Texas Roadhouse - Bayou Boulevard

Tonight I was in the mood for a good steak. I was in the Cordova Mall area and decided to swing on in to the Texas Roadhouse. The parking lot was packed, so I took this to be a good sign.

I walked on in the front door - and immediately noticed the friendly staff. I enjoyed the lure of the rustic atmosphere. A very large bar boasted Nascar and neon beer signs. In the lobby area next to the hostess stand is the huge peanut barrel. You just crack open the peanuts, eat them, and throw your shells right on the floor. While waiting, you can watch the busy kitchen - it is alive with activity with 8 -10 chefs and expediters preparing meals for the excited and eager guests.

When seated at my table with my friend, we were immediately approached by a waitress who seemed as if she was ready to go home. She was friendly enough but we could tell she was less than enthused about still being at work.

She asked if we were ready to order about 12 seconds after we had sat down, and I explained to her that I was a "first timer". She informed me that I would receive a special "treat" after my meal to celebrate this occasion. She then told me that she would point out the menu. She showed me the appetizer section and then said "they are all good". She pointed out each section of the menu, told us about the specials, and then gave us a minute. She returned in a moment with hot rolls.

When I unwrapped my silverware while she was talking, I was absolutely mortified to find a big huge chunk of dried food stuck to the knife blade from being dried in the dishwasher. I handed it to her and she said she would get me another one. No manager came to my table, no apology or anything. To me this was absolutely tragic. If I were the manager of the restaurant, I would have been very upset to know that this had taken place in my restaurant and that I was not told so that I could remedy the situation for a FIRST time customer.

I ordered the 6 oz. filet mignon, cooked medium rare. The sides I chose were the baked potato and sauteed mushrooms. The wait was quite lengthy, but the food was good. The steak wasn't quite as hot as it should have been, like it had sat on the expo line a little too long. But it was cooked perfectly as I had requested. The potato was soft and cooked expertly. The sauteed mushrooms had great flavor and were a great compliment to the steak.

After eating my dinner, the waitress returned and asked if we wanted dessert. I reminded her that I was waiting on my first timer treat. She had forgotten. She gave us our check, we paid her, and never saw her again.

We got tired of waiting and left.

My evaluation of this restaurant is that the food was above average for a chain restaurant, but the service left much to be desired and the dirty silverware in my opinion was just a travesty, especially with the lack of approach by management to remedy the situation.

I would go back there, but only if McGuire's closed down.

D