10 Must-Try Texas Roadhouse Secret Menu Items

America's favorite roadhouse-themed chain has a stacked menu of delicious items, from hand-cut steaks and fall-off-the-bone ribs to its must-try herb-crusted chicken, and more. Business is not just doing well, either, things are looking pretty stellar for Texas Roadhouse. The chain reported more than a 6 percent increase in same-store sales for the first five weeks of the third quarter, compared to 2025. But, what's most interesting about its continued success, is that Texas Roadhouse rarely, if ever, changes its menu. 

It doesn't necessarily have to, either, because like Burger King, you can have any menu item your way, just so long as the ingredients are available. The freedom this grants you as a customer is almost limitless, and as a result, it's led to the creation of some of the tastiest secret menu items. We're talking hidden grilled cheese sandwich hacks stuffed with savory ingredients, signature menu items loaded with meaty toppings, and the best bang-for-your-buck sliders stacked with premium protein. Next time you stop by Texas Roadhouse, skip your usual go-tos and give these 10 secret menu items a try.

Texas Roadhouse isn't usually our first pick if we're in the mood for dessert. But, that's only if you order the desserts straight up, without any alterations. The main menu only offers three desserts, an ice cream-topped apple pie, a large brownie, and a New York-style strawberry cheesecake, all of which, in our opinion, leave much to be desired. Fortunately, Texas Roadhouse lets you customize desserts however you like. With our favorite secret menu trick, for example, you don't have to settle for standard cheesecake toppings. You can upgrade the strawberry cheesecake into a sweet delight loaded with chocolate.

The switcheroo is easy, too, just ask your server to remove the strawberry sauce and add chocolate sauce, honey cinnamon caramel sauce, and toasted mini marshmallows instead. Texas Roadhouse uses chocolate sauce for its Big 'Ole Brownie, and honey cinnamon caramel sauce on its Granny's Apple Classic pie, and toasted mini marshmallows on its sweet potato, so they're always on hand. The website doesn't allow sauce substitutions or marshmallow add-ons, so this upgrade is only available in person. 

It's pretty hard to improve upon perfection, which is the best way to describe a grilled cheese sandwich. Texas Roadhouse doesn't have this classic sammie on its main menu, but you can order it in person. TikTok user Hanna, otherwise known as pimpvanillaslim, who also happens to be an employee, shared a fun grilled cheese hack. Apparently, the POS system at Texas Roadhouse locations has a grilled cheese side option on the kids menu that you can add to meals. Of course, the price may vary from location to location, but, all you have to do is ask for it. 

You can do a lot more than just order a regular grilled cheese sandwich, too. Imagine it stuffed with sautéed mushrooms and onions, or dripping with Texas red chili, or stacked with steak fries, grilled shrimp, and more – yup, the sky is the cheesy limit. It'll take a bit of work, but you can also order a sidekick of ribs, remove the meat from the bones, and give your grilled cheese a meat-stacked makeover.

If you're looking for a healthier option, Texas Roadhouse offers a wide variety of veggies on its Sides & Extras menu. And, you can enjoy them plain Jane or jazz them up with savory add-ons. If you love the chain's steamed vegetables, for example, ask your server to load them with baked potato toppings. With buttery spread, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and bacon bits on top of your steamed veggies, you can cut down on carbs without having to compromise on flavor. In the immortal words of The Mandalorian, "This is the way." It will only cost you around $2, too.

Bulking up Texas Roadhouse sides with baked potato toppings isn't limited to the steamed vegetables, either. You can pile them on the green beans and seasoned corn, too. That said, you'll have to visit your local branch to experience this low-carb hack.  

It's hard to imagine anyone going to a restaurant just to order apple sauce, not unless it's for a child. In fact, on Texas Roadhouse's website, applesauce is located towards the bottom of the Sides & Extras menu, as if it were the chain's roundabout way of acknowledging its limited appeal. But, we have a secret applesauce upgrade that'll make this overlooked item a new go-to. Picture this: toasted marshmallows zig-zagged with honey cinnamon caramel drizzle, stacked on top of applesauce. Sounds delicious, right?

"If you think marshmallows and caramel will be good on something, do it (I get people who order applesauce with marshmallows and caramel)," said an employee on Reddit. Basically, for less than $2 more, you can request loaded applesauce at any Texas Roadhouse location, which means that it no longer has to be a boring kid-friendly side dish. That said, if this sweet-loaded hack isn't your cup of tea, we found a savory way to elevate this fruity purée. A Reddit user recommended ordering the herb crusted chicken with applesauce on the side, and dipping it into the sauce pork chop-style. 

One of the most popular appetizers at Texas Roadhouse is brimming with untapped potential. The item in question is the chain's signature cactus blossom. Golden-fried, beautifully arranged, and perfect for sharing, it's a simple dish that keeps customers coming back for more. Typically, it's served with your choice of Cajun horseradish sauce or ranch, but there's a secret menu item that makes a normal cactus blossom boring by comparison, and that's pulled pork with extra BBQ sauce. 

