11 Texas Roadhouse Menu Hacks You Need To Know

There are many reasons to love Texas Roadhouse. Made-from-scratch food, affordable prices, and a Lone Star State aesthetic are just a few. Since the first Texas Roadhouse opened in 1993, it's become a global franchise that offers some of the best steak deals around. More than a just steakhouse, the menu is filled with all sorts of tasty Texas-style classics. From barbecue pulled pork and fried onion blossoms to cheesy bacon tater skins and the legendary margarita.Another highlight is the flexible ordering system. It seems like there are endless ways to customize your meal and if you're creative enough, you'll never get bored.

Did you know that Texas Roadhouse has a secret menu? It puts a new spin on popular items and is arguably better than the regular one. If that's news to you, just wait until you find out about the restaurant's money-saving and tummy-filling menu hacks. After you learn the ins and outs, you'll get more beef for your buck, and then some. Texas Roadhouse has some of the best menu hacks around. They often go viral on social media, and with prices being raised for the third time in under a year, you'll want to take advantage. Having money in your pocket is always better than tumbleweeds, so saddle up, because here are some Texas Roadhouse menu hacks that you need to know.

Read more: The Most Popular Cuts Of Steak Ranked Worst To Best

Get More Steak And Sides For Less

Let's kick this list off with a clever hack to get steak for less. The Dallas Filet comes with two sides and your choice of 6 or 8 ounces of steak. The 6-ounce option is a little more than $25 and the other is around $30. If tender steak cuts get your tongue tingling, Texas Roadhouse has another entrée called Filet Medallions that offers even more meat. For around the same price as the 6-ounce Dallas Filet, you can enjoy 9 ounces of Filet Medallions.

And that isn't the only incentive to indulge, it's served atop a bed of seasoned rice and includes two side options. The rice essentially counts as a third side, and you have the choice of substituting it with another side. Have them served over a bed of macaroni and cheese or mashed potatoes if you choose, there are 16 sides in total. The beefy benefits don't have to end there, either. Spruce your steak up even more with four savory toppings. You can choose between sautéed mushrooms and onions, bleu cheese crumbles, three grilled shrimp, or jack cheese. Both meals include the option of adding toppings, but in this case, it's an additional crave-worthy component. Having said that, others say that the Filet Medallion is an inferior cut, which is why it's cheaper. But if both are similarly priced, it won't hurt your pockets to find out if it's worth the hack.

Order Family Packs To Save On Meat And Sides

Eating out can run up a pretty tab. Luckily, after you learn this next menu hack, you'll be one step closer to worry-free dining. It comes courtesy of TikTok, where all the best restaurant hacks are revealed. A husband and wife duo shared a video showing how to feed a family of eight for just $29.99. If you have kids, you know how pricey it can get eating out. Fortunately, Texas Roadhouse offers family packs made for large orders. There are eight different packs to choose from, some of which include cheeseburgers, grilled chicken, ribs, and pulled pork. Each pack also comes with a family-sized salad, two pint-sized shareable sides, and baked bread.

Along with being a great value option for families, packs are perfect for couples with big appetites. Prices can vary from location to location though. Customers have reported $39.99 and others as much as $49.99. Even at those prices, it's a steal. A single Dallas Filet meal costs more than half, yet a family pack can feed several people. And with eight customizable packs, you'll never get tired of saving money. To sweeten the deal, a big cup of Texas Roadhouse's iconic cinnamon butter comes with every order.

Get More Rib For Your Buck With The Appetizer

Rib lovers will get a kick out of this easy hack. The popular steakhouse is known for its fall-off-the-bone ribs. There are two portion options for customers, a full slab entrée and a half one. Both include two sides, too. Calorie-wise, the full slab is loaded with 1,450 and the other 900 — and that's just the ribs. Add in sides and you're consuming even more. The rib entrées are reasonably priced, as well; $25.99 and $20.49 respectively. That's a great deal, but there's a hack to make it even better.

Rather than ordering one of the rib entrées, order the Killer Ribs appetizer that comes with steak fries for $14.99. The rib entrées come with two sides, so that may seem like the better deal, but we'll explain why the appetizer hack is the way to go. The steak fries can be substituted with another side for one. Or you can load them with five different delicious toppings. According to the Texas Roadhouse website, the Killer rib appetizer has 910 calories. That's more than the half-slab entrée and less than the full. But if you order two rib appetizers, you'll only spend slightly more than the full slab, and get considerably more food.

