Picking the right side dish is crucial when you’re pairing it to your main at a restaurant. There’s nothing worse than ordering a plain baked potato or steamed veggies, and having a side order of juicy, charred ribs placed down at the table next to you, immediately filling you with regret. The next time you head to Texas Roadhouse for a delicious steak dinner, really think about what side you’re craving. They have a wide variety of options ranging from starches and salads, to shrimp and ribs. We ranked every single side offered a Texas Roadhouse, and there is a clear winner!
Steamed Broccoli
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 210
Fat: 16g
Sodium: 490mg
Carbs: 17g
Protein: 5g
Similar to the steamed mixed vegetables, the steamed broccoli is another healthy option (again, if you remove the lemon pepper butter). It’s certainly convenient to have some greens on the menu for guests who prefer healthier sides to go with their meal.
The Look:
I have to be fair and rate every single side, but steamed broccoli is steamed broccoli. Pretty bland, no seasoning or anything, so if you like broccoli, you’re going to like this! It’s fairly boring, compared to some other options on the menu, but again, nice for people who prefer a more basic side dish.
The Taste:
The taste really isn’t much, just a simple, steamed broccoli, but as mentioned before, it’s good to have some healthy options on the menu. The broccoli florets are perfectly cooked, tender, and not too hard.
Price Point:
Cost of item: $3.49
Steamed Vegetables
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 190
Fat: 15g
Sodium: 480mg
Carbs: 13g
Protein: 3g
Pretty straightforward, steamed vegetables can be a great option if you’re looking for a healthier choice (you can ask to completely remove the lemon pepper butter). It doesn’t really add any added calories from things like dressings, and can fill you up with some nutrient rich vegetables.
The Look:
Sometimes you just need something pretty basic, but as far as steamed vegetables go, it’s not much different than the steamed broccoli side dish. The steamed vegetable side mostly consists of just steamed broccoli with a few carrot coins in it.
The Taste:
This tastes pretty much like you think it would. It’s steamed and plain. The carrots are just alright. A little too crunchy for my preference, but the broccoli is perfectly cooked.
Price Point:
Cost of item: $3.49
House Salad
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 230
Fat: 16g
Sodium: 290mg
Carbs: 9g
Protein: 13g
A traditional OG, a house salad is always a great side. This comes with croutons, tomato, cheese, egg, carrots, and of course, plenty of chopped up greens. Choose from a variety of dressings like honey mustard, ranch, blue cheese, caesar, and more.
The Look:
I ordered the salad with ranch and it looks like your typical salad. They have a wide variety of dressings and I like that they add egg to theirs for a little bit of protein. I felt like it could’ve used onion, but it still looks good.
The Taste:
This is pretty much you would expect from your average garden salad. A good base for any delicious dressing and their ranch is tasty. If you want something healthy on the side, that’s a little bit more flavorful than just steamed broccoli, I would say this is a great option.
Price Point:
Cost of item: $4.99
Seasoned Rice
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 360
Fat: 16g
Sodium: 1430mg
Carbs: 47g
Protein: 6g
The seasoned rice is browned and sprinkled with herbs. If you’re not in the mood for other carbs like french fries, loaded fries, and macaroni and cheese, and prefer a rice based side dish, this looks like a good choice from first glance
The Look:
The seasoned rice comes out browned with little specks of green throughout. The dish has a savory smell to it and appears creamy. Now let’s give it a taste to see how it holds up to some of the other sides.
The Taste:
I’m not too sure I would get this one again. It’s not bad, but I’m personally not loving the creamy, slightly soft feel. It has a deep, rich flavor, but it’s more-so the texture that makes this not my personal favorite compared to some of the other options on the menu.
Price Point:
Cost of item: $3.49
Sautéed Onions
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 150
Fat: 10g
Sodium: 570mg
Carbs: 13g
Protein: 2g
Certain side dishes look better than others and the sautéed onions leave something to be desired when it comes to appearance. They look ok, but if you’re going to order sautéed onions, I personally would look for them to be a little bit more caramelized and cooked down.
