Texas Roadhouse: The Most Expensive Meal On The Menu Vs The Cheapest

We tend to think that expensive menu items will taste better than cheaper ones, but is that really true? I've definitely had my share of horrible meals in the name of eating "on a budget," but I've also eaten food that cost me a pretty penny, only to find the meal subpar. Still, when it comes to Texas Roadhouse, I consider myself a lifelong fan, so when presented with the opportunity to taste the most expensive meal on the menu along with the cheapest one, I jumped at the chance.

In this article, my goal is to break down the pros and cons of the most expensive and cheapest meal on the Texas Roadhouse menu. These entrees were ordered as is, meaning there were no add-ons or upgrades. Kid's menu items, appetizers, side dishes, and desserts weren't considered. Coming up, I'll go over pricing for each entree, my initial expectations, my honest thoughts on how it tasted, and finally, whether or not I felt it was a good purchase for the money.

Join me as I dish up the details concerning the most expensive versus the cheapest meal on the menu at Texas Roadhouse.

The Porterhouse T-Bone Steak from Texas Roadhouse is the most expensive item on the menu at $33.99 in my area as of August 2024. The steak is defined as "Texas-sized" and weighs in at 23 ounces. This meal is served with a choice of two sides from over 15 available options. I chose to grace my Porterhouse Steak with creamy mashed potatoes and a house salad.

Out of curiosity, I checked another popular steakhouse to see how much it charged for a similar steak, and though the Porterhouse T-Bone Steak is the most expensive at Texas Roadhouse, it's a very reasonable price compared to other chains. At Outback Steakhouse, for example, the Melbourne Porterhouse rings up at $34.99 for a 22-ounce steak. Not only is this steak at Outback an ounce lighter, but it's also a dollar more. 

What's more, Texas Roadhouse offers toppings like mushrooms and onions for free as side dishes, while Outback Steakhouse charges as much as an additional $2.99 for each. Guess we now know which restaurant is better between Texas Roadhouse and Outback — in my opinion, anyway. Thus, though it's expensive for Texas Roadhouse, the Porterhouse T-Bone Steak is a great value when compared to similar steakhouse chains.

The Porterhouse T-Bone Steak from Texas Roadhouse isn't the lightest option you could order, but that's to be expected when downing a giant steak. According to Texas Roadhouse's nutrition guide, the Porterhouse T-Bone Steak contains 1,040 calories, 54 grams of fat, 24 grams of saturated fat (which is over 120% of your daily recommended saturated fat amount, based on a 2,000 calorie diet), and 3.5 grams of trans fat. In addition, expect to incur over 130% of your daily recommended amount of cholesterol and 1,440 milligrams of sodium, which is 60% of the daily recommended amount. 

Although getting a little extra protein in your diet is generally a good thing, the Porterhouse Steak contains 139 grams of it, as opposed to the recommended 60 to 90 grams you should consume per day. Wondering what happens when you consume too much protein, especially from animal sources? According to health reports, expect excessive weight gain, heart disease, and more from consuming too much meat.

Of course, these Porterhouse T-Bone Steak nutrition stats don't include side dishes, your drink, or the extra hot buttered rolls you'll undoubtedly eat (what makes Texas Roadhouse rolls so delicious, anyway?) making this entree a very high-calorie, high-fat, and high-sodium meal, no matter how you slice it. Still, for an experience like this, it's totally normal to want to indulge a bit. That's part of what makes going out to eat fun, in my opinion.

The Porterhouse T-Bone Steak from Texas Roadhouse is no joke in terms of sizing. When the menu says "Texas-sized," that's exactly what it means. Aside from the remarkable size of the steak, I remained unsettled about its dry appearance. For reference, I ordered this steak medium-well and purchased it for carry-out. I know steak doneness and temperature can be tricky to achieve sometimes, and I'm willing to admit that it's possible the steak steamed in the carry-out container and thereby produced drier results. Either way, I definitely wasn't as excited as I thought I'd be about sampling this T-bone steak.

As far as the side dishes it came with, I was far happier with how both were presented. First off, the salad looked colorful and fresh, as expected. I've always been a fan of the chain's salads, as I truly think it's one of the best Texas Roadhouse side dishes you can get. The salad dressings and croutons are made in-house and always taste incredible. This time around, I sampled both the French dressing and the ranch, and had high hopes for both. As for the mashed potatoes, they looked thick, rich, and creamy. I couldn't wait to dig in.

Now for the Porterhouse Steak taste test. I already knew from past experience that the salad and mashed potatoes were going to prove tasty, but I was eager to see whether or not the steak was as dry as it looked. I sliced into it, and sure enough, the steak was overcooked and extremely tough to slice through. Once I was finally able to finagle my knife through it, I popped it into my mouth, not expecting much.

What did it taste like? Honestly, it was delicious. Shocking, I know. Despite being tough and dry, the meat still had a melt-in-your-mouth factor, which I definitely didn't expect. I'm certain that when dining in, eating the steak fresh is a dynamite experience, with an even better texture than what I experienced here. The flavor was all there as well, with just enough grilled essence to make it unbelievably enjoyable without being too much. 

The steak wasn't over- or under-seasoned either, which worked well to allow the flavor of the beef to shine through. Also, it's worth noting that Texas Roadhouse steak sauce is a force to be reckoned with — its subtle heat and tangy flavor lent itself perfectly to the steak's savory flavor. As expected, the salad and two dressings were amazing, as were the mashed potatoes. Overall, the most expensive entree proved to be an A+.

