Texas Roadhouse Vs Eddie V's: Which Is Better?

The main similarity between Texas Roadhouse and Eddie V's is their assortment of steak cuts. However, while both restaurants serve made-to-order steaks, they offer very different dining experiences. Eddie V's is a sophisticated steak and seafood chain that targets affluent customers and caters to business outings. Meanwhile, Texas Roadhouse is a more casual restaurant that appeals to families with children and groups looking for a low-key but lively dining environment.

Since both Texas Roadhouse and Eddie V's paint such different pictures, comparing the two establishments side by side proved challenging. Nevertheless, we are always up for a food-related quest. To determine whether Texas Roadhouse or Eddie V's is more worthy of your time and money, we took a closer look at a number of factors, such as ambiance, quality of food, price points, and the diversity of each restaurant's menu. For a more detailed breakdown of how we approached this culinary showdown, take a look at the final section of this article. Happy reading!

Read more: Cuts Of Steak, Ranked Worst To Best

The Chains Feature Different Atmospheres

Eddie V's motto, "Man cannot live by music, wine, and fine dining alone. But it's worth exploring," emphasizes the chain's commitment to both high-quality dishes and refined atmosphere. In fact, the chain prides itself on its affluent clientele who have household incomes of $100,000 or more and "who are confident, successful, discerning achievers."

While each Eddie V's location is unique, all of the chain's restaurants feature an elegant setting complemented by tasteful decor and art. Some of the restaurant's architectural elements include floor-to-ceiling windows, open kitchens, glass wine cellars, mixed-wood finishes, pendant chandeliers, and velvety fabrics. Some Eddie V's locations also feature live jazz to imbue the dining experience with an additional level of sophistication.

Much more low-key than Eddie V's, Texas Roadhouse is a country-themed chain characterized by a rustic atmosphere and brick and wood touches. In terms of design elements, guests can expect neon signs, Texas-themed memorabilia, taxidermic animal displays, and general bric-a-brac. The concept restaurant also commonly features murals of sports or music legends. The chain's casual atmosphere is completed with each table's pail of free peanuts (don't be surprised if you find yourself stepping over peanut shells) and spontaneous line dances performed by its servers.

Eddie V's Serves USDA Prime Beef While Texas Roadhouse Serves USDA Choice Cuts

The U.S. Department of Agriculture classifies beef into USDA Prime, USDA Choice, and USDA Select. USDA Prime is the best of the lot, featuring abundant marbling and the highest price tag. USDA Choice is the next level down, with plenty of marbling but a slightly lower quality than USDA Prime. Finally, USDA Select is the leanest of the three, making it the least tender and juicy.

In line with its upscale status, Eddie V's specializes in USDA Prime beef, which is hand-trimmed and aged for at least 28 days. The chain serves various cuts, including bone-in New York strip, center cut filet mignon, bone-in ribeye, and filet medallions. The steaks can also include decadent finishes such as blue cheese crust, Parmesan and horseradish crust, cognac peppercorn crème, or smoked chili rub.

Not quite as high-end, Texas Roadhouse serves hand-cut USDA Choice beef. The restaurant's wide range of steak offerings includes New York strip, sirloin, porterhouse T-bone, bone-in ribeye, filet medallions, and slow-roasted prime rib. The chain also offers more unusual steak dishes such as the Road Kill, a chop steak with jack cheese and sautéed onions and mushrooms. In terms of preparation, one Texas Roadhouse employee told Reddit users that the steaks are sprinkled with a generous amount of the chain's proprietary seasoning and cooked on a flat-top grill.

Eddie V's Seafood Options Are More Gourmet

Eddie V's logo includes the words "prime seafood" and for a good reason. The chain doesn't just serve premium beef cuts. It also delivers a range of exquisite seafood dishes. Flown in daily from around the globe are a variety of fish, such as swordfish from Block Island and yellowfin tuna from the Caribbean. Eddie V's also offers shellfish, including a range of East Coast oysters, wild Gulf shrimp, jumbo lump crabs, and Maine lobsters. The indecisive can opt for the restaurant's shellfish tower with several marine delicacies accompanied by atomic horseradish, champagne mignonette, and stone mustard sauce. Cementing its upscale status, the restaurant also serves Royal Ossetra Petrossian Caviar.