The Look:
The sautéed onions have a slight brown color to them. They sell a lot of orders to go on top of their steak (similar to the mushrooms). Still by looking at them, I think that they could’ve been cooked a little bit longer.
The Taste:
The flavor is certainly there, and I can see how this would pair really nicely with the steak, but they’re not as cooked as I would like them to be. They’re ok, but I think if I was going to pair something with my steak, I would go with the mushrooms over the onions.
Price Point:
Cost of item: $3.49
Applesauce
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 110
Fat: 0g
Sodium: 15mg
Carbs: 28g
Protein: 0g
This may seem like an odd one, but for someone who loves applesauce with their pork chops, I could see how a little bit of a sweet side would pair well with savory barbecue or rich steak. I’m generally a little picky, though, when it comes to applesauce. In my opinion, it shouldn’t have added sugar, and I’m looking for a natural taste that isn’t too sweet.
The Look:
A little basic, but the applesauce could add some complementary sweetness to the savory steaks. I can see how this would be a good option. It’s bright and appears juicy. Now, let’s give it a taste!
The Taste:
As mentioned when talking about the appearance, it almost has a juicy texture, which I love! I enjoy a good applesauce paired with meat. They compliment each other and I can see why kids or adults would like this side.
Price Point:
Cost of item: $3.49
Grilled Shrimp Sidekick
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 240
Fat: 8g
Sodium: 0gmg
Carbs: 25g
Protein: 14g
If you love seafood, and want to turn your steak dinner into surf and turf, you can add this to your entree to have the best of both worlds. The grilled shrimp skewers are served with a garlic lemon pepper butter on top of toast, making it a little mini meal in itself.
The Look:
The shrimp looks plump and perfectly cooked, but the roll is a little flat. Almost like a flattened hotdog roll. The butter is an odd, bright orange color. Maybe from the garlic lemon pepper seasoning? Personally, I think the shrimp are fine on their own and don’t even need the side of dipping sauce.
The Taste:
The shrimp have a subtle pepper taste to them. They’re plump, and perfectly cooked. They came out warm, but not hot. As we ate them, there was a little inconsistency, with some tasting fresher than others. This was a decent side dish, but with all of the other options, I don’t think I would get this one again.
Price Point:
Cost of item: $7.99
Steak Fries
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 360
Fat: 14g
Sodium: 1970 mg
Carbs: 47g
Protein: 5g
There are a lot of sides to choose from, so if you’re choosing just french fries, you’ll want to make sure they’re worth it. These steak fries can be ordered plain, or loaded with cheese, chili, and other toppings with a side of ranch if you choose.
The Look:
You can get the fries loaded or plain, and we tried both. Their plain steak fries look thick and crisped up. They’re not greasy, or oily. The loaded ones look delicious, smothered in cheese and chili, but heavy for a starter.
The Taste:
The plain fries have a slight saltiness to them, but not too salty. They’re soft and thick, with some crispy edges. All-in-all, a solid French fry, made even better when topped with melty cheese and their delicious chili!
Price Point:
Cost of item: $3.49
Mashed Potatoes
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 260
Fat: 17g
Sodium: 360mg
Carbs: 19g
Protein: 3g
The perfect pairing for barbecue or steak, mashed potatoes are another great choice. You can get them loaded up with plenty of sour cream, cheddar cheese, butter, or covered in gravy. Plain is also just fine or maybe a little bit of butter.
The Look:
To kick them up a notch, I ordered the mashed potatoes loaded with some cheese and bacon. I feel like the mashed potatoes would have been a little hotter because the cheese is not melted, but overall the mashed potatoes look fluffy and then bacon looks crispy. Let’s give it a try.
The Taste:
I actually think getting them loaded up with cheese and bacon isn’t the move because the mashed potatoes underneath are creamy, fluffy and quite flavorful on their own. The toppings overpowered the already good flavor of the mashed potatoes.
