My family of 4 went to LongHorn Steakhouse for the first time, and our $150 dinner felt like an incredible value

My husband and I have always prided ourselves in the fact that we rarely eat at chain restaurants and try to support locally-owned businesses whenever possible.

But lately, our teenagers have been asking about the chain restaurants they've seen in ads or on TikTok, so we decided to try some together as a family.

The first chain restaurant we visited was LongHorn Steakhouse, where the four of us went for dinner on a Friday evening while visiting Orlando, Florida.

Though LongHorn was new to my family, the chain restaurant first opened in 1981 in Atlanta, Georgia. By the 1990s, LongHorn had begun to spread around the country.

In 2007, it was purchased by Darden Restaurants, making it part of the same family as chains like Olive Garden and Red Lobster. Today, LongHorn operates more than 500 restaurants across the US.

LongHorn's claim to fame is its choice to serve only "fresh, never frozen steaks." The menu also has chicken, seafood, pasta, and other popular dishes. The chain's also known for its "grill masters," who receive on-the-job training about how to prepare, season, and grill steaks to the perfect doneness.

I ordered an $8 glass of Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi cabernet sauvignon, and could've ordered an entire bottle of the red wine for $30.

Some varietals, like chardonnay and pinot noir had multiple vintners to choose from on the menu. Others, like my cabernet and pinot grigio were limited to a single selection.

Still, as a wine drinker, I had no problem finding a glass that satisfied my love of drinking a glass of red with a good steak.

LongHorn's old-fashioned cocktail was reasonably priced at just $10 each. The drinks were made with Rackhouse small-batch bourbon by Knob Creek.

My whiskey snob of a husband enjoyed his first old-fashioned much so that he ordered a second round.

Because I love a good old-fashioned, I was sure to taste his drink. It was smooth and delicious and the garnish of a slice of orange and a cherry made it even better.

We ordered the white-cheddar stuffed mushrooms ($11), which are filled with garlic-herb cheese and topped with a Parmesan crust, then served with a creamy four-cheese sauce.

My son is a picky eater, but my husband, daughter and I loved this choice of starter. Based on its deliciousness, we were pretty excited for the meal that would follow.

We also started our meal with the chain's complimentary honey-wheat bread, which I appreciated.

LongHorn's Parmesan-crusted chicken is a bit of a social-media sensation, found in TikToks and copycat recipes all over the internet.

This chicken actually prompted my kids to ask to visit LongHorn, so my daughter was sure to order the $17 dish with sides of a loaded baked potato and broccoli.

The dish was simple but delicious, made up of two grilled chicken breasts topped with creamy Parmesan cheese and a garlic cheese crust.

My meal came with a Caesar salad that was impressively good. Topped with shaved Parmesan cheese and crunchy croutons, the hand-chopped romaine lettuce was tossed with a garlicky, creamy Caesar dressing that kept me going back for bite after bite.

For my main course, I got Flo's filet, a 6-ounce center-cut filet flavored with LongHorn's signature seasoning blend. The steak was perfectly cooked and was my ideal portion size considering I'd already been eating honey-wheat bread, stuffed mushrooms, and a Caesar salad.

For my side, I chose the loaded baked potato, smothered in cheese and topped with bacon and scallions. It did not disappoint.

I was also impressed by LongHorn's prices — $24 seemed very fair for a filet, baked potato, and salad.

To get the full LongHorn experience, my husband ordered the 20-ounce Outlaw Ribeye ($30).

When he went to order it medium rare — his standard steak order — the server asked if he'd be willing to have it prepared medium instead. He explained that, because of the fat in the rib eye, the steak becomes much more buttery and tender if the fat is allowed to cook a bit longer.

My husband was grateful for the tip and agreed to a different preparation.

When the steak arrived, we were both blown away by the flavor. The fatty marbling in the cut of steak was buttery and perfectly cooked, truly melting in our mouths and giving even more flavor to an already incredible steak.

It seemed clear to us that the LongHorn staff was pretty knowledgeable about well-cooked steaks.

We were thrilled with our first experience at a chain restaurant we'd have otherwise avoided.

In fact, everyone in our group (even my picky son, who ordered a plain cheeseburger) agreed we'd visit again.

When eating at a chain restaurant, there's a sense of reliability. You generally know what you're going to get whether you're eating in South Carolina or California.

At LongHorn, we now know what we're going to get is probably going to taste delicious and feel like a great value for our money.