Texas Roadhouse — Restaurant in Bozeman

Color me shocked! Texas Roadhouse, of all places, served us a hearty helping of delight & I must confess: I wasn’t expecting to be impressed.

Now, this wasn’t my first dance w/ the Roadhouse. Years ago at another location, I had a fabulous time. More recently in Missoula I picked up a batch of their iconic rolls to go, only to be met w/ disappointment so bland it nearly erased the memory of my former flame.

But the kids were curious & who am I to deny the next generation a taste of Americana? We ventured in.

The vibe was lively & loud. Perfect for families w/ kids who need a little room to wiggle & wonder. Crayons & peanuts were offered. A gaming tablet appeared (cue the sibling turf war) & our waitress arrived with the energy of a rodeo announcer. She meant well, bless her, though I do wish she'd let me breathe a moment before wrangling our order from three squirmy kiddos & one slightly overwhelmed mama.

Then came redemption: the Cactus Blossom. Chef’s kiss! A full, golden onion crisped to perfection, seasoned generously & paired w/ not one but two dipping sauces. At $9.99, it’s not just a appetizer, it’s a triumph! We followed it w/ tater skins, which delivered everything I’d been craving: melted cheese, high-quality bacon crumble, & a portion that could feed a small committee. A sprinkle of scallions would’ve elevated the dish to new heights, but at $8.99, I had no complaints, only a happy fork.

The kids meals were a revelation. The mac & cheese wasn’t that neon Kraft imposter you find elsewhere (ahem Chili’s), but something creamier w/ actual integrity. My daughter, notoriously suspicious of new foods, devoured the Andy's steak, which was cooked as ordered & not a degree higher. Fries were thick, hearty & refreshingly free of that sad frozen aftertaste. Kudos to the tiered pricing because the Ranger Meals offered heartier options w/out hiking the bill into “what did we just do?” territory.

As for me? I surrendered to the ribs. Let me tell you: when they say "fall-off-the-bone", they’re not flirting. These beauties were tender, juicy & delicately glazed with BBQ sauce; a masterclass in restraint. The seasonal vegetables were perhaps a touch watery, but surprisingly fresh & eaten w/out complaint by the kids, which frankly deserves its own applause.

Before we left, I complimented the team on a meal well done. The server, beaming with pride, offered us a coupon for a complimentary Cactus Blossom & handed the kids extra peanuts like they’d just aced their finals. It was the kind of gesture that turns a good visit into a great one.

So, here it is: delicious food, reasonable prices & the kind of hospitality that reminds you why you go out to eat in the first place. Texas Roadhouse checked every box and sent us home smiling.

-Your Loyal Taster-in-Chief Because flavor should never...

Not one to write a review but this honestly was just super uncalled for. My friend and I came over for the day and wanted to eat at a place that had a bar so we chose here. After the waitress carded us and took our drink and appetizer order, she sent another gal over a few minutes later. She said that our waitress was in the restroom and sent her over to see if we wanted to get any drinks, to which we were both confused about since we had just ordered our drinks. We weren’t sure if we ordered drinks again if we would get two, so we told her we already ordered our drinks, and she left. When the food came out we asked the guy to send our server over so we could ask about our drinks, and she never came, so we asked another gal nearly 30 minutes later, and after a few minutes she finally came over after we had been done eating. She didn’t ask if we needed anything or how our food was tasting. We asked nicely if we were still getting our drinks, to which she stated that they never got put in and she said that she had sent someone over to get our drinks and she stated that we told the other lady we changed our mind, which we never did. She got super defensive after we had asked nicely about them and asked if we still wanted them, which we obviously didn’t since we were done eating. We said no and then asked if it was because she thought our ID’s were fake, to which she responded,”if you mean I wanted someone else to look at them then yes” which wasn’t stated at all to us. There was no communication whatsoever about her believing our ID’s we’re fake, and she hid for almost 30 minutes while we ate our food waiting for our drinks. We were constantly looking for her and she was nowhere to be found. After that conversation took place, she had left and proceeded to tell others about the situation which resulted in us getting stares and dirty looks when we left. I am also a server, and my friend is a bartender, so we understand getting 2nd opinions, but we also know that communication is necessary in these situations. If she would have just communicated and said she wasn’t sure and she was going to send someone over to check them, it would’ve been completely fine and we would’ve understood. My friend and I are both well over 21 and we both possess a REAL ID with a star, which we had to pay more for in the first place. If you’re going to serve alcohol you need to be better trained on differentiating the difference between real and fake ids, and have better communication. If the situation was handled differently, it would’ve prevented us from leaving a bad tip. Neither of us have ever left a bad review or tip before, but attitude plays a huge part in the service industry. Overall, the lack of communication and education in this area made it a really...

So we've been coming here more than once a month recently. My grandfather died and before that I never ate prime rib. Now I get it here all the time and always like it. Maybe this is boosted by nostalgia? Their creamy horseradish is good too. My husband consistently gets the thick cut strip, though sometimes he gets adventurous. We always take at least half of our food home for the next day.

I have to mention a handful of the servers we have had out of several. Hope and Cierra (sp?) Have both been great. We found Hope particularly friendly and she sold me on one of those new mocktails.

But wow, Ariel is incredible! She zig zagged all over the restaraunt and still stopped over and over to check on us. She was outgoing, attentive, and pretty funny. We felt comfortable and stayed a bit longer and ate a bit more because there was nothing to worry about and we never felt like an intrusion. She jokingly brought us two butters because she saw my husband immediately take the first one and it was very handy actually. I don't think we ever waited for a refill and packing to go was seamless because she brought out everything we needed in the first trip - it's easy to forget to grab a lid for the little cups.

My only complaint is the mounted armadillo on the bar side 😭😭 the one time I sat by it was super weird. It's in one of the tiny booths so it feels like its right there staring at you and it's hair is all stringy and falling out so its gross. I get it's theming but the other statues & taxidermies aren't nearly as weird nor close hanging at the table. I've never been directed there again but would immediately have to request a different seating - that would be my first time ever doing so anywhere! Avoid the armadillo, prepare for some loud music, and you'll have a good time for a chain, lower cost steak house. :) And ask for Ariel if you can, but 9 times out of 10 any server...