Logan’s Roadhouse and Texas Roadhouse are two popular steakhouse chains in the United States that are often compared. At first glance, they may seem very similar – they both offer hearty American fare like steaks, ribs, burgers, and more in a casual, roadhouse-style setting. However, there are some key differences between the two chains that set them apart.
Origin and History
Logan’s Roadhouse was founded in 1991 by James R. Logan in Lexington, Kentucky. The first location opened near the University of Kentucky campus and was an immediate hit with students. Logan aimed to bring the feeling of a classic American roadhouse to his restaurants, serving up steaks, burgers, ribs and more in a casual, laidback setting.
The chain expanded throughout the 1990s and 2000s across the South and Midwest. Logan’s Roadhouse continued to grow after being acquired by SPB Hospitality in 2011. Today, there are over 200 Logan’s Roadhouse locations across 23 states.
Texas Roadhouse, meanwhile, was founded in 1993 by Kent Taylor in Clarksville, Indiana. The first Texas Roadhouse restaurant also aimed to evoke the feel of a real Texas roadhouse. Taylor was inspired by restaurants he visited in Texas and wanted to recreate the lively, fun atmosphere with hand-cut steaks, ribs, and more.
Like Logan’s Roadhouse, Texas Roadhouse saw steady growth over the years as a privately owned company. Texas Roadhouse went public in 2004 and has expanded to over 610 locations in 49 states and several international locations. While it’s now a nationwide chain, Texas Roadhouse tries to maintain its Texas-inspired roots.
Menu
Both Logan’s Roadhouse and Texas Roadhouse focus their menus around steaks, ribs, burgers, and other American classics. Here’s how the menus compare:
- Steaks: Both restaurants are known for their hand-cut steaks. Texas Roadhouse serves upcuts like sirloins, ribeyes, T-bones, and filets. Logan’s Roadhouse also offers these along with a 22 oz bone-in ribeye and a 16 oz T-bone not found at Texas Roadhouse. Both allow you to add on parmesan crust, grilled shrimp, and more.
- Ribs: Slow smoked baby back ribs and ribs tips are menu staples at both chains.
- Burgers: You’ll find a selection of burgers at each, served with fries. Texas Roadhouse is known for their juicy bacon cheeseburger. Logan’s Roadhouse also offers bison and turkey burgers.
- Chicken: Grilled chicken options are available, like chicken critters at Texas Roadhouse and chicken kabobs at Logan’s.
- Sides: Sides like seasoned fries, sweet potato fries, green beans, rice pilaf and more complement the entrees. Both also offer house and side salads.
- Appetizers: For appetizers, Logan’s serves items like deviled eggs, fried pickles, clam strips and wings. Texas Roadhouse offers rattlesnake bites, fried mushrooms, veggies, and queso.
While the core menus are similar, Logan’s Roadhouse does have some additional offerings not found at Texas Roadhouse. These include chili, smoked chicken wings, catfish and salmon entrees. The dessert menu is also more extensive at Logan’s.
Texas Roadhouse has a slightly more focused menu, concentrating on doing steaks, ribs, and classic sides very well. One unique aspect is their free peanuts to snack on and toss on the floor while you wait.
Atmosphere
The roadhouse vibe is strong at both Logan’s and Texas Roadhouse. Here’s how the atmospheres compare:
- Logan’s goes for a nostalgic, juke joint style with distressed wood walls, vintage signs, and rock and blues music playing. Neon signs and license plates adorn the walls at many locations.
- Texas Roadhouse also features a roadhouse and saloon look with some Texas flair mixed in. There’s often real saddle seats at tables, cowboy murals on the walls, and country music playing.
- At Texas Roadhouse, patrons are often greeted by a welcoming “Yee Haw!” from employees. You may also find a stuffed bison or longhorn mounted on the wall.
- Texas Roadhouse locations also famously have a freezer by the entrance stocked with fresh-baked bread and cinnamon butter. Patrons can help themselves to these free treats.
- Both restaurants also have lively bar areas to complement the dining rooms.
While Texas Roadhouse amps up the cowboy, Texas-inspired theming, both places aim to provide a fun, casual, roadhouse ambiance.
Price
Logan’s Roadhouse and Texas Roadhouse fall into a similar price range. They both provide good value for casual steakhouse chains.
Here’s how prices tend to compare on some popular menu items:
| Menu Item | Logan’s Roadhouse Price | Texas Roadhouse Price |
|---|---|---|
| Sirloin Steak | $18.99 | $18.99 |
| Ribeye Steak | $26.99 | $24.99 |
| Baby Back Ribs | $22.99 | $22.99 |
| Cheeseburger | $11.49 | $10.99 |
| Chicken Critters | $14.99 | $15.99 |
| Grilled Salmon | $18.99 | N/A |
While pricing is very similar overall, Texas Roadhouse has slightly lower prices on some steak options. Logan’s Roadhouse makes up for it by including more seafood choices and appetizers.