Price Point:
Cost of item: $3.49
Sauteed Mushrooms
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 120
Fat: 11g
Sodium: 480mg
Carbs: 5g
Protein: 3g
The mushrooms look really deep in color, like they’re heavily seasoned and full of flavor. I’m interested to see how intense the taste is because they look quite dark in color, like they were sautéed with a rich thick sauce.
The Look:
As mentioned above, they’re really dark in color, and probably seasoned from the looks of it. They smell delicious, and appear charred and peppery. Time to see if they pack a lot of flavor or if they’re too heavily seasoned.
The Taste:
They have a really satisfying texture, to them, and are in fact, quite peppery as predicted. The dark color did, in fact, lead to a rich savory taste to the mushrooms. This would be a great topping for the steaks, for sure. Much better than the onions in my opinion.
Price Point:
Cost of item: $3.49
Sweet Potato
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 350
Fat: 9g
Sodium: 105mg
Carbs: 62g
Protein: 6g
In addition to the baked potato, they also have a sweet potato that can be a nice contrast to the savory meat. For the sweet potato, you can get it topped with honey cinnamon caramel sauce and toasted marshmallows, or maybe a little brown sugar and butter.
The Look:
The sweet potato looks absolutely delicious. I got it topped with the cinnamon caramel sauce and toasted marshmallows. To me, it’s more of a dessert, but let’s see if it’s too sweet.
The Taste:
As expected, this is obviously very sweet, but delicious. If you love salty, savory and sweet things together, this could be a great side dish for your meal. I didn’t know how I was going to feel about this one, but it’s absolutely delicious and I would definitely order this again.
Price Point:
Cost of item: $3.49
Baked Potato
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 380
Fat: 13g
Sodium: 1950mg
Carbs: 60g
Protein: 7g
A baked potato seems pretty mediocre, but a good baked potato loaded with the right toppings can really make it a wonderful side dish, especially for steak. You can load it up with toppings like butter, sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon, and even red chili.
The Look:
A baked potato is pretty straightforward. I decided to try it loaded with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and bacon. The skin had coarse salt crusted on the outside, which I loved!
The Taste:
The skin is a bit chewy, not as crispy as I normally prefer, but still delicious. The cheese, bacon, and sour cream are superior toppings, and I love the crust of coarse salt adding texture. A baked potato is always a solid option, especially when it’s loaded with goodies.
Price Point:
Cost of item: $3.49
Green Beans
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 100
Fat: 3.5g
Sodium: 1070mg
Carbs: 13g
Protein: 6g
If you’re looking for something with a bit more flavor than just steamed broccoli, go with the green beans. They look cooked down, but still bright green, and sprinkled with crispy bits of bacon to add a smoky flavor.
The Look:
The green beans are cut up and topped with a little bit of bacon, not too overpowering, but enough to add a little bit of flavor. They look pretty generic, but the bacon could add a little something, giving this dish an edge over the steamed broccoli or steamed vegetables, so let’s give it a try.
The Taste:
If you’re looking for a side of vegetable that has a little more to it like the corn, the green beans have a ton of flavor. They’re really tender and delicious, with a nice saltiness to them from the bacon. Absolutely delicious!
Price Point:
Cost of item: $3.49
Mac & Cheese
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 380
Fat: 18g
Sodium: 450mg
Carbs: 37g
Protein: 17g
Mac & cheese pairs so well with barbecue that more times than not, places will just blend them together with menu items like pulled pork mac & cheese. That said, it’s wonderful that this is on the menu if you’re craving something creamy to go with the tangy sauce on the barbecue dishes or the richness of whatever chop you choose. Quite frankly, it would go well with anything, and you can even load it up with cheddar and bacon if you think it needs a little something extra.
The Look:
The macaroni and cheese looks decadent and creamy, made with a base of elbow noodles. Mac & cheese can range drastically as far as texture, flavor, and richness goes, so it’s interesting to see how different restaurants choose their recipe. Let’s dive in and see how theirs tastes.
