Texas Roadhouse Is Anything But Texan

For a place with more Lone Star flair than a Friday night football game, most people are surprised to learn that Texas Roadhouse wasn’t born in Texas at all.

Founder Kent Taylor opened the first location in Clarksville back in 1993. Now, that's not in the Dallas Metroplex. Not a Houston suburb. Clarksville is in Southern Indiana.

The story goes he just really loved the energy and attitude of Texas, the big personality, the boots, the bold flavors, and decided to bottle that feeling into a steakhouse concept. So most Oklahomans favorite eatery could technically be called Hoosier Roadhouse all dressed up in a cowboy hat.

And yet… it works.

No matter where you drop one, small town or metro sprawl, the parking lot stays packed. In smaller towns, Texas Roadhouse is a reward. You got a promotion, you’re celebrating a birthday, you drove 45 minutes for baseball practice, somebody says “Roadhouse?” and everybody nods. In bigger cities, it’s the great compromise restaurant.

Is it perfect? No. The steaks can be hit or miss. Sometimes you get a perfect medium rare. Sometimes you get something that looks like it lost a fight. But the rolls and that cinnamon butter? Automatic. Even your vegan friend who “just came to hang out” is hovering over the bread basket. The chili is steady, one of the few menu items that rarely lets you down when the grill does.

So yeah, it’s not actually Texan. It’s Indiana dressed for the rodeo. But if the wait’s an hour on a Tuesday in a town of 75,000, they have it all figured out. Next time you end up at Roadhouse, you'll have something to talk about when the conversation lulls.