popular party spot for youngsters, as recalled by Tidball's daughter who was 19 at the time. "There was as much alcohol as you could possibly drink, and as much food as you could eat, and all the young people working there were university students, so it had the energy level. Like, it just vibrated," she told North Shore News in an interview. Today, The Keg has eight locations in the U.S., with restaurants in Texas, Arizona, Colorado, and Washington. The Keg has a much greater footprint in its home country of Canada, with close to 100 locations.

Texas Roadhouse also started out small. The chain was born with a quick sketch on a cocktail napkin, opening its doors in Clarksville, Indiana, in 1993. Today, the chain has close to 650 locations across the U.S., with the greatest foothold in Texas with 76 restaurants, Florida with 44 restaurants, and Ohio with 35 locations. In terms of cities, the restaurant has the largest presence in Fort Worth and San Antonio in Texas, and Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. Aside from North America, Texas Roadhouse restaurants can also be found in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Texas Roadhouse serves traditional American fare that includes a lineup of comfort food classics. Perhaps the most iconic item on the chain's appetizer menu is the Cactus Blossom, a large onion sliced into petals and fried until golden. Also deep-fried, the restaurant's rattlesnake bites and fried pickles offer a crunchy start to any meal. Texas Roadhouse also offers a variety of apps for carnivores, including Boneless Buffalo Wings and Killer Ribs, as well as the less-meaty Tater Skins and Cheese Fries with bacon bits.

In contrast, the appetizers at The Keg reflect the chain's fine dining status. In fact, The Keg might be one of the only steakhouses in the U.S. where diners can indulge in escargot — snails with stuffed mushrooms, garlic, and herbs. The chain also offers Mushroom Neptune with cream and crab meat, as well as a mushroom dip featuring Gruyère cheese, cream cheese, and poblano peppers. The restaurant's menu also features plenty of seafood favorites such as crab cakes, baked shrimp, tuna tartare, and calamari. Meanwhile, meat enthusiasts can get their fix by ordering the Three Pepper Wings with a blue cheese crumble and pickled celery.

While The Keg offers an array of appetizers, the restaurant doesn't seem big on salads, leaving those looking for lighter meal options in the lurch. In short, the chain's menu offers three basic salads. The KEG Caesar comes with Romaine lettuce, aged Parmesan cheese, and creamy dressing. Meanwhile, the restaurant's mixed greens and veggies feature a vinaigrette dressing. Finally, The Keg's Iceberg Wedge comes with tomato, smoked bacon, and blue cheese or dill ranch dressing.

Diners looking to boost their intake of greens will fare much better at the Texas Roadhouse. Perhaps the most basic, the restaurant's House Salad consists of lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, egg, and croutons. The chain also offers three types of Caesar salad — standard, chicken, and salmon. Patrons can also opt for the Grilled Chicken Salad or the Grilled Salmon Salad with greens, tomatoes, red onion, jack cheese, bacon, egg, and croutons. True to its steakhouse classification, Texas Roadhouse also offers the Steakhouse Filet Salad, a mix of filet strips, greens, tomatoes, red onions, blue cheese crumbles, and bacon bits.

Steakhouses can be divided into two categories: those that are open about the quality of their beef and those that don't disclose where they source their cuts. Texas Roadhouse falls into the former category, stating that it serves USDA Choice cuts. In the U.S., beef is categorized into USDA Prime, USDA Choice, and USDA Select, with USDA Choice falling between the other two beef designations in terms of quality.

Texas Roadhouse serves traditional and not-so-traditional steak dishes. On one hand, the chain offers classic cuts such as New York strip, porterhouse T-bone, and filet medallions. On the other hand, the restaurant serves more unusual offerings like Road Kill with a chop steak, sautéed onions, sautéed mushrooms and jack cheese, or the Steak Kabob with mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, and red and green peppers.

The Keg proudly proclaims that it puts quality first when it comes to its steaks, but it's also strangely silent about the kind of meat it uses. All we know is that the beef is aged and seasoned with the chain's signature spices. In terms of classic steaks, The Keg offers plenty to choose from, including prime rib, top sirloin, filet mignon, and New York Strip. The Keg is also one of the few steakhouses that serves baseball top sirloin. Thick and round, the cut is sourced from the center of the top sirloin, which is both exceptionally tender and rich in flavor.

