Texas Roadhouse — Restaurant in La Crosse

I’ve been a loyal Texas Roadhouse regular for the past 3–4 years, usually dining in at least twice a month with my wife and son. We always stick to our go-to dishes with no changes. But this last visit? It completely changed the game for us—and it was all thanks to one exceptional server.

We ordered our usual meals, nothing new, but our server, who I really wish I could remember the name of was on another level. Not only was he incredibly friendly and professional, but he brought an energy and enthusiasm that instantly made us feel like we were in for something special.

He asked if I wanted to load my green beans, which I’d never even considered before. At first I thought it was a little odd, but he encouraged me to give it a shot. I’m not easily convinced, but I gave in and it was mind-blowingly good. He also suggested loading the rice, corn, and veggies for my wife and son. Again, no pressure at all just great, genuine suggestions from someone who clearly knows the menu and cares about the experience.

It honestly felt like he upgraded our entire meal. The food was amazing as always, but the added flavors took it to another level. His service wasn’t just good, it was memorable. He elevated our night with simple, thoughtful recommendations and made us feel like valued guests, not just another table.

The only downside? Our bill went up about $10 with all the loaded sides but honestly, it was worth every cent. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Texas Roadhouse is always amazing, but this visit reminded me why we keep coming back. That server has a real gift. If management happens to read this: you’ve got someone really special on your team.

Update: We went back, and the amazing server I mentioned before is Eddie! Be sure to request him if you visit, he truly made our experience great. Unfortunately, we had a different server this time, and when we asked about loaded green beans or corn, she said she’d never heard of it and didn’t even try to find out how it’s done. So we ended up with just plain corn and green beans. Definitely ask for Eddie if you want the...

We had been going to this Texas Roadhouse at least twice a month for years and had a stretch about 1.5 years ago where the ribeyes we ordered came out pitch black so we quit going. About a year ago we started going back and things were ok until 2 months ago. About 2 months ago we ordered the bone in ribeye and it was burnt black. They tried to disguise it by putting the burnt side down. My husband ate what he could and then shared my meal with me. We didn’t complain bc we were in a hurry. We avoided the steaks on our next visits until tonight. The server talked us into a fresh cut special 23oz bone in ribeye and said it was about $4-5 more than the 20 ounce on the menu. Well it was $8 more and when the steak came out it was charred black and definitely did not look like a 23oz steak!! The steak was $40. I tried 2 small bites and my husband tried 3 while we waited for our server to come back ( which took a while). We told her it was burnt black. She took it to the manager and he came back out with the steak and apologized and said he was sorry but it was a special cut and he was out of them. I told him it would be ok to just get us a 20oz. Then he said well it looks like you ate most of the steak (we had a another couple with us that looked at him in surprise and said no they didn’t and we said the same thing) so I can’t do that for you. He told us we could just cut the black char off. It was everywhere!!!! He said he could adjust our bill a little. (Went home and ate after we left). To top it off there was a nail or staple sticking out from the seat and my husband had shorts on and cut his leg in multiple places on it sliding into the booth. The manager said oh thanks for letting me know and walked off. Should have gone to the freight house or outback. Definitely would have been better all around. (Afterthought I took a picture after my husband decided to eat some of it since he had to pay for it. He shouldn’t have…he was sick all night.) My husband told me he would have walked out but didn’t because we were with...

Texas Roadhouse used to be one of my favorite go-to restaurants for everything from date night to family birthdays and holidays. The last 3 visits I made to this location in the past few months have been pretty rough. The most disappointing thing has been the grilling of the steak.

Three visits ago, I had the New York Strip, and it was charred with so much black grit on the outside. It was inedible.

Two visits ago, I upgraded to the Porterhouse, and that time, it came out charred and burnt on the outside and very rare on the inside. It also somehow came out 20 minutes after the rest of our table entrees, so everyone in our party was done eating before my steak even arrived... I showed the waitress, and they took it back and over cooked it to extra well done dried out. We just left in frustration.

This last time on Sunday afternoon, I tried the Bone-in Ribeye, and guess what? Charbroiled with black grit all over the outside again! I'm fine with some grill marks from a nice sear. This was way beyond that. It's like the employees at the grill are in such a hurry that they just burn it so fast and move on. It just doesn't seem like anyone in the kitchen knows how to grill a steak to medium, which is what I ordered all three times... I'm very unhappy when the prices are much higher with inflation, $30 a steak for something that is all burnt and charred. Is there nobody watching and expediting the orders as they come up? The waitresses at a steak restaurant should know to not even bring this out from the kitchen when it is such low quality.

Also, random annoyance: the front door squeaks loudly when opening. How can the hostess stand it listening to that all day? I'll bring some WD-40 from my truck next time to offer to spray the hinges... Seriously though, it just shows the lack of concern and quality across the board at this location for the...