The Most Unhealthy Things You Can Eat At LongHorn Steakhouse

It's one of the most celebrated steakhouse chains in America, and chances are, you've seen its signature steer head logo peeking out as you've driven by one of its over 500 locations across the United States. We're talking about the LongHorn Steakhouse franchise, of course, which has been sizzling meat for hungry patrons since the early 1980s when its very first location opened its doors in Atlanta, Georgia. Decades later, it ranks among some of the most popular steakhouse corporations — and taking a look at the menu, it isn't hard to see why.

Richly marbled entrées, savory appetizers, sweet finishers, and more make up the mouth watering list of meal options offered up at LongHorn. But the truth is, many of these comfort-style foods come at a price... and we're not just talking about dollars and cents. A select few of LongHorn's dishes in particular leave a lot wanting in the way of nutrition, and thus while your taste buds might be happy to sample them, your waistline, gut, or heart may not. Before you sit down for your next steak dinner, take a look at some of the most unhealthy things you can order from LongHorn Steakhouse.

A porterhouse, which is a cut taken from the area of the cow where the tenderloin and top loin meet, is notorious for its large size — and the LongHorn take does not disappoint in regard to portion. Sitting at a whopping 22 ounces, the LongHorn Porterhouse entrée is the largest steak to be found on the company's menu. Grilled over a fire to create an unforgettable smoky taste, this slab of beef wins some major points for flavor... but from a nutritional standpoint, we're sad to report, it barely makes the scoreboard.

This gargantuan steak contains 1,280 calories, 2,450 milligrams of sodium, and 67 grams of fat — and these stats are just for the steak alone. Add in the sides, which can range anywhere from an extra 220 to 860 calories, and you've got a meal potentially heavy enough to satisfy an adults' caloric needs for an entire day. In addition, since red meat contains a slew of saturated fat — the kind associated with a higher risk of stroke and cardiac disease — the sheer size of this steak alone may make it a poor choice for those already suffering from, or at-risk for, heart disease and other related conditions. All in all, you'll have to decide if this mega-sized entree is worth the potential health downsides in this case.

Chicken is generally considered a lighter, lower-calorie meat. It is commonly relied upon by those trying to cut back on their red meat intake, or by those partaking in diets for weight loss. Thus, when scanning the menu at LongHorn Steakhouse, you'd naturally believe you'd found a leaner option when coming across the Parmesan Crusted Chicken entrée, which comes in both 9 ounce or 12 ounce plate sizes. The dish is made up of garlicky, Parmesan-encrusted chicken and comes alongside a salad, as well as your choice of side dish, like broccoli, French fries, or seasoned rice.

While this may not sound too nefarious at first glance, the overall calorie count is rather striking at over 1,120 for the 12-ounce plate option. This becomes doubly so when you consider that 12 ounces of plain chicken breast is only around 300 calories — suggesting that the Parmesan breading on this particular dish is the root cause of this less-than-appealing calorie count. Keep in mind that this number does not include the sides, either; depending on which option you select to accompany your entrée, the overall number of calories will go up. The total fat and sodium is worth noting, too, at 36 grams of fat and 1,860 milligrams of sodium for the 12-ounces of chicken alone. In summary, this one may not quite be the light poultry entree you originally envisioned.

Pork ribs aren't exactly known for being healthy as a general rule, so this next menu item on our list may not come as too much of a shock. Baby back ribs, sometimes also referred to as pork back ribs, are taken from the upper part of a pig's back and are celebrated for their tenderness and flavor. The Baby Back Ribs entrée at LongHorn is available in either a half rack or full rack portion size, and comes slathered with the company's signature sweet-and-savory BBQ sauce after being grilled over an open fire. How does that sound for satisfying an epic meat craving?

But if you're dieting, you may just want to skip right over this one on the menu. A full rack of LongHorn's ribs comes in at over 1,600 calories, more than 100 grams of fat, and over 1,400 milligrams of sodium — and that doesn't even include the BBQ sauce drizzled liberally on top, or the side and salad that come with the meal. All of these elements put together could very well put some adults over their target calories for an entire day. How comfortable you are with this scenario is up to you... and will likely depend heavily on just how much you love baby back ribs.