Swap Traditional Sides With An Appetizer

For one reason or another, Texas Roadhouse employees love to share little-known menu hacks, and, thankfully, fans of the restaurant are all the better for it. In a TikTok video, someone who claims to be a current employee starts by saying, "This is not a secret, they just don't tell you." They share that each meal includes two sides, but rather than choosing a traditional side, you can swap it for a half-sized appetizer, instead. The candid employee re-asserts that it's true, but servers there typically keep it hush-hush.

Many appetizers come in larger portions than sides, and eating half is almost like eating two sides. For example, a side of steak fries is 360 calories and can be topped with cheddar cheese and bacon bits. The Cheese Fries appetizer, however, comes with cheddar and bacon bits already on it and has 1,240 calories in total. Even if you eat half and remove the toppings, you still get more food.

Unfortunately, this hack does not apply to all appetizers. The grilled shrimp and Texas red chili are comparable in calories to their sides. There are pros and cons to both. Sides offer greater variety but appetizers include many fan-favorites. Does this hack work at every location? According to other employees in the comments section, no. Some have admitted to never hearing about it, others say that it depends on the general manager, and a few say that it isn't true at all.

Take Advantage Of The Early Dine-In Special

Nothing beats satisfying your beef cravings without breaking the bank. Remember the husband and wife duo mentioned earlier? Well, they must be in the menu-hacking business, because they sure know how to dig up awesome deals. Texas Roadhouse offers an early dine-in special that lets customers enjoy an entrée, two sides, and unlimited baskets of its iconic dinner rolls for just $10.99. The caveat is that it's only available during certain hours. Where the couple lives, it starts at 3 p.m. and lasts until 6 p.m., but after some digging, we found that times and prices vary from location to location.

Here are the deets. The early dine-in menu is available from Monday through Thursday. It starts when the restaurant opens, ends at 6 p.m., and can cost anywhere from $9.99 to $11.99. Some locations offer the deal on Friday and the weekend, as well. It's quite possibly one of the best hacks on this list. Even if you mistakenly order a Texas Roadhouse item that you should avoid, with the early dine-in special, you won't feel any buyer's remorse.

Order A Dozen Dinner Rolls Online Or On App

At Texas Roadhouse, the dinner rolls are arguably as popular as the steaks. Countless netizens have attempted to recreate the magic, but nothing can replace the original. According to the website, Texas Roadhouse bakes its dinner rolls in-house every five minutes. They are served warm and chewy, with a side of delectable honey cinnamon butter, and best yet, free. If you find yourself craving these iconic doughy treats at home, we know the perfect menu hack. You can skip eating out entirely and simply order them online or through the restaurant's app. Availability sometimes varies from location to location, but you should have no problem getting your fill of dinner rolls.

Texas Roadhouse reportedly limits the number of baskets to two per table, so this is a great workaround. According to a TikTok sleuth, the restaurant sells a dozen dinner rolls for just $5 — it comes with honey cinnamon butter, too. The comments section verified the hack; one person even admitted that buying 4 dozen was her weekend routine. Others were less fortunate and found them listed as "not available" on the app and online. Luckily, Texas Roadhouse has just begun selling frozen dinner rolls at Walmart. Twelve mini rolls come in a ready-to-bake pan with a side of honey cinnamon glaze. The downside is that only Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio carry them. Nonetheless, you now know three hacks to get more dinner rolls.

Buy An 8-Ounce Tub Of Cinnamon Butter

Securing a dozen dinner rolls is only half of the hack, the second part is getting your hands on a large tub of honey cinnamon butter. Of course, we consulted TikTok to find out how it works. Hanna, who goes by "pimpvanillaslim," works at Texas Roadhouse and frequently shares little-known tips, often while on the clock. She says that the secret to buttery bliss is ordering it to-go. The restaurant sells 8-ounce tubs for just $1.99, which is equivalent to a mini-sized water bottle. Other employees have also commented, confirming it to be true.

Another awesome butter hack is that when ordering online, you can request extra butter in the notes section and not get charged. And don't forget, butter is included when you buy a dozen dinner rolls. There are numerous ways to quell your butter cravings, but if your local Texas Roadhouse happens to be out of stock, you can always make spiced honey butter at home. Beyond flavoring meaty cuts, it's a versatile condiment that pairs great with bready breakfast staples and even as a spread for fried chicken biscuit sammies. Butter lovers looking for an indulgent excursion can slowly cook steak in a Texas Roadhouse-style honey cinnamon butter bath.

