I tried the same steak at Texas Roadhouse and LongHorn and can see why the younger brand is more popular — even though it didn't have the better meal

Dominick ReuterAug 28, 2023, 19:38 IST

The great Texas steak-off: I went to LongHorn Steakhouse and Texas Roadhouse to see which chain does the best bone-in rib eye.Dominick Reuter/Insider

LongHorn Steakhouse and Texas Roadhouse are two chains serious about serving the best meat.
I visited both chains to see how each handles the ultimate steak lover's cut, the bone-in rib eye.

It's no secret that Americans love steak.

Look no further than the booming growth of national chains like LongHorn Steakhouse and Texas Roadhouse, which have both seen substantial gains in new locations and sales in the past year, boosting the share prices of their respective parent companies.

Although neither brand has actual origins in the Lone Star state — LongHorn was founded in Georgia in 1981 and Texas Roadhouse in Indiana in 1994 — both have adopted Texas-inspired identities and a mission to serve the best meat.

To put the two porterhouse powerhouses to the test, I visited both chains to see how each handles the ultimate steak lover's cut, the bone-in rib eye.

This prime cut is one that every grill master worth their seasoning salt takes great care and pride in getting right, making it a sure measure of a kitchen's talent. Of course, that's only one (obviously important) piece of the puzzle in the restaurant business.

I started off with LongHorn Steakhouse.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

I was promptly greeted and seated by an exceptionally friendly staff.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

As a Southerner, I like my iced tea with a pronounced flavor, a lot of sugar, and a fresh lemon. LongHorn gets it right.

Sweet tea and bread at LongHorn.Dominick Reuter/Insider

The dimly lit dining rooms in the 562 locations the company operates look about the same.

A LongHorn dining room.Dominick Reuter/Insider

The decor evokes a Western ranch lodge, with cowboy chaps and bull horns adorning the walls.

LongHorn decor.Dominick Reuter/Insider

I was impressed by the size and heft of the steak knife — it was huge!

A LongHorn steak knife.Dominick Reuter/Insider

My medium-rare bone-in rib eye landed with a sheen of lemon butter and a side of corn on the cob. It smelled delicious.

A LongHorn rib eye.Dominick Reuter/Insider

The color and char looked just right, and I carved off a large piece to check the temperature.

A medium-rare LongHorn rib eye.Dominick Reuter/Insider

With the first bite, my taste buds were hit with juicy steak flavor, enhanced by bright notes from the peppery rub and citrus butter.

A closeup of the rib eye.Dominick Reuter/Insider

The texture was nice and firm, with bits of grill char and marbled fat complementing one another.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

The fire-grilled corn was laden with a crème sauce and panko seasoning and paired nicely with the steak.

The fire-grilled corn at LongHorn.Dominick Reuter/Insider

Having eaten my fill, I requested the check and a box for the remaining steak.

The bill at LongHornDominick Reuter/Insider

After a genteel pause — about two hours to digest and catch up on emails and phone calls — I headed to Texas Roadhouse for round two.

A Texas Roadhouse.Dominick Reuter/Insider

Even though it was before dinnertime, the well-staffed restaurant was getting busy with diners.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

The famous display of hand-cut steaks, which are prepared in-house daily, stood near the entrance.

Texas Roadhouse's famous display of steaks.Dominick Reuter/Insider

A host grabbed a basket of warm sweet rolls and led me to a booth.

A booth at Texas Roadhouse.Dominick Reuter/Insider

The dining-room ambiance was more New Country than Old Western, with exposed wood and neon signs instead of leather and paintings.

The vibe was New Country.Dominick Reuter/Insider

My server brought over an iced tea, which was plenty sweet but less flavorful than the one at LongHorn.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

My medium-rare bone-in rib eye arrived quickly, with servings of corn and green beans on the side.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

The steak had a lighter color and less char than the Longhorn version and larger portions of fat.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

A similar initial cut revealed a temperature that was more on the "rare" side of "medium rare."

