Texas Roadhouse on Lansing's south side
Finally! Home! I left Illinois this morning not knowing how long it was actually going to take me to get back to Lansing, but I hit things just right and didn’t see more than a few flurries on the way home. Didn’t slow me down at all and I actually made it home before dinner. Unfortunately, I haven’t been home in over a week, so there’s no food in the house. I didn’t feel like going shopping, so I asked J if she wanted me to pick her up and we’d just go out for dinner. We’re starting to run out of places to go on the south side of Lansing. All that’s really left are a handful of chains. I didn’t feel like thinking, so I suggested Texas Roadhouse. I honestly don’t know if I’ve ever been to one before. I always get Texas Roadhouse and Lonestar Steakhouse confused. I know I’ve been to at least one Lonestar, but after that, it’s anybody’s guess. This may well have been my first time at a Texas Roadhouse.
Texas Roadhouse is on Edgewood Boulevard near the Target and Sam’s Club. We pulled up on a Thursday night and were really surprised by the number of cars in the parking lot. Don’t let anyone tell you restaurants are struggling during these tough economic times. I’m convinced no one knows how to cook anymore, so if they want a decent meal they HAVE to eat out.
We found a parking spot and went inside. When J said we’d like a table for two in non-smoking, we were told there would be a little wait, so we made our way to the peanut barrel and starting eating. I love places that put peanuts out. I always eat too many though.
A few minutes later, the hostess said our table was ready and our waitress showed us the way. The walk to our table went right by the kitchen, so the waitress grabbed a basket of rolls and some butter so we didn’t have to wait for it once we were seated. J told me before we got there that she loved the butter at Texas Roadhouse. How many places do you know of where someone actually craves the butter? Once we were seated, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, so I buttered up a roll. I see know why she likes it so much. It’s a cinnamon butter. It was sooooo good. After we polished off one basket of rolls, the waitress brought a second. Uh-oh. We’re going to fill up on rolls. We polished that one off to and the waitress said she would come back with more, but we stopped her. If she brought it, we would eat it and we didn’t need anymore…no matter how much we wanted it.
Texas Roadhouse on Edgewood Boulevard in Lansing
After getting our Diet Cokes, we were ready to order. J took a giant leap of faith and ordered the pulled pork sandwich. I’m always hesitant and non-BBQ restaurants because they usually use canned pork that looks pureed rather than pulled. Not Texas Roadhouse. This was actual pulled pork. The meat came piled on a “Texas Size” bun. The sandwich comes with fries, but J asked for baked beans instead. The meat was actually really good. It wouldn’t do much at a BBQ cook-off, but as far as chain restaurant meat goes, this was one of the best. After seeing her sandwich, I really wish I would have gotten it.
Instead, I went with the Smokehouse Burger. The 1/2 lb fresh ground chuck come topped with sauteed mushrooms and onions, BBQ sauce, jack and cheddar cheese on a one of those toasted Texas-size buns. I don’t like mushrooms or onions, but everything else sounded good, so I ordered the sandwich. I asked to leave the mushrooms off, but I didn’t even see the onions on the menu. I must have glanced over it or something. It was totally my fault, so I didn’t even consider sending it back. Instead, I went digging through the cheese to find the onions. Surprisingly, I got all but one off. What I was left with was a really good burger. It could have used some more BBQ sauce, but the combination of the two cheeses was really good. J thought the burger was too pink, but it was perfect for me. It was pink, but it was warm. The sandwich came with steak fries which were very heavily seasoned with garlic salt. They were good, but almost too salty.
Our bill was just over $18. That’s really surprising for a chain restaurant like Texas Roadhouse. Usually, they end up costing at least $10 a piece. We were in the restaurant just a little over a half hour. We got J back to work early which doesn’t always happen. Usually I’m rushing to get her back in time. Texas Roadhouse is one of the better chain restaurants that I’ve eaten at. The rolls and butter are worth the trip alone.
Mid-Michigan Dining 
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