If you order online, the only caveat is that you'll have to order both the cactus blossom and a pulled pork sandwich to experience it. But, if you order it in person, you can simply request pulled pork as an add-on. Either way, you'll have to pay a bit more to indulge in this meat-loaded hack. If pulled pork isn't your steez, try loading it with Texas red chili or mac and cheese.

Hidden within the depths of the Texas Roadhouse kid's menu is the perfect secret menu dessert to cap heavy meals with. We're talking about vanilla ice cream, which is typically only available if you order Granny's Apple Pie or the Big' Ol Brownie. However, there is a way for you to order it as a standalone dessert. Shouts out to TikTok's resident Texas Roadhouse insider, Hanna, codename: pimpvanillaslim, for the tip. In the same video as the one about the secret grilled cheese sandwich, she says, "We also have ice cream, which is $2.99."

You'll have to request it in person, and of course the price may vary depending on where you're located. But, in our opinion, a scoop of vanilla ice cream is one of the best desserts Texas Roadhouse has to offer. Unlocking this hack gives you even more dessert options, too. If you'd like to spruce up your scoop, ask to have it drizzled with chocolate, honey cinnamon caramel, or strawberry sauce.

This hack might be at the top of our list of must-try recommendations. It'll take a little manual labor on your part, but trust us, it's worth it because you'll get more out of your steak. Here's how it works. Order the sirloin, ribeye, Dallas filet, New York strip, or Filet Medallions, slice them into slider-sized portions, and then use your free bread rolls as buns. It's that simple. Plus, you can even add-on steak toppings.

Each of the aforementioned steaks includes the option of adding sautéed mushrooms and onions, bleu cheese crumbles, or jack cheese, which, aside from the first topping, will cost you less than $1 extra. Texas Roadhouse also has a wide selection of sauces that you can request on the side, from Cajun horseradish and ranch, to Buffalo sauce, marinara, and more. You can even make sweet and savory sliders with honey cinnamon butter.

This protein-packed sliders hack works with chicken, too. According to food content maker Sarah Margaret Eats, "the best Texas Roadhouse hack to ever exist" is to make sliders with the boneless chicken wings. The key is to add honey cinnamon butter to the dinner rolls, load them, and then dip the slider into ranch dressing.

The all-beef hot dogs at Texas Roadhouse are a sleeper hit. But, only if you smother them with Southwest-style toppings. One of the chain's locations revealed this hack on Facebook some years back, and in the post, it shared two mouthwatering smother options: a loaded chili dog and a Southwest smother-melted jack cheese and green chile dog. It then left its followers with a philosophical quandary, asking, "Which would you pick?"

Now, because hot dogs are probably the last thing that comes to mind when you visit Texas Roadhouse, you may not even know that it carries them. The fact that they're tucked away on the kid's menu doesn't help, either. You obviously don't have to be a kid to try this loaded hot dog hack, though, so here's how it works. The first one is pretty easy, just add it as a topping on the website when you order. The second one, however, is a bit trickier because green chiles must've only been a limited-time option. But, you should be able to substitute them with diced jalapeño peppers, which come inside the Rattlesnake Bites.

You'll find countless ways to elevate steak at Texas Roadhouse, from piling on toppings to lathering them with extra butter (which we'll get to in a second). Now, instead of going overboard with add-ons, we have a simple hack that packs a flavorful punch. To transform any steak, ask your server to sprinkle it with the seasoning blend from its popular herb-crusted chicken. Zesty and herbaceous with a garlicky kick, it's the flavor-booster you didn't know your steak needed. You can also order it on the side and apply it yourself.

Texas Roadhouse keeps the ingredients of this fan-favorite blend under wraps, and even keeps employees in the dark. According to an employee on Reddit, "The season is some kind of blend that comes pre mixed in a bag that just says 'herb seasoning mix.' I'm not sure the ingredients. It's orange and green though." 

That hasn't kept seasoning sleuths from trying to make their own. Some copycat recipes uses dried dill, dried oregano, dried basil, garlic powder, paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper. However, none of the ingredients account for the orange color. Luckily, with this hack, if you order it on the side, you can take some home.

If there is one universally held truth in the world of food, it's that butter makes everything taste better. Luckily, it's perfectly okay to butter your steak up with extra flavor at Texas Roadhouse, and in fact, we highly recommend it. The butter options you didn't know you were missing include way more than just the honey cinnamon butter that comes with the rolls. The chain also carries regular whipped butter and garlic lemon pepper butter. 

According to a Reddit post from a long-time employee, "Every steak leaves the expo station butter-brushed to finish the steak and the lighting at the tables are set specifically to glisten off of this and the rolls (yes, really)."

Apparently, you can also ask for extra butter, and to have your steak butter-brushed with any of the available compound flavors. This hack is awesome because it lets you switch things up when you get tired of one flavor of butter, or if you simply want to try one that you've never paired with steak before.