The seafood selection at Texas Roadhouse is much more humble, encompassing shrimp and fish. The chain offers grilled shrimp with garlic, lemon, and pepper butter as either an appetizer or a main course. In addition, Texas Roadhouse offers two fish dishes — grilled Norwegian salmon with lemon and pepper butter and fried catfish breaded in Southern cornmeal.

Texas Roadhouse Offers More Traditional Appetizers Than Eddie V's

The starters at Texas Roadhouse and Eddie V's have very little in common. While Eddie V's appetizers reflect the restaurant's status as an upscale venue that specializes in high-quality seafood, the apps at Texas Roadhouse are more low-key, with plenty of deep-fried offerings. One of the most iconic starters on the menu at Texas Roadhouse is the Cactus Blossom, a deep-fried onion that has been sliced into petals. Some of the restaurant's other fried offerings include fried pickles and fried rounds of cheese and jalapeños called rattlesnake bites. True to its Southern roots, Texas Roadhouse also serves traditional favorites such as tater skins, grilled shrimp, and red chili.

The appetizer selection at Eddie V's revolves around seafood. In fact, the restaurant's only meaty app is the steak tartare. The center cut filet mignon is prepared tableside with egg yolk, capers, and extra virgin olive oil. The restaurant's signature appetizer is the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake prepared with panko crust and served with remoulade sauce. When it comes to fish starters, Eddie V's offers yellowtail tuna sashimi and ahi tuna tartare. The restaurant's other seafood apps include Maine lobster tacos and wok-seared Point Judith Calamari.

Eddie V's Is More Expensive

Eddie V's is an upscale restaurant that specializes in high-quality beef and seafood. In contrast, Texas Roadhouse is a casual establishment known for its American comfort food. As such, the prices at Eddie V's tend to be higher than those at Texas Roadhouse and reflect the premium ingredients and sophisticated atmosphere.

In terms of appetizers, the options at the Texas Roadhouse range from the Texas Red Chili Cup at $4.99 to Killer Ribs at $14.99. In contrast, Eddie V's cheapest appetizer is Point Judith Calamari at $21, with the most expensive starters of Maine Lobster Tacos and Jumbo Lump Crab Cake priced at $28. In the seafood entrée department, Texas Roadhouse serves grilled salmon for $22.99 while a similar dish at Eddie V's comes with a price tag of $43.

While both Eddie V's and Texas Roadhouse serve steaks, diners can expect a substantially higher check at the former restaurant. For instance, Eddie V's 22-ounce bone-in ribeye costs $74 while a 20-ounce bone-in ribeye at Texas Roadhouse will set patrons back $35.99. Meanwhile, an 18-ounce bone-in New York strip at Eddie V's is priced at $66 while a 12-ounce New York strip at Texas Roadhouse costs $27.49.

Texas Roadhouse Has More Locations

Unlike its name suggests, the first Texas Roadhouse didn't open in Texas but rather in Clarksville, Indiana, in 1993. Notably, the first vision for the restaurant was hastily mapped out on a cocktail napkin. Today, Texas Roadhouse boasts around 650 locations across the U.S. Perhaps not surprisingly, the chain has the greatest foothold in Texas, where it has 76 restaurants. Texas Roadhouse also has a substantial presence in Florida with 44 locations and Ohio with 35 restaurants. The cities with the greatest number of Texas Roadhouse outlets include Fort Worth and San Antonio in Texas and Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.

The first Eddie V's opened its doors in Austin, Texas, in 2000, rapidly garnering a base of loyal fans. With around 30 outlets today, Eddie V has a much smaller footprint in the U.S. than that of Texas Roadhouse. Most of the chain's locations are in Texas, California, and Florida, with the greatest presence in the Texan cities of Austin and Houston.