Dominick Reuter/Insider

The first bite was phenomenally tender, with an aroma and flavor that had a more pronounced garlic and onion profile.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

The restaurant's manager stopped by my table a few minutes later to see how I was enjoying the meal and told me he had cooked my steak personally.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

I could also see how the same seasoning and cooking process that would give a lift to a more common cut of steak could be a bit of overkill on one as rich as the rib eye.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

I could also see how the same seasoning and cooking process that would give a lift to a more common cut of steak could be a bit of overkill on one as rich as the rib eye.

At the end of the day, LongHorn came out on top in terms of preparing a more satisfying meal for die-hard steak lovers.

LongHorn's steak.Dominick Reuter/Insider

The knife wasn't bad, either.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

But when I think about which one I'd rather come back to first — and bring my kids — my choice would be Texas Roadhouse.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

That could be why, even as both chains post strong growth, Texas Roadhouse is ahead and extending its lead.

Irene Jiang / Business Insider

Trump's fans and critics alike are plastering his mug shot on everything from mugs to t-shirts. Here's a roundup of the merch gold mine.

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

I tried the same steak at Texas Roadhouse and LongHorn and can see why the younger brand is more popular &mdash; even though it didn't have the better meal

I started off with LongHorn Steakhouse.

I was promptly greeted and seated by an exceptionally friendly staff.

As a Southerner, I like my iced tea with a pronounced flavor, a lot of sugar, and a fresh lemon. LongHorn gets it right.

The dimly lit dining rooms in the 562 locations the company operates look about the same.

The decor evokes a Western ranch lodge, with cowboy chaps and bull horns adorning the walls.

I was impressed by the size and heft of the steak knife — it was huge!

My medium-rare bone-in rib eye landed with a sheen of lemon butter and a side of corn on the cob. It smelled delicious.

The color and char looked just right, and I carved off a large piece to check the temperature.

With the first bite, my taste buds were hit with juicy steak flavor, enhanced by bright notes from the peppery rub and citrus butter.

The texture was nice and firm, with bits of grill char and marbled fat complementing one another.

The fire-grilled corn was laden with a crème sauce and panko seasoning and paired nicely with the steak.

Having eaten my fill, I requested the check and a box for the remaining steak.

After a genteel pause — about two hours to digest and catch up on emails and phone calls — I headed to Texas Roadhouse for round two.

Even though it was before dinnertime, the well-staffed restaurant was getting busy with diners.

The famous display of hand-cut steaks, which are prepared in-house daily, stood near the entrance.

A host grabbed a basket of warm sweet rolls and led me to a booth.

The dining-room ambiance was more New Country than Old Western, with exposed wood and neon signs instead of leather and paintings.

My server brought over an iced tea, which was plenty sweet but less flavorful than the one at LongHorn.

My medium-rare bone-in rib eye arrived quickly, with servings of corn and green beans on the side.

The steak had a lighter color and less char than the Longhorn version and larger portions of fat.

A similar initial cut revealed a temperature that was more on the "rare" side of "medium rare."

The first bite was phenomenally tender, with an aroma and flavor that had a more pronounced garlic and onion profile.

The restaurant's manager stopped by my table a few minutes later to see how I was enjoying the meal and told me he had cooked my steak personally.

I could also see how the same seasoning and cooking process that would give a lift to a more common cut of steak could be a bit of overkill on one as rich as the rib eye.

At the end of the day, LongHorn came out on top in terms of preparing a more satisfying meal for die-hard steak lovers.

The knife wasn't bad, either.

But when I think about which one I'd rather come back to first — and bring my kids — my choice would be Texas Roadhouse.

That could be why, even as both chains post strong growth, Texas Roadhouse is ahead and extending its lead.

I tried the same steak at Texas Roadhouse and LongHorn and can see why the younger brand is more popular — even though it didn't have the better meal