'Not So Good' – The Texas Roadhouse Steak Cut You Should Avoid, According To An Employee On Reddit

Texas Roadhouse packs "steakhouse" and "affordability" into the same sentence, a not-often-spied feat in the modern dining world. However, just because something seems like a great deal doesn't mean it's worth the (albeit reasonable) money. Today, we're taking a closer look at the chain's porterhouse T-bone — one of seven items we suggest avoiding at Texas Roadhouse. Porterhouse steak is known for being a massive, beefy cut that's half strip steak and half tenderloin. But, the hamartia to all that meaty glory is the fact that porterhouses are notoriously susceptible to overcooking or, worse, not getting cooked evenly or all the way through. Even though Texas Roadhouse's contender in the game clocks in at a plate-engulfing 23 ounces, bigger isn't always better.

According to a Texas Roadhouse employee on Reddit, this steak is considered "not so good" because it comes frozen and isn't hand-cut in the restaurant. However, notably, the offering is listed under the "Hand-Cut Steaks" section of the chain's official online menu, a slight stretch of truth in advertising. As the poster shares, "At Texas Roadhouse, my managers have always told me not to suggest the porterhouse T-bone steak. It's the only steak we don't hand cut in the restaurant. It's shipped in frozen, and it's generally considered our not so good steak."

Foodies craving a porterhouse are better off grabbing dinner someplace else. In another Tasting Table ranking (this time specifically of porterhouse steaks from popular steakhouse chains), Texas Roadhouse placed a dismal eight out of 12 restaurants, surpassed by the porterhouses from competitors such as Outback Steakhouse, Peter Luger Steak House, and Ruth's Chris Steak House. 

Texas Roadhouse's porterhouse T-bone also features the unique distinction of being the biggest and most expensive steak on its menu. At a restaurant location in Illinois, the 23-ounce porterhouse T-bone entree (which includes choice of two sides) runs $37.99. For budget-conscious diners, or anyone looking to skip leftovers, these factors alone could be deal-breakers. Still, it's impressive that Texas Roadhouse hand-cuts most of its steaks in the restaurant, and we dig a lot of the chain's other meaty offerings. For example, we suggest ordering the bone-in ribeye or the Dallas filet on your next visit. At the same Windy City location, the similarly massive 20-ounce bone-in ribeye entree costs $34.99 and the 6-ounce Dallas filet entree costs a more modest $25.99 (and both come with two sides).

If you're heading to Texas Roadhouse, feel free to branch out beyond steak. In our ranking of 12 popular Texas Roadhouse menu items, the highest any steak ranked was sixth, and it was the sirloin. Instead, we found non-steak offerings, including the cinnamon-buttered rolls, grilled shrimp, marshmallow-loaded sweet potato, and rattlesnake bites, far more enticing.