Both Chains Have Children's Menus But Texas Roadhouse Is More Family-Friendly

While both Eddie V's and Texas Roadhouse feature special menus for children, we are pretty sure that young diners feel more at home at the latter restaurant. This is because Texas Roadhouse is known for its welcoming dining atmosphere where all family members can be themselves. Children sometimes receive crayons and activity sheets and can enjoy the restaurant's periodic line dancing performances. In contrast, Eddie V's features a much more formal dining environment that might not appeal to children. After all, rather than targeting families, the chain zeroes in on affluent Millennials, Gen Xers, and Boomers, with business gatherings making up around half of its business.

Despite their very different models, both Texas Roadhouse and Eddie V's feature children's menus. The Kids & Ranger Meals at Texas Roadhouse include fast food classics such as cheeseburgers, chicken tenders, and hot dogs. The chain also offers grilled chicken, steak, and ribs. Unlike Texas Roadhouse, Eddie V's offers a set menu for kids that includes a starter, entrée, side dish, and dessert. The choice of entrees includes filet mignon, chicken fingers, grilled chicken breast, fried shrimp, and mac and cheese. All mains come with either a mixed green salad or fresh fruit plate and one side dish such as mashed potatoes, steamed asparagus, or french fries.

Texas Roadhouse Has An Online Butcher Shop And Eddie V's Has A Meat Retail Service Called Black Tie Marketplace

Carnivores not living in the vicinity of a Texas Roadhouse restaurant can try to replicate the chain's recipes in their own kitchen by ordering meat from the Texas Roadhouse Butcher Shop. The steaks on offer are exactly the same Midwestern grain-fed USDA Choice cuts patrons are served at the restaurant. The available cuts include ribeye, bone-in ribeye, New York strip, filet medallions, and bacon-wrapped filets — all of which can be shipped around the U.S. The Texas Roadhouse Butcher Shop even offers recipes and cooking tips to help carnivores perfect their home-prepared steaks.

Eddie V's Black Tie Marketplace functions a little differently, as it's only available in certain locations. In addition, the goodies have to be picked up at an Eddie V's outlet. In terms of products, the marketplace offers both seafood and hand-trimmed beef aged for at least 40 days. Through the service, customers can order fresh marine delicacies like North Atlantic salmon, Chilean sea bass, and South African lobster tails. Eddie V's market also offers meat, including center cut filet mignon, bone-in ribeye, and bone-in New York strip. In addition, the chain sells its special Black Tie Seafood and Steak Seasoning to help meat lovers recreate the restaurant's dishes at home.

Texas Roadhouse Is Well-Known For Its Yeast Rolls

For many, a meal at a restaurant isn't complete without something to nibble on while they wait for the main event. Texas Roadhouse caters to this whim with its baskets of delicious yeast rolls. Made from scratch each day and baked in batches every five minutes, the rolls come with the chain's special honey cinnamon butter.

Texas Roadhouse patrons have given the chain's yeast rolls the thumbs up, with one Reddit user saying, "Last time I went with another buddy we polished off about 10 rolls each prior to the steaks arriving. Not the biggest fan of rolls to begin with but the Texas Roadhouse ones are super sweet and the butter makes them so addicting." A Tripadvisor diner agrees, commenting, "My husband likes to go here just for the rolls! They are so delicious."

Fans of the bread will be pleased to hear that the rolls at Texas Roadhouse aren't only served as starters but can also be ordered by the half-dozen or dozen for takeout from the restaurant. The yeast rolls can also be pre-ordered frozen for Thanksgiving by signing up at one of Texas Roadhouse locations a week before the holiday, or so reports TikTok user Jordan_The_Stallion8.

Eddie V's Has More Dessert Options

Desserts are a decadent finale to a satisfying meal, balancing the savory flavors of the other courses. And while some may be happy to skip this part of the dining experience, for others indulging in a tantalizing dessert is an important part of dining out.