Side dishes can add a range of textures and flavors to a meal, enhancing its overall appeal. And the greater the variety of sides on a menu, the more options diners have to customize their meals. Clearly onboard with this approach, Texas Roadhouse offers a diverse selection of sides. Those looking to complement their main meal with starch, can opt for the chain's mashed potatoes, baked potato, sweet potato, fries, or seasoned rice. Meanwhile, diners in search of healthier accompaniments may wish to order steamed veggies, steamed broccoli, or green beans. Several of the chain's other sides include buttered corn, sautéed mushrooms, Texas red chili, grilled shrimp, and mac and cheese.

The Keg only has five side dishes, with all options suitable for vegetarians. Just like Texas Roadhouse, the chain serves sautéed mushrooms and mac and cheese. The restaurant's other side dishes include grilled lemon broccolini, Parmesan onion rings, and Caesar Brussels sprouts. For seafood enthusiasts, The Keg also offers meal additions like crab cakes, grilled jumbo shrimp, Atlantic lobster tail, and shrimp and scallop oscar with asparagus and Béarnaise sauce.

The prices at steakhouses can vary widely. Upscale steakhouses may charge premium prices while more casual steak eateries tend to offer more budget-friendly meals. The Keg and Texas Roadhouse are prime examples of this price disparity, with the former charging fine dining prices and the latter offering more affordable options.

While the appetizer offerings at both restaurants are quite different, they range between $15 and $19 at The Keg and $4.99 and $14.99 at Texas Roadhouse. Meanwhile, the side dishes at The Keg will set diners back between $8 and $11, while the sides at Texas Roadhouse range between $3.99 and $10.99.

The prices for mains also differ, with The Keg being substantially more expensive than Texas Roadhouse. For instance, a 12-ounce New York strip at The Keg costs $48 while the same sized cut at Texas Roadhouse is priced at $27.49. Meanwhile, a 14-ounce prime rib at The Keg costs $48 while the same sized cut at Texas Roadhouse will set diners back $32.99. Moving away from steak, the Oven Roasted Salmon at The Keg is $40, while Grilled Salmon at Texas Roadhouse costs $22.99.

Aside from a variety of steaks, The Keg also offers a decent selection of seafood dishes. In fact, around half of the chain's apps include either fish or shellfish. In the raw seafood department, the restaurant features Tuna Tartare with ahi tuna and avocado. When it comes to fried apps, The Keg offers calamari with a ginger garlic dressing and Greek feta sauce and crab cakes with a lemon and dill sauce. Several of the chain's other seafood starters include Scallops & Bacon, Shrimp Cocktail, and Baked Garlic Shrimp. In addition, diners not interested in steak entrées can opt for one of The Keg's seafood-based mains: the oven-roasted salmon or Atlantic lobster tails.

The fish and shellfish options at Texas Roadhouse are much more modest. In fact, diners only have three seafood options. When it comes to fish, the restaurant offers a choice of two entrées: Norwegian Grilled Salmon with lemon and pepper butter and Fried Catfish coated in southern cornmeal. The chain's third seafood dish, which can be ordered either as an appetizer or a main, is the Grilled Shrimp topped with garlic, lemon, and pepper butter.

Despite its status as an upscale restaurant, The Keg Steakhouse is surprisingly family-friendly. The chain even has a special set menu for children under 12, with a choice of entrées that includes a burger, chicken strips, cheesy noodles, and sirloin. Each main includes a veggie platter, drink, and ice cream. Children can also choose one side dish from a lineup that includes vegetables, fries, and Caesar salad.

The fact that The Keg is happy to accommodate families is reflected in reviews of the chain, with some diners praising its family-friendly policy and others complaining that it makes the restaurant overly loud. On a positive note, one satisfied reviewer says, "We went as a family with two small children and despite one of the kids being a bit difficult to manage, the staff were great." On the flip side, another patron complains about their dining experience at the restaurant, noting, "Shame there [was a] table nearby with small children [...] nothing worse than screaming kids!"

