This Part Of The Texas Roadhouse Menu Costs More Now, But Fans Say It's Still Worth It

The early bird gets the worm at many chain restaurants with special deals for those who don't mind eating early. At Texas Roadhouse, that special is called the Early Dine menu, featuring discounted prices between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on 7 different entrees, including country fried sirloin, grilled salmon, pulled pork dinner, country fried chicken, grilled BBQ chicken, half rack of ribs, and the USDA choice sirloin. Each entree comes with two sides and the famous rolls with cinnamon butter. Early Dine customers will save between $3 to $5 dollars per meal.

A recent Reddit thread tracked the cost of the Early Dine special from $8.99 in 2021 to $12.99 in 2026 — although it seems that prices and what's included varies between locations. Users note that in states like California, the cost has risen to $14.99, and on the website, the price varies with the meal chosen and costs between $9.99 (for a pulled pork dinner) and $14.99 (for grilled salmon). Still, a current Texas Road House manager argued that the chain is really doing customers a favor with the Early Dine deal. "With the increased beef prices the last couple years," they said, "it's a pretty slim profit margin even at 12.99." Plus, the manager argues, "Please find me any other restaurant where you can get a legit good steak dinner with salad & potato for $13." Many customers agree, with one stating, "Yeah, prices always go up. Welcome to life." Another customer chimed in, "Even Applebee's is serving $20 entrees these days." So, you are certainly saving money despite rising prices.

In addition to the Early Dine special, Texas Roadhouse also has legendary Happy Hour deals. So, if a heavy steak dinner at a discounted price isn't what you're craving in the late afternoon, you can grab delicious drinks for a steal. Happy Hour schedules vary from location to location, with some lasting from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., and others from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and a few offering late-night discounts after 9 p.m. Since many of the Happy Hours overlap with the Early Dine deal, you can take advantage of both money-off options with cheap drinks to accompany a discounted meal.

If you'd rather dine at regular hours, there are still some menu hacks that can help save money. For example, the Texas Roadhouse ordering hack that gets you more filet for less entails ordering the filet medallions instead of the Dallas filet. Not only are the filet medallions a hidden gem at Texas Roadhouse, but they'll give you more meat than the Dallas filet for the same price or less. Another hack on Texas Roadhouse's menu is to order family packs to save on meat and sides. Multiple people can enjoy steaks and sides for as little as $39.99. Considering some single entrees can cost nearly $30, a family pack for 3-4 people is a great deal. Lastly, if you order from the kids menu, you essentially get a free side salad.