Eddie V's offers five appetizing dessert options baked daily. Chocoholics could do much worse than the chain's Warm Belgian Chocolate Cake with vanilla bean ice cream, fresh berries, and chocolate ganache. Another indulgent final course treat is the Bananas Foster Butter Cake flambéed tableside and served with butter pecan ice cream and whipped cream. The restaurant's other desserts include Classic Crème Brûlée, Meyer Lemon Tarte, and Berries and Crème.

The dessert menu at Texas Roadhouse is relatively modest, featuring three offerings. Granny's Apple Classic comes topped with vanilla ice cream and honey cinnamon caramel sauce. The Big Ol' Brownie is exactly what it sounds like — a chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. Rounding out the options is the chain's New York-style Strawberry Cheesecake served with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

Texas Roadhouse Offers A Range Of Margaritas

While it's unclear when the classic Margarita was invented, the cocktail was believed to be mentioned for the first time in print under its current name in a California newspaper in 1953. The writer describes the boozy concoction as a blend of tequila, Cointreau, and lemon juice served in a glass rimmed in salt. Although this classic recipe hasn't changed much over the years, many restaurants, including Texas Roadhouse, serve several versions of this popular cocktail.

Perhaps the most potent, the Legend Margarita at Texas Roadhouse is made with a mix of three different tequilas — Patrón Silver, Patrón Reposado, and Patrón Añejo — as well as Grand Marnier and the chain's signature margarita sour. The cocktail glass is dipped in black lava salt for effect. Another interesting option is the Hurricane Margarita, which includes Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, house margarita, grenadine, as well as orange and pineapple juices. The four other margarita options at Texas Roadhouse are made with Dorado Gold Tequila and a range of other ingredients depending on the preference of each customer. For instance, the Mango Margarita is blended with mango puree, while the Sangria Margarita comes with the chain's Sangria red.

Eddie V's Has A More Extensive Wine List

There's little doubt that Eddie V's takes its wine seriously. The restaurant features well over 100 different wines by the bottle as well as a handful of pours by the glass. Eddie V's uses the Coravin preservation system that lets servers pour wine without removing the cork from the bottle and spoiling the product. All of the wines served by the glass at Eddie V's are rated 95+ on a 100-point scale, which means that they are some of the best on the market. The restaurant's reds, whites, and sparkling options come from the U.S. and as far afield as Italy, Spain, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand.

Compared to Eddie V's, the wine selection at Texas Roadhouse is fairly modest. After all, the restaurant isn't a fine-dining establishment and as such doesn't cater to the same level of wine connoisseurship. The chain's selection of around 10 wines covers both reds and whites such as Meiomi Pinot Noir, Canyon Road Merlot, Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc, and Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio.

Eddie V's Is Better Overall

Pitting Texas Roadhouse and Eddie V's against each other is like comparing apples and oranges. The chains differ vastly in terms of ambiance, menu items, and dining experiences. Texas Roadhouse is a casual chain with a rustic ambiance and traditional American fare. In contrast, Eddie V's is a sophisticated dining venue that specializes in high-quality beef and fresh seafood. The chains also attract different types of patrons. While Texas Roadhouse caters to families and groups looking for a fun evening out, Eddie V's is more formal, making it ideal for special occasions and business dinners.

While choosing between Texas Roadhouse and Eddie V's is a matter of personal preference, we believe that the latter restaurant has the upper hand when it comes to providing a quality dining experience. Not only does Eddie V's serve USDA Prime cuts and freshly flown in seafood, it also boasts an elegant dining atmosphere that complements the overall experience.

Methodology

There's little doubt that deciding whether Texas Roadhouse or Eddie V's is a better fit for an outing is going to come down to personal preference and occasion type. Texas Roadhouse is characterized by a down-to-earth atmosphere and hearty American fare. Meanwhile, Eddie V's offers more upscale dining with gourmet culinary creations and a more refined decor and ambiance.

Our evaluation of the chains took into account several factors. Firstly, we looked at each restaurant's atmosphere and dining environment. We then factored in each establishment's food quality and menu options. Finally, we considered whether the chains offer any additional features or services that are worthy of diners' attention.

Read the original article on Mashed.