Eugene, OR: Texas Roadhouse

The Texas Roadhouse has many locations, including one in Eugene. We heard good things about it, but then we had some confusion, because there is also an Original Roadhouse, though in Springfield. One roadhouse is adjacent to Valley River Center and one to Gateway Mall. I am not sure everything good we heard was specifically about the Texas Roadhouse (near VRC). That is the one we went to, so that is the only one I can review.

For one friend, we know it was definitely the correct one because she specifically loves the rolls and cinnamon butter, which showed up on our table right away. The staff very kindly packed up some extra rolls and butter to go. That was good service.

One of the most impressive things for me was this case, where you can select the cut of beef that you would like cooked for you. Dear reader, I hope you will not be too disappointed to find out that all three of us ordered chicken. Just based on our tastes and the menu descriptions (and maybe a little bit of a price point that discouraged me from going for prime rib), we ordered chicken country-fried, herb-crusted, and smothered.

They were all fine, and the sides were generally good, except for my mashed potatoes. It tasted like they were smashed potatoes made with Russets, with the bits of peel messing up the texture and flavor, but also under-seasoned. If you want potatoes, get the steak fries.

I was surprised to see the sides plated separately from the main course, and from each other. That is unusual, and made the table more cluttered than ideal, though if you have eaters who don't like their food touching, that may be just what they need.

My mashed potatoes might have been better if the country gravy had been poured over them while being poured over my country-fried chicken.

Or maybe it wouldn't have made a difference. It was just weird for mashed potatoes to not be good when everything else was. The sauteed mushrooms were excellent. So, I do not question the general popularity; I am just puzzled by that specific issue.

COVID: Terrible. Only one staff member was masked (though it was nice that he was our waiter). All of the staff were friendly, and it is not even surprising at such a Texas/country place, but it was disappointing. Also, while the restaurant is large, so they could have distanced parties more, they did not.

Accessibility: It seems pretty navigable for mobility devices. There is an accessible bathroom stall, though the swing doors to get into the bathroom could be an issue. Also, it is not safe for peanut allergies, or for those with compromised immune systems, because except for the one waiter they do not care about COVID.

https://www.texasroadhouse.com/