Shrimp comes with numerous health benefits, such as a high amount of protein per serving, omega-3s, calcium, and choline, to name a few. However, those innocent little shrimp can quickly become calorie or sodium bombs depending on how they are prepared. Grilled shrimp free from breading, for example, will naturally be lower in overall calories and salt than breaded shrimp fried in oil, so the preparatory process may be something you wish to take into account before placing an order for these popular shellfish at a restaurant.

In the case of LongHorn's celebrated take on shrimp, unfortunately, it is not the lightest seafood appetizer you'll find in the sea. The Wild West Shrimp are fried, served on a large platter and topped with a mixture of seasoned cherry peppers and garlic butter... and the product is the company's self-proclaimed most popular appetizer of the bunch. But if you're watching your sodium count, you may want to steer clear of the beloved starter. The Wild West Shrimp comes with a whopping, almost unbelievable 3,740 milligrams of sodium — far exceeding an adult's recommended daily intake of less than 2,300 per day. Considering this is only the appetizer round, you'll tack on even more when your actual meal makes it to the table. Additionally, the platter comes in at a rather hefty 930 calories, so do with this information what you will.

Step aside, Bloomin' Onion from Outback — there's another delicious fried onion steakhouse appetizer in town. Introducing the Texas Tonion from LongHorn Steakhouse, a plate of sliced, deep fried onion petals finished off by a sprinkle of the company's very own in-house savory Prairie Dust seasoning. But before you rush your rumbling stomach out to the LongHorn location nearest you to sample these mouth-watering morsels, first take a look at the nutrition stats.

The Texas Tonion plate comes with an appalling 1,180 calories (more if you choose to dip your pieces into the zesty sauce that comes on the side), and 2,720 milligrams of sodium. This is well over the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendation of 2,300 milligrams or less per day in one shot... and it is just a modest-sized appetizer. While an overload of sodium in the short-term can cause excessive thirst, bloating, and other uncomfortable symptoms, taking in too much consistently can put consumers at risk for high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease in the long run. Given this, is the Texas Tonion really worth the salt slew when there will be another sodium-heavy entree to follow it up? The choice is yours.

Is any dinner plate fully complete without a baked potato on the side? The classic starchy dish has rather unclear historical origins, but one thing's for sure: The baked potato has grown into a coveted staple for many consumers all over the world. This is especially true when that potato is loaded up with delicious toppings — and in the case of the LongHorn Steakhouse version, the finishing touches are certainly sprinkled liberally. The Loaded Baked Potato side comes topped with a generous spoonful of cool sour cream, salty bacon bits, cheese, butter, and green onions... and this savory snack tastes every bit as delectable as it sounds.

Sadly, however, the LongHorn potato may not make the rest of your body quite as happy as it makes your taste buds. This single spud, which varies between 290 to 470 calories depending on the number of toppings, comes with over a day's worth of an adult's recommended sodium intake right off the bat. And since it comes as a side, when the sodium content of the main entree is also factored in, your total number has the potential to grow to something pretty astronomical. This could potentially pose a serious problem for those following a low-sodium diet for health concerns, so take this into account when selecting your sides during your next meal at LongHorn.

A satisfying hearty soup, with its liquid base, can generally be a fairly safe option in regard to finding ways to save calories on meals. And when you stumble across LongHorn Steakhouse's Southwest Chicken Tortilla Soup — a side loaded with shredded chicken, flavorful pinto beans, corn kernels, spicy green chiles and crunchy tortilla strips — you'd aptly believe you struck gold in regard to finding a lighter something to sip on. The soup is listed at a mere 330 calories, after all.

But while the overall calorie count of the Southwest Chicken Tortilla Soup may not feel too offensive, it is the lesser-visible sodium content that brings this one down a few pegs on the health meter. This relatively modest-sized cup of soup comes with 1,420 milligrams; a pretty elevated level of saltiness when you consider the amount you're actually receiving. It also comes with 18 grams of fat, a number which feels surprisingly high for a soup composed of mostly beans, corn, and chicken — all of which are generally low-fat ingredients. We suppose you'll just have to take your own health needs and goals into account when weighing these factors.

