7 Texas Roadhouse Dishes Employees Always Recommend

Fans of Texas Roadhouse keep coming back for many reasons, from the loud, boisterous atmosphere and made-from-scratch menu to the filling portions and affordable pricing. Yet, while each of those certainly helps make the TXRH experience a unique one, the real reason it's become the fastest-growing steakhouse chain is, simply put, because the food is good. We're talking classics like the Cactus Blossom, those honey cinnamon butter rolls, and of course, juicy, umami-dripping steak, to name a few.

Both customers and employees love the menu. Not just because of the iconic main offerings and numerous copycat recipes you can find online, but because TXRH pretty much lets you customize orders however you like, with extra toppings, smothers, or ingredient swaps. Many of these unique customizations, like the smothered Cactus Blossom, in fact, surface online in the form of hacks or secret menu items thanks to employees. In thinking about that cult-like love, it made us curious, so we took to Reddit, Facebook, TikTok, and other sites to find out which Texas Roadhouse dishes employees always recommend. 

One of the most beloved menu items at Texas Roadhouse is the herb-crusted chicken, a marinated, boneless chicken breast seasoned with a blend of herbs and spices, then flame-grilled until charred and parsley-flecked. It includes a caramelized lemon for drizzling, your choice of two out of 16 sides, and the option of topping the chicken with bleu cheese crumbles or a smothering of sautéed mushrooms and onions.

In response to a Facebook post about favorite things to order at Texas Roadhouse, someone who claims to be a former employee listed off the menu items they'd always recommend to customers, saying, the "herb crusted chicken is the most popular chicken dish." On a Reddit thread about someone's first time experiencing Texas Roadhouse, an employee recommended an adventurous blend of savory and sweet. "I work at TXRH and that's my order!! If you dip your pork chops in apple sauce, try the herb chicken in apple sauce!! Soooo good!!!!" they said.

A trip to Texas Roadhouse is incomplete without ordering its best appetizer, the signature Cactus Blossom, a massive, or as the website describes, "Texas-sized" fried onion. Made for sharing, it includes your choice of Cajun horseradish sauce or ranch, and for a couple extra bucks, you can spice things up with fire dust, jalapeños, and cheese sauce. As iconic as it is, though, the regular menu version is just an introduction to the many delicious ways to experience a Cactus Blossom. 

In a TikTok video that appears to have been filmed during her shift at Texas Roadhouse, user pimpvanillaslim recommends smothering your Cactus Blossom with pulled pork or sautéed mushrooms and onions. She reveals that a smother, cheese, gravy, ribs, or shrimp can be added to any steak, entree, or appetizer; she showed some of the varied options she can select, which include salmon and veggie kabob. That said, it's worth noting that many of these add-ons aren't available as an option on the regular menu and must be requested. 

There are a lot of things you should know about Texas Roadhouse, but according to employees, one that often flies under the radar is the quality of its seafood selection. From steak-grilled Norwegian salmon and garlicky grilled shrimp zested with lemon pepper sauce, to the fried cornmeal catfish that employees highly recommend, you won't be disappointed if you have a taste for seafood instead of steak.

"Our salmon is FANTASTIC," exclaimed one employee in a Reddit thread about the experience of working there — they also shouted out the aforementioned herb-crusted chicken.

On another Reddit thread about what to order from Texas Roadhouse, an employee who admitted to not liking the taste of catfish said, "I'm not a fan of anything fried in corn breading, BUT our catfish is SO good." They gave the house-made tartar sauce and salmon combo equal praise, adding, "I'm picky about my salmon. I typically don't order it at restaurants because I'm always disappointed, but ours is GOOD."

Applesauce isn't usually a menu item people drool over, but according to soggy.biscuitz, a TikTok user and Texas Roadhouse employee of six years, there's a hack that's sure to make your mouth water. "Loaded applesauce and I have a relationship," the video caption reads, referring to the secret menu hack that tops decadent applesauce with toasted marshmallows. It's an upgrade that you'll have to personally request from your server, as marshmallows aren't an official side, and are only featured as an option with the baked sweet potato.

With that in mind, requesting other toppings that typically come with the sweet potato should be fair game, too, like honey-cinnamon caramel, plain cinnamon, or brown sugar. Bottom line is, there are more ways to add flavor to applesauce at Texas Roadhouse than you may have known. 

The filet medallions, which might be the best steak dish on the Texas Roadhouse menu, consist of three moist and tender steaks served on a bed of seasoned rice. It comes with your choice of peppercorn sauce or portobello mushroom sauce, and you can add bleu cheese crumbles, grilled shrimp, or jack cheese, or all three if you've got an appetite.

An employee took to Reddit to reveal secrets, tips, and insider knowledge, listing the filet medallions as the best steak option when you consider the amount of food you get for the price. "I get the Peppercorn sauce on the side and I personally love it for a nice dip on each bite. You can also pay a small upcharge to add 1x more 3oz medallion which price varies but is a great way to ensure leftovers or a very hearty meal," they said.

If you're a fan of butter on your steak, they also recommend asking for a second layer to be brushed on top. The best part is you have several flavors to select from. "[Roadhouse] actually keeps a few that you don't know: Honey cinnamon butter (rolls), Garlic butter (melted for salmon and shrimp), and regular whipped butter," they added.

Texas Roadhouse offers a customizable experience that lets you amp up menu items. The steaks, for example, are typically seasoned with a proprietary blend that's kept under wraps by the company. The secret savory blend is so popular that it's inspired lots of copycat recipes, proving that Texas Roadhouse knows a thing or two about flavor.

If you love the chain's signature steak seasoning, wait until you hear about the seasoning request that transforms any steak. According to a comment on Reddit, "TXRH employee with lots of broiling experience here – I strongly suggest that if you order a steak, ask to add 'Roaster Seasoning' (same seasoning used for the Herb Chicken). You won't be disappointed." 

Like the steak seasoning, the ingredients in the Roaster Seasoning blend are also secret, and as such, the web is filled with copycat recipes. One theory is that it consists of garlic powder, dried dill, paprika, oregano, basil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. But, since there's a good chance we'll never know, you might as well try it for yourself the next time you stop by.

To give ribs a tender, fall-off-the-bone consistency, Texas Roadhouse spends hours cooking them low and slow in a pan with liquid smoke. After they come out of the oven, the slabs receive a generous lather of sauce before going back on the grill. At least, that's how one person described the cooking process on Reddit, saying, "[They're] not baked exactly, they are cooked in a HALO oven overnight and/or all day," which might explain why the ribs are a fan-favorite among customers and employees alike.

"They're amazing. We don't call them "fall off the bone ribs" for no reason. I hate eating finger food. I eat them with a fork with ease," an employee said on another Reddit thread about menu recommendations. Texas Roadhouse was the 2026 blue ribbon winner of the Southern New England School of Law's "Taste of the Region Blue Ribbon" Contest. It competed against 16 other restaurants, receiving high scores for the smoky flavor and tender consistency of its pork ribs. Suffice it to say, it's more than a place for steak lovers. We even consider it the chain restaurant with the hands-down best ribs.