Both restaurants offer lunch specials and happy hour deals to help provide additional value. These special discounted menus and entree combos can make Logan’s Roadhouse and Texas Roadhouse even more budget-friendly.
Kids’ Menu
Logan’s Roadhouse and Texas Roadhouse both cater to families with children’s menus available. Here’s how they compare:
- Both feature kid-friendly fare like chicken tenders, mini cheeseburgers and grilled cheese sandwiches. Sides like fries, veggies, rice and applesauce are included.
- Kids menus have very similar pricing around $6 to $8 at both restaurants.
- Texas Roadhouse’s kids menu items are also available on their regular menu for adults who want a smaller portion.
- Logan’s Roadhouse offers a few more variety of creative sides for kids like cinnamon applesauce and mac & cheese.
- Both restaurants provide crayons and activity sheets to keep kids occupied during the meal.
Parents should feel comfortable taking the whole family to either steakhouse. The kids’ menus have familiar picks that most children will enjoy.
Signature Items
While their core menus are similar, a few signature items help differentiate Logan’s Roadhouse and Texas Roadhouse.
Logan’s Roadhouse Signature Items
- Smokehouse Chicken Wings – jumbo wings smoked in-house and grilled with a sweet and spicy dry rub.
- Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders – hand-battered fried chicken tenders coated in a spicy Nashville-style glaze.
- Wood Fire Grilled Salmon – Atlantic salmon fillet seasoned and grilled over a wood fire.
- Fried Catfish – cornmeal coated catfish fried and served with hushpuppies and tartar sauce.
Texas Roadhouse Signature Items
- Rattlesnake Bites – marinated tips of tenderloin, battered and fried with peppercorn gravy for dipping.
- Bacon Cheeseburger – juicy handmade burger with two slices of cheese and lots of bacon.
- Cinnamon Butter – freshly baked sweet cinnamon butter to enjoy with rolls.
- Country Fried Chicken – hand-breaded chicken fried until golden brown and crispy.
These specialties show off the restaurants’ overlapping yet distinct identities. Logan’s highlights some Southern specialties while Texas Roadhouse sticks to steakhouse favorites.
Drink Menu
As casual steakhouses with bar areas, Logan’s and Texas Roadhouse also have drink menus featuring beer, cocktails and more:
- Both offer domestic, imported and craft beers on tap and by the bottle/can. Texas Roadhouse has a few more Texas-based brews like Shiner Bock to suit the theme.
- Full bars are available if you want a cocktail, whiskey or other liquor. Signature cocktails are offered, like the Cocktail 101 with vodka, rum, gin & tequila at Logan’s.
- Non-alcoholic options include flavorful margaritas and daiquiris at Texas Roadhouse and thirst-quenching hand-spun shakes and mason jar teas at Logan’s.
- Of course, they also serve up soft drinks, lemonade, iced tea and other non-alcoholic beverages.
While the food may be the main draw, diners can also relax with a cold beer, signature cocktail or other drink option during their meal or at the bar.
Restaurant Locations
In terms of locations, Texas Roadhouse has a much larger national presence than Logan’s Roadhouse:
- Texas Roadhouse has over 610 restaurants in 49 U.S. states and several foreign countries.
- Logan’s Roadhouse is smaller with just over 200 restaurants across 23 states, mostly in the South and Midwest.
- Texas Roadhouse can be found in just about every U.S. state, while Logan’s is concentrated in a smaller regional footprint.
- The international presence of Texas Roadhouse also far exceeds Logan’s Roadhouse, which has locations only in the United States.
While Logan’s Roadhouse has maintained steady growth over the years, Texas Roadhouse has expanded much more rapidly into a nationwide chain.
Conclusion
While Logan’s Roadhouse and Texas Roadhouse have a lot of similarities as steakhouse chains with a roadhouse vibe, they also have some distinct differences when it comes to the menu, specialties, atmosphere and locations.
Key similarities include the casual, lively atmosphere; steaks, burgers and ribs; and affordable price points. Both also cater to families with kids’ menus available.
However, Texas Roadhouse leans into its Texas theme much more heavily. It also has more signature items like cinnamon butter and rattlesnake bites. Logan’s Roadhouse has a bit more variety in its menu and specializes in some Southern fare.
When it comes to locations, Texas Roadhouse dominates with 10 times as many restaurants across the U.S. and abroad. But Logan’s maintains a loyal following, especially in the South.
In the end, the choice between Logan’s Roadhouse and Texas Roadhouse may simply come down to which theme and specialties appeal to your tastes. Both deliver a lively roadhouse dining experience with juicy steaks, burgers and more to enjoy. So whether you prefer the wider Southern flavors of Logan’s or Texas-sized portions at Texas Roadhouse, you can’t go wrong.
