‘Watts for Dinner’: Texas Roadhouse – Go big, then go home, stuffed!
Our next dining destination is Texas Roadhouse, a popular, yet somewhat out-of-place (and time) restaurant. You know we don’t cover many chains here, which means this one is special. Why? The line-dancing breaks? Perhaps. The yummy, sweet and buttery complimentary yeast rolls? Definitely.
Whether you add the cinnamon butter or not, these rolls are something special. And are worth the trip, even if everything else were to disappoint. Fortunately, it didn’t.
In addition to the appetizing dinner rolls, we selected the “Boneless Buffalo Wings” ($9.99). These are strips of deep-fried breaded white-meat chicken tossed in mild or hot sauce and served with ranch or bleu cheese dressing. For the record, you can get them sauceless. We picked mild with bleu cheese.
These chicken strips are crunchy perfection! The mild sauce was a tad bit on the hot side, but tolerable. The dipping sauce had chunks of real blue cheese. And there were celery sticks inside the basket too. I ignored those. Thanks TR, but I don’t need any reminders that I should be eating healthier.
But I love the wings! Bravo!
For my main entrée, I selected the pulled-pork dinner ($13.49). It’s tender, slow-cooked pork covered in the chain’s signature barbecue sauce and served with toasted fresh-baked bread. You get two sides. I selected a cup of chili, adding cheese and onions, and a loaded baked potato.
Lots to unpack here. First, the pork was as advertised. Tender. Delicious. Sweet. Yum! The breads are just one of the dinner rolls, sliced open and toasted. And it’s perfection! I haven’t had a loaded baked potato since Wendy’s had a salad bar. It was nice to revisit.
And the chili, which arrives before the rest of the meal, is super meaty and delicious. Your table mates will be jealous. Trust! Pro tip: Make it a bowl for just $1 more. I wish I had. Too much food? Take some of it home!
My dining companion opted for the beef tips ($14.99) after much deliberation. It’s basically cut up steak – you can decide how you want it cooked. It comes with sautéed mushrooms, onions, brown gravy and sour cream. This entrée also comes with two sides, and he went double potato.
Let me explain. For one side, he picked mashed potatoes and gravy. The perfect compliment to beef tips, IMHO.
For his second side. He picked the sweet potato. Pro tip, it’s a cheat. Why? Because instead of plain or butter, he gets it “loaded with honey cinnamon caramel sauce and toasted marshmallows.” And thusly, the cheat. This is his dessert. And it’s a beauty.
He praised the entire meal. The beef tips came back the way he ordered them. There were enough mashed potatoes on his plate for an entire family. But the biggest smile comes with that sweet potato.
One final note: Our server Erica was top notch. My glass never went dry. She was always there when we needed here. And I’m guessing she’s a pretty good line dancer too! Happy eating!
Last week's review:‘Watts for Dinner’: Cocomo’s Grill – New digs, same great tastes
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If you go
Texas Roadhouse
- 6815 Collier Blvd., Naples
- 239-417-1111
- texasroadhouse.com