Smother Your Cactus Blossom With Pulled Pork

The Texas Roadhouse Cactus Blossom is a work of art. It's a golden-fried classic that follows the Texan tradition of making everything bigger. At an affordable $9.99, you'll be hard-pressed to find a superior shareable snack -- especially when dipped into spicy Cajun horseradish sauce and creamy ranch. As undeniably tasty as the Cactus Blossom is, there is a hack that can elevate it to new heights of deliciousness. This one also comes courtesy of Hanna, or TikTok's pimpvanillaslim, and, like the other, it was revealed during their shift at Texas Roadhouse.

Next time you order the Cactus Blossom, ask your server to smother it with pulled pork. Texas Roadhouse lets you "smother," or add toppings, to any entrée. You just have to ask for it. Along with pulled pork, she says that you can add grilled chicken breast, shrimp, fried catfish, and other savory power-ups. Just imagine your Cactus Blossom smothered with salmon. Not every Texas Roadhouse offers it, though, so don't be surprised if the request raises eyebrows. What we do know is that regular smother toppings like sautéed mushrooms and onions, bleu cheese crumbles, grilled shrimp, and jack cheese are all fair game. So don't hesitate to ask for an upgrade.

Order From The Kid's Menu To Get Salad Basically Free

We've mostly covered the savory side of Texas Roadhouse menu hacks, but what if you have a taste for something refreshing? The menu features a healthy selection of made-from-scratch salads. Basic options like the Caesar and house salad only cost around $5, but reasonable as that is, every dollar counts when you're pinching pennies. Luckily, we have the perfect salad hack for you. You'll be surprised to know that the kid's menu offers some of the best hacking options.

Rather than order a basic solo salad, you can order one as a side with your kid's meal. Many items cost as low as $7.99 and a side salad is just 79 cents extra. Of course, prices may vary, but it's a great deal either way. The side house and Caesar salads are the same size as their solo variants. With the kid's meal, you're almost getting the salad for free, not to mention a small entrée. How Texas Roadhouse let this amazing hack fly under the radar is beyond us, but we highly recommend taking advantage of it. The restaurant also offers the kid's meal for $1.99 every Tuesday, you just have to purchase an adult entrée. That's an unbeatable deal.

Receive A Heaping Helping Of Bacon For $1

Bacon makes everything taste better. The crispy crunchiness and salty smokiness were specially made to tantalize your tongue. Texas Roadhouse offers a bacon hack that'll have you salivating for more. We can thank YouTuber Hungry Vegas for answering our meaty prayers. In the video, he reveals that for just 99 cents, you can get a side of bacon bits to sprinkle atop your meal. And not just a few crumbles; it comes in a decent-sized cup filled to the brim.

Bacon bits are small bites that pack a big punch, and when you think about all of the entrées that you can add them to, you'll find that the possibilities are endless. Hungry Vegas sprinkled them atop his house salad for extra oomph, but he was barely scratching the savory surface. Just imagine bacon-smothered sirloin or country-fried chicken. It's an easy menu hack that's sure to impress meat lovers.

Unlock The Secret Menu

As we've demonstrated, there are many ways to hack the Texas Roadhouse menu. That's why it's considered one of the best franchises in the world. But before you rev up the engine and hightail it to the nearest location, we've saved the best hack for last. Texas Roadhouse has a secret menu that can give the main menu a run for its money. The pulled pork Cactus Blossom is one of several mouth-watering hacks that you can order. If pork isn't your thing, you can swap it with buttery jack cheese, or see if it pairs better with tater skins or cheese fries.

Speaking of cheese, there is also a secret kid's menu. It has a grilled cheese sandwich that costs around $5 and comes with one side. You won't see it on the main menu, but, according to our resident TikTok hacker pimpvanillaslim, employees use a separate menu to place orders that feature it. Other crave-worthy options include gravy-drenched Texas poutine, savory Parmesan garlic rolls, and, our personal favorites, the chili cheese dog and the Southwest smother dog.

The secret menu has your sweet fix, too. Cheesecake drizzled with chocolate sauce or topped with melted honey cinnamon caramel sauce and toasted marshmallows is a saccharine mouthful. And the sweet-loaded applesauce with marshmallows and caramel is an inventive take on a classic treat. If you aren't headed to the local Texas Roadhouse yet, the secret menu should get your tires spinning.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.