The All-American Cheeseburger at Texas Roadhouse goes for $11.99 in my area and is the cheapest meal on the menu — at least for adults. This entree is described as a classic American cheeseburger featuring American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion, all atop a large "Texas-sized" bun. The burger comes with steak fries and a pickle spear, and the fries can be substituted with another side dish at no extra cost. Unlike the Porterhouse T-Bone Steak, the All-American Cheeseburger comes with one side instead of two, which is understandable, especially given the entree's low price point.

Given that the All-American Cheeseburger from Texas Roadhouse appears to be such a great price, I compared its cost to a similar steakhouse to see how it fared. Just as I suspected, Texas Roadhouse is offering its burger at a more than reasonable price, as Logan's Roadhouse sells a similar burger with the exact same name, for a few more dollars. At nearly $14, Logan's Roadhouse offers seemingly the same burger, only it tops it with a choice of Swiss, cheddar, or American cheese, as well as sliced pickles, rather than with a single slice of American cheese and a pickle spear on the side. Still, Texas Roadhouse is clearly the better deal, especially since Logan's Roadhouse requires you to pay extra to swap out your fries for most other side dishes.

Like the Porterhouse T-Bone Steak, the All-American Cheeseburger from Texas Roadhouse isn't exactly a healthy entree. Most of us know this already, but looking at the nutrition specifics may make you think twice before eating this if you're on a restricted diet. The cheeseburger on its own makes up as much as 82% of your daily value for sodium with 1,970 milligrams. Shockingly, the fries add another 1,970 milligrams (I kid you not), and thus, you've consumed 164% of your daily value of sodium when eating the burger and fries together. 

Add to that the 880 calories, 22 grams of saturated fat (122% of your daily value), 125 milligrams of cholesterol, and 11 grams of sugar the burger brings to the table, and it's clear this is a once-in-a-while type of meal. As a true burger and fry lover, these nutrition facts made me wince, but did they put a damper on my excitement about sampling the meal? Absolutely not.

As mentioned, I'm a big burger fan, and laying eyes on the All-American Cheeseburger from Texas Roadhouse had me salivating. For starters, the beef patty was huge, spanning far past the limits of the bun. The cheese was visibly thick and the toppings were crisp. The bun was stealthy and seemed more than able to handle all that was packed inside. It never looked soggy, despite the fact that it sat in a steamy to-go carton.

Still, if there were one thing I could change about this burger, it would be the lack of condiments. No, the menu never mentioned that it came with condiments, and no, I didn't think to ask for any. When ordering online, there isn't anywhere to request condiments for your burger either, which is something I think Texas Roadhouse should update in the future. So, while I was impressed overall with the appearance and apparent quality of this burger and fry meal, the lack of condiments left me wanting.

Unsurprisingly, I thought the All-American Cheeseburger and fries from Texas Roadhouse tasted great. The fries were perfect — delightfully salty without being too crispy or too soft. The burger emitted all of the natural flavor of beef without being victimized by over-seasoning. I did expect more charcoal flavor than what I got, but the description never indicated the burger was chargrilled, and it doesn't need to be. The patty packed all of the flavor needed, even without condiments included.

In addition to the flavor of the meat, it's worth noting that both the bun and cheese add another layer of yumminess to this delicious Texas Roadhouse All-American Cheeseburger. The bun was just as sturdy as it looked but was also satisfyingly soft. Also, the thick slice of cheese ended up packing a ton of flavor; you could definitely taste it, and it's not something I'd recommend leaving off the burger if you don't have to.

Despite loving the flavor of this burger, there was one thing that continued to irk me, and that was its dryness. Since no condiments were included, I went ahead and added mayo and ketchup from my kitchen. Though the burger was already tasty, it was so much better with the condiments. With all things considered, I definitely think the All-American Cheeseburger and fries from Texas Roadhouse are worth $11.99. In fact, it feels like a steal, given the quality and flavor.

All in all, I felt that both the Porterhouse T-Bone Steak and the All-American Cheeseburger from Texas Roadhouse were bargains for their price. The Porterhouse Steak looked dry and overcooked at first blush, but after sampling it, I found it to still be tender and delicious. The size of the steak was enormous, and the side dishes were also of decent-sized portions, making $33.99 well worth it.

I felt the same way about the All-American Cheeseburger — for the price, it was almost too good to be true. The meat was savory and flavorful, the toppings were fresh, and the cheese was thick and tasty. Like the Porterhouse Steak, the All-American Cheeseburger was huge, with the patty much larger than the bun. The fries were thick cut and plentiful, making this a great buy for only $11.99. I do wish the cheeseburger came with condiments, but I'm sure you could request them if you're like me and can't do without.

Overall, both the Porterhouse Steak from Texas Roadhouse and the All-American Cheeseburger are awesome buys for the price. I recommend both of these meals, and even the side dishes, for a fresh and flavorful value for lunch or dinner.

When determining which meals would qualify as the "most expensive" or "cheapest," I first analyzed the cost of all adult-sized entrees as is. This means upgrades and/or add-ons weren't included in the pricing. The Porterhouse T-Bone Steak is listed as $33.99, which is the most expensive item on Texas Roadhouse's menu in my area at the time of publication. The All-American Cheeseburger was $11.99, which is the same price the burger would have been without cheese, so naturally, as a cheese lover I opted for cheese. Items on the kid's menu, side dishes, appetizers, and desserts weren't considered.

It's important to note that when a review like this ensues, the reviewer (obviously) has personal taste and texture preferences. Thus, it goes without saying that my assessment of both flavor and texture concerning the most expensive meal on the menu versus the cheapest at Texas Roadhouse is based solely on my opinion. All in all, the goal is to inform consumers concerning the general value and quality of the highest and lowest priced meal, and provide them with the information they need to make an informed decision about which dish to try the next time they're seated at Texas Roadhouse.