While appetizer plates are meant to be shared, they can also be a meal, depending on how hungry you are. At Texas Roadhouse, it’s especially easy to turn them into an entrée — just add a couple of sides or toppings to make it a more filling dish. Texas Roadhouse prices vary by location, but the appetizers generally cost less than full meals, and with the right add-ons, they can be just as filling while still keeping costs down.
The ultra-tender ribs appetizer, for example, also comes with steak fries. For a heartier meal, substitute loaded steak fries topped with cheese sauce and bacon for only an extra $1.29, and you’ll likely have enough to be satisfied. The ribs appetizer costs around $5 less than the half-slab of ribs dinner and more than $11 less than the full slab, so even if you chose to keep the steak fries plain and add an additional side for a few more dollars, it would still come in at a lower cost than a typical half-order with two sides.
Some Texas Roadhouse appetizers make better meals than others
While you should order whatever appetizer you’re craving, some apps are more easily turned into dinners. You can also order an appetizer combo for around $14, which includes boneless wings, fried pickles, Rattlesnake Bites — Chowhound’s favorite Texas Roadhouse appetizer — and your choice of Twisted Mozzarella or potato skins. If you pair that with two additional sides, such as the chili and mac and cheese, the price goes up by about $8.50, meaning you have five different options to split between two people and only have to spend around $11 per person — less than the cost of almost every other entrée on the menu.
If you’re craving seafood, order the grilled shrimp appetizer, which serves garlic-butter shrimp over bread for just $8. Then, use the two pieces of bread to turn it into an easy shrimp sandwich, and pair it with a side Caesar salad for a tasty seafood dinner that costs $13 — $5 less than the smallest shrimp entrée. You could even add an extra side for as little as $3.49, such as a baked potato, and build the meal even bigger while still paying less than that smaller shrimp dinner. If you choose to join Texas Roadhouse’s rewards program, you can also score a free appetizer, which would seriously cut down on this overall dinner cost.