The Taste:
It’s creamy without being too drenched in cheese sauce, letting the noodles be part of the flavor, as well. I like that the elbow noodles have a bit of a bite to them, they’re not mushy or too soft, and the cheese is slightly sharp.
Price Point:
Cost of item: $4.48
Caesar Salad
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 440
Fat: 43g
Sodium: 450mg
Carbs: 9g
Protein: 6g
A caesar salad is always a reliable choice. They’re just consistently delicious and I’m always willing to upgrade for a good caesar salad. That said, some have a lot of love put into it with really high-quality parmesan, delicious creamy dressing, and quality ingredients, while others are still good, but definitely taste a little on the cheaper side.
The Look:
The salad looks pretty good, somewhere in between a cheap version and a really fancy version of a caesar. The dressing looks evenly distributed, not globed on like some other salads and not too scarce. There’s extra parmesan stuck to every leaf and a couple croutons scattered throughout.
The Taste:
The dressing is really flavorful and creamy. It has a great texture and every leaf is covered perfectly. This is a way better option than the garden salad, in my opinion, with a nice garlicky flavor to it.
Price Point:
Cost of item: $4.99
Buttered Corn
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 190
Fat: 9g
Sodium: 550mg
Carbs: 29g
Protein: 5g
Some people may look at the variety of sides available and think it’s ridiculous to go with corn, but don’t underestimate a good buttered corn. Sometimes it just hits the spot, especially if it’s sweet and buttery.
The Look:
It’s nice that they offer some simple sides for plain eaters. Sometimes less is more! The side of corn is pretty straightforward. It came out in a side dish off the cob, bright in color and smelled sweet and buttery.
The Taste:
As predicted, the corn is extremely sweet, flavorful, buttery, and salty. I am blown away by how good this is and would definitely order this again. Even for being on the plainer side, this is a delicious option to pair with any entrée.
Price Point:
Cost of item: $3.49
Texas Red Chili (cup without beans)
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 250
Fat: 15g
Sodium: 800mg
Carbs: 13g
Protein: 17g
I was excited to review this side because I’ve been really loving chili lately, especially this time of the year. They also advertise that they don’t put beans in the chili, which I also generally prefer (it looks like there are options with beans, as well, that you can ask your local Texas Roadhouse about). You can get a bowl or a cup and it’s topped with cheddar cheese and red onion.
The Look:
I had an idea of what to expect because I tried the chili when I tasted the loaded version of the french fries. I ordered a cup, but you can get a bowl of their chili, as well. The chili comes topped with red onion and plenty of cheddar cheese, giving it a lot of color, texture, and flavor.
The Taste:
They have an option to skip the beans in their chili and go right for plenty of hearty meat and seasoning. The melted cheese and crunch from the red onion add a lot of flavor and texture to an already delicious chili. I would definitely order this again!
Price Point:
Cost of item: $3.99
Sidekick of Ribs
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 550
Fat: 39g
Sodium: 860mg
Carbs: 6g
Protein: 44g
Let’s be honest here, this is obviously going to be a strong contender. Of course, it’s one of the more expensive options because you’re essentially adding another tiny meal to your entree. If you’ve been craving ribs, but don’t want to commit to having ribs for your entire meal, this is a great way to get a little taste while being able to order something else.
The Look:
The side of ribs comes with about 4 meaty ribs. It has a nice crust to it, and they’re slathered with sauce. They look tender and juicy. Ribs are one of my favorite foods, so I’m excited to try these!
The Taste:
They have a nice peppery flavor to them, adding a bit of a bite. The barbecue sauce is delicious and smoky. The ribs are tender, with the meat falling off the bone leaving it clean, with a charred, crackling crust on the edges. I had a hard time not eating all of them. The tang of the barbecue helps cut the richness of the meat. These are excellent. I would 100% come back for more.
Price Point:
Cost of item: $9.99
With a wide variety of sides available, the ribs were definitely the star of the show with the chili and both baked potatoes being close behind.
