One Of Texas Roadhouse's Best Entrees Under $20 Is A Hearty, Southern-Style Classic

Texas Roadhouse is best known for hand-cut steaks and ribs, but one of its most appealing budget-friendly meals comes from a completely different part of the menu. It's crispy, fried, filling, and unmistakably Southern by nature — and depending on your location, it can still land on your plate for under $20, even when ordering the larger portion. All that goodness comes from the Fried Catfish entree, which you'll find tucked within the Texas Roadhouse "Dockside Favorites". 

The entree at Texas Roadhouse is available as either a three-piece or four-piece meal, with two sides included. Prices vary from one location to another, but it currently sits on menus in Memphis, Tennessee, at $16.49 for the three-piece meal and $18.40 for four pieces. This dish easily landed on our Tasting Table list of eight best Texas Roadhouse entrees under $20, with our reviewer praising the contrast between the crunchy coating and tender fish, and describing the meal as particularly hearty. She also pointed to high recommendations from Texas Roadhouse employees, including some who aren't normally big catfish fans.

The two sides are an important component, providing plenty of ways to incorporate the all-important Southern-style supper vibe. Options include things like baked and sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes with gravy, steak fries, green beans, mac and cheese, Texas red chili, applesauce, and steamed veggies. If you're making a full meal of it, and don't mind stretching the budget past $20, Texas Roadhouse also offers Southern-style starters such as fried pickles and cheesy, jalapeño-filled Rattlesnake Bites, plus sweet iced tea and desserts like Granny's Apple Classic.

Of all the fish swimming around American waters, why catfish? As a true Southern classic, fried catfish has been a fixture of Deep South cooking for generations, particularly in the Mississippi Delta, which is where I was born and raised. Catfish is ever-present at community fish frys, endless small cafes, and on everyday supper tables. Though the Delta is home to small-town Belzoni, dubbed the Catfish Capital of the World, Mississippi is certainly not alone in its love affair with the whiskered wizards of muddy waters. 

It's no surprise that Texas Roadhouse would give the dish an honored spot on its menu, given that Texans have deep cultural ties to catfish, and the state harbors at least 10 freshwater catfish species. It's also unsurprising that the entree at Texas Roadhouse would be prepared the way it should be: Deep fried in cornmeal batter, preferably in a hot cast-iron skillet. 

Diners across the board seem to agree that Texas Roadhouse is doing things right when it comes to catfish. In one Reddit discussion about good fried catfish, a customer said they order the TR version every time they visit and compared its crispy cooking style to the catfish their mother makes. An enthusiast on Facebook calls it "always delicious" and can't understand why anyone would eat catfish anywhere but at the Roadhouse. They're certainly not alone; here at Tasting Table, we've even placed Texas Roadhouse catfish among the nine chain restaurants with the best fried fish across the board.