Let's face it: Macaroni and cheese is an indulgent dish. Sure, there are some lighter takes on the cheesy, carbohydrate-heavy classic to be found on online blogs or in healthy recipe books, but for the most part, mac and cheese isn't known for being the most diet-friendly entrée in the world. And when it comes to the LongHorn Steakhouse version, we're afraid the company's recipe of extra-creamy baked macaroni covered in a layer of crispy Parmesan and bacon bits lives up to the stereotype.

While undeniably delicious, LongHorn's signature Steakhouse Mac & Cheese side dish comes at a high-fat price; 37 grams lurk within this steaming, modest-sized bowl, along with 1,210 milligrams of sodium and 610 calories. Since this item will most likely be ordered only as an accompaniment to the main course, you should be prepared ahead of time that selecting it as your side-of-choice will up the nutritional stats of your meal significantly — and not in a good way. Still, everyone's nutritional needs vary: if higher-fat, higher-calorie meals is something you're striving for, then Longhorn's Mac & Cheese may very well fit the bill.

Corn is thought to have its origins in Mexico and North America, but in today's modern world, its reach is hardly limited to one geographical location. Different versions of this sweet golden vegetable can be found everywhere... including, of course, LongHorn Steakhouse. Roasted over a flame until rendered slightly smoky, LongHorn's whole Fire-Grilled Corn on the Cob side dish is poured over with a signature crema sauce before being finished off with a generous topping of a Parmesan and herb mixture. It sure sounds like an upgrade to your run-of-the-mill plain boiled cob, doesn't it?

While this may be true in regard to taste, when it comes to nutrition, LongHorn's savory, corny side is actually a downgrade. The celebrated snack comes in at 200 calories total — a relatively modest number in and of itself. However, when you consider that a standard ear of medium-sized, plain boiled corn is around 88 calories on average, it becomes clear that all the delicious additives making up the rich topping brushed over LongHorn's cobs seriously amps up the count — making for a much heavier take on the healthy classic. In addition, it appears many of these extra calories come from fat; the Fire-Grilled cob has around 9 grams, while a plain ear contains just over 1 in total.

It goes without saying that desserts are associated with high sugar, and most of us go into indulging in a decadent, frosting-covered slice of cake already knowing that we're hitting (if not exceeding) our sugar marker for the day. But what many don't consider is that many sweet desserts actually come with other less-attractive nutritional stats as well, such as a high sodium or fat count.

This is the case with one of LongHorn Steakhouse's most popular desserts; its signature THE Cheesecake. An originally-flavored cheesecake with a graham-cracker crust covered in a generous layer of whipped cream and finished off with drizzled liquid caramel and pecans, this treat certainly brings all the sugar you'd expect to the table. However, it also brings some other unattractive, significant nutritional elements. You can expect a whopping 1,520 calories to fill your belly when indulging on this one, as well as an unbelievable 93 grams of fat, and 920 milligrams of sodium. All this in a little slice of cake? Proceed as you see fit.

What would you call a dessert that includes multiple different types of chocolate jumbled together deliciously on a plate? A chocolate stampede, of course. LongHorn Steakhouse's Chocolate Stampede is a last course worthy of its name. This massive dessert is made up of two unbelievably thick slices of rich cake that include six different types of chocolate in their recipe, and is finished off by chocolate shavings, chocolate drizzle, and a few mounds of whipped cream and vanilla ice cream. It's so big, even the website outlines that a family effort may be needed to finish off the entire plate.

As you might expect, a dessert this big comes with a seriously shocking number of calories — 2,460 to be exact. This is more than many adults require in an entire day. In addition, there are around 132 total grams of fat, as well as 1,040 milligrams worth of sodium to consider. We suppose that if you're sharing with a few people at your table, these stats can be reduced some per person... but the Chocolate Stampede is still guaranteed to pack a punch when it comes to your diet. Still, we all know that saying about moderation. If you've been looking forward to your dinner at LongHorn for some time and you find yourself craving a little chocolate, we certainly won't judge you for ending your evening with this unforgettable finisher.

To determine some of unhealthiest dishes on the LongHorn Steakhouse menu, a thorough examination of the company's entrées, sides, and desserts were conducted. The various items' nutritional information was then ranked using recommendations from reputable health agencies such as the FDA and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. However, it should be noted that nutritional needs, such as required caloric or fat intake, can vary greatly among consumers; and what is healthy for one person may not be healthy for another.