A nice steak dinner is one of my favorite ways to treat myself. And as a New Jersey resident, I have plenty of steakhouse chains to choose from.
But recently, I started wondering which of the many chain restaurants offers the best bang for my buck. So, I visited Longhorn Steakhouse, Outback Steakhouse, and Texas Roadhouse within the same week, and tried to keep within a $50 budget.
To keep things fair, I ordered the same meal at all three places: the largest boneless ribeye steak I could get within budget, with a side of mac and cheese and a Caesar salad. I also ordered a chocolate-based dessert from each place to complete my meal. Here’s how it went.
Prices may vary by location.
I started my journey at Longhorn Steakhouse.
I visited my local Longhorn Steakhouse in Woodbridge, New Jersey.
Longhorn first opened its doors in Atlanta in 1981, and now has over 500 locations, mostly within the US.
Today, the chain is owned by Darden Brands, which is the parent company of other chains like Olive Garden, Yardhouse, and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, among others.
I was given a complimentary loaf of honey-wheat bread.
After sitting down, I was brought a loaf of Longhorn’s honey-wheat bread.
I typically like the taste and texture of this bread, but this time, it seemed a bit dry. The bread was served warm, but the butter was cold, making it hard to spread.
While snacking on the bread, I ordered my meal: a 12-ounce ribeye ($28.79). It came with two sides, so I chose mac and cheese and a Caesar salad.
My salad arrived as a starter.
At all three restaurants, the Caesar salad was served before my meal.
The one from Longhorn was small, but had well-balanced flavors and sharp, flaky Parmesan sprinkled on top. The amount of dressing was perfect, but the salad had a bit too many croutons for my liking.
Overall, though, I thought it was a solid start to the meal.
The steak was OK, but the mac and cheese was phenomenal.
When I received my 12-ounce ribeye, it was thinner than I expected and surprisingly greasy. Although it was cooked to a perfect medium-rare temperature, I thought it lacked flavor.
Thankfully, the four-cheese mac and cheese was spectacular, and the perfect serving size for one person. It had a nice baked crust on top, adding a subtle crunch to every bite.
However, it’s important to note that the mac and cheese costs an additional $2.99, since it’s listed as a specialty side on the menu.
I finished out the meal with a chocolate lava cake.
For dessert, I ordered the molten lava cake for $9.99. It looked beautiful, but I was disappointed after my first bite.
I thought the cake was a bit bland and dry, and the vanilla ice cream was too sweet for my liking. The molten chocolate pouring from the center tasted like store-bought syrup to me.
Overall, I thought my meal at Longhorn was just OK, and I paid $41.77 before tax and tip.
Next, I went to Outback Steakhouse.
For my next meal, I dined at an Outback Steakhouse location in Edison, New Jersey.
Despite the restaurant’s Australian-inspired theme, Outback was originally established in Tampa, Florida, in 1988.
Today, the chain is owned by Bloomin’ Brands, which is also the parent company of Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse.
There are over 960 Outback Steakhouse locations around the world, many of which are in the US.
I enjoyed the complimentary bread.
The honey-wheat bread was surprisingly dark and had a similar flavor profile to the one from Longhorn.
The loaf seemed to be about the same size, but was puffier and lighter in texture, making it, in my opinion, better overall. The bread was also warmer, making the butter easier to spread.
As I enjoyed the bread, I ordered my meal — the 13-ounce Rockhampton ribeye for $30.99 with the same two sides.
The Caesar salad was really good.
Overall, Outback’s Caesar salad was a solid choice. I really enjoyed the tangy dressing, lightly buttered croutons, and Parmesan cheese.
It had the perfect ratio of crispy romaine, croutons, and cheese, so I tasted each ingredient with every bite.
My steak was delicious.
When I took the first bite of my ribeye, I immediately knew it would be the star of the meal. It was thick, juicy, well-seasoned, and had the perfect fat-to-lean ratio.
This was easily the best-tasting steak of the three I tried, though it tasted slightly too salty to me.
Unfortunately, though, I didn’t love the mac and cheese, which cost an extra $3.49, and had what seemed to be a strong oregano flavor.
The dessert I ordered was the perfect ending to the meal.
For dessert, I ordered the Chocolate Thunder from Down Under, which had three delicious layers: airy whipped cream, luscious vanilla ice cream, and a rich pecan brownie that got better with every spoonful.
At $11.29, it was the most expensive dessert I ordered — but it was also the only one I managed to finish.
In total, before tip and tax, I paid $45.77, which is $4 more than what I spent at Longhorn.
Finally, I dined at Texas Roadhouse.
My final stop was to a Texas Roadhouse location in Parlin, New Jersey.
The brand now has more than 700 restaurants in the US and abroad, but the first Texas Roadhouse location opened in Clarksville, Indiana, in 1993.
It’s owned by Texas Roadhouse, Inc., which is the parent company of brands like Jaggers and Bubba’s 33.
The rolls were fantastic.
The meal started off strong with my favorite bread of the three restaurants: puffy, buttery, and slightly sweet rolls.
They came with the chain’s signature honey-cinnamon butter, which was too sweet for me. Still, I can appreciate how good it tasted and can definitely see why it’s a fan favorite.
When the server came by to take my order, I decided on the 16-ounce Fort Worth Ribeye, which cost $31.49, and came with two sides.
I wasn’t blown away by the salad.
My Caesar salad left me feeling a little disappointed. It seemed to be the smallest of the three I received, and the dressing was a bit too thin and runny for my liking.
Plus, I thought the Parmesan lacked flavor.
My ribeye was big, but not particularly flavorful.
Although the Texas Roadhouse steak was the largest of the three I tried, the cut I received had a decent amount of fat.
I also didn’t find it to be particularly flavorful, even after adding some of the chain’s steak sauce.
I appreciated that Texas Roadhouse was the only restaurant of the three that offered mac and cheese as a side dish at no additional charge. However, the portion felt small, and its flavor reminded me of boxed mac and cheese.
For dessert, I ordered a brownie sundae.
For dessert, I decided on the $8.99 Big Ol’ Brownie, topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.
I liked it better than the lava cake from Longhorn. However, it couldn’t quite compete with the dessert I got at Outback. Overall, I thought the chocolate lacked richness.
In total, before tax and tip, I spent $40.48 at Texas Roadhouse, making it the least-expensive meal I had.
Overall, I thought the meal at Outback provided the best value.
In total, I spent $41.77 at Longhorn, $45.77 at Outback, and $40.48 at Texas Roadhouse.
And although Texas Roadhouse was the cheapest of the three meals, I think the other chains offered far more value.
This surprised me, since I’ve dined at Texas Roadhouse before and had a fantastic meal. Next time, I’ll stick to my go-to order: barbecue ribs, mashed potatoes, and seasoned corn.
Overall, I thought Outback Steakhouse provided the best-tasting food and the most value for my money. In my opinion, this meal was definitely worth spending a few extra dollars on.
I’ll definitely return for another delicious, perfectly cooked steak, but I’ll probably switch the mac and cheese for another side.
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