As a low-key steakhouse, it's not surprising that the Texas Roadhouse welcomes families. It's also not surprising that the restaurant offers a special menu for young diners, with appropriately portioned dishes. The Kids & Ranger Meals feature both healthy and not-so-healthy choices. The healthier end of the spectrum features dishes such as grilled chicken, steak bites, steak, and ribs. On the not-so-healthy side, the chain also offers fast food-style meals like hot dogs, burgers, and fried chicken.

Most upscale steakhouses understand that a well-curated wine list can add a lot of pizzazz to a meal. The Keg is no stranger to this concept. The chain offers a broad lineup of reds, whites, rosés, and bubblies from the U.S. and around the globe. On the pricier end of the scale, The Keg offers drops like the Cabernet from Caymus Vineyards in Napa Valley, California, and the Cordon Rouge Brut from MUMM in Champagne, France. There are also plenty of more affordable tipple options such as Riesling from Inniskillin in Niagara, Ontario, and Shiraz from Jacob's Creek in South Eastern Australia.

Compared to The Keg's broad wine offerings, the list of tipples at Texas Roadhouse is pretty limited. The chain serves a range of reds and whites, but doesn't offer any sparkling options. Some of the chain's offerings include Meiomi Pinot Noir, Dark Horse Cabernet, and Canyon Road Merlot. In terms of whites, Texas Roadhouse serves the likes of Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc and Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio.

With around 10 locations in the U.S., chances are that The Keg Steakhouse isn't in your neighborhood. However, if you have previously eaten at the restaurant and like its offerings, or just want to try some of its products, you can easily buy them online. The Keg Steakhouse online retail store offers a range of seasoning and basting sauces, such as chicken and rib barbecue sauce and extra-hot horseradish sauce. There's also a line up of salad dressings, including honey dill, blue cheese, ranch, and Caesar.

While The Keg doesn't sell its cuts of beef online, the chain does offer some refrigerated foods. This means that carnivores can indulge in the restaurant's BBQ Pork Back Ribs, Prime Rib Beef Burgers, and Prime Rib Beef Sliders in the comfort of their home. The Keg's online store also offers lobster bisque, as well as a range of ice creams in flavors that mirror some of the restaurant's desserts such as Billy Miner Pie, Cheesecake, and Crème Brulée.

Those wishing to replicate Texas Roadhouse steak offerings in their own kitchen are in luck. The Texas Roadhouse Butcher Shop sells hand-trimmed cuts of beef online, just like those used in the restaurant's dishes. All of the offerings come from Midwestern grain-fed cattle and have been graded USDA Choice. Meat enthusiasts can choose from New York strips, filets, ribeyes, bone-in ribeyes, and filet medallions. All steaks are shipped in Styrofoam coolers filled with dry ice.

For those unsure about their cooking abilities, the Texas Roadhouse Butcher Shop offers a wealth of culinary tips. Since all steaks arrive on your doorstep with a shaker of the chain's signature seasoning, the restaurant provides both seasoning and grilling instructions to ensure that the meat turns out perfectly every time. Alternatively, carnivores can follow one of the restaurant recipes to create delicious meals such as Ribeye with Grilled Peaches, New York Strip Fajitas, and New York Strip with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce.

While both are classified as steakhouses, Texas Roadhouse and The Keg Steakhouse follow very different ambiances and menu philosophies. Texas Roadhouse serves hearty American-style fare in a lively setting, while The Keg offers more upscale dining, complete with stylish environs and imaginative dish options.

It's not easy to choose between two establishments that are so vastly different. However, all things considered, we believe that Texas Roadhouse has the upper hand over The Keg for a number of reasons. Firstly, with hundreds of locations across the U.S., Texas Roadhouse is much more accessible than The Keg, which only has a limited presence in four states. Next — and perhaps most importantly — Texas Roadhouse is transparent about the quality of its meat, whereas The Keg tends to be more secretive about its sourcing practices. Finally, Texas Roadhouse has a better online store than The Keg, offering a wide selection of beef cuts to cook at home. 

To evaluate Texas Roadhouse and The Keg Steakhouse, we used a comprehensive strategy that took into account each restaurant's drawcards and possible drawbacks. To do this, we looked at several key factors, first considering each establishment's decor and dining environment. We then assessed their menu options and the quality of their steaks, paying particularly close attention to how transparent they are about how they source their meat. Finally, we evaluated a number of other aspects, including each chain's accessibility, price points, and range and variety of dishes.