Ranking Every Texas Roadhouse Kids Meal from Worst to Best

Texas Roadhouse is beloved for its hand-cut steaks and fresh-baked bread — served with scrumptious honey cinnamon butter – but did you know it’s also a family-friendly place to bring the kiddos for a meat-centric, hearty meal? It has both a kids’ menu and a Rangers menu, the latter of which is geared towards kids with slightly bigger appetites. The menu is technically made for kids ages 12 and under, though based on my experience, it seems like this is up to the discretion of the server and management at the restaurant you visit.

In order to decide which items are worth ordering off these menus, I enlisted the help of a one-and-a-half-year-old toddler, as well as an almost-11-year-old to sample all of the kids’ and Rangers menu options at my local Texas Roadhouse. I also brought a 14-year-old with me, who is technically outside of the kids’ menu age, I did include some of their thoughts on the food as well. Ultimately, the top three items were clear hits and thoroughly enjoyed. Most of the other items were just okay, and the last item had a strong visceral negative reaction. Grab your steak knife and let’s dig in.

Texas Roadhouse’s sides are customizable, so I didn’t include or factor them into the ranking itself. Some basic sides, like broccoli, are free, while others cost extra. For example, you can pay extra for a Caesar salad, which everyone seemed to enjoy, and upgrade it further by purchasing bacon.

However, since there are many different options on the menu, they’re still worth noting. My party could not sample everything, as there are more sides than there are kids’ meals. Plus, it was difficult to get them to try things, so we ordered multiple comfort/safe foods. The 11-year-old was pretty opposed to eating the broccoli and only tried the tiniest nibble for the taste test. The verdict: yucky. The toddler enjoyed the steamed veggies, though, as well as the carrots. We also tried fries — which are always a classic. 

Although there’s mac-and-cheese on the kids’ menu, you can also get it as a side for an additional fee. We also tried the mashed potatoes, which were lumpy and included skins. If that’s not your kid’s liking, then you should skip it. Nobody seemed interested in the sweet potatoes, which were loaded with honey cinnamon caramel sauce and toasted marshmallows. Since there are so many to choose from, kiddos are likely to find something they like to enjoy with their meal — no matter their taste preference. Not only that, children can feel like they’re in charge of their meal because Texas Roadhouse lets you customize the sides — like adding sour cream, butter, and/or cream gravy to the mashed potatoes, or just ordering it plain. 

Admittedly, the Texas Roadhouse mini cheeseburgers don’t look like much. The kids’ meal comes with two small burgers topped with melted cheese, sandwiched between the classic Texas Roadhouse bread. It also comes with a pickle spear and side of your choosing. The pillowy buns are soft and buttery, which easily makes them the best part of this dish. The hamburger patties are thin and lightly salted, but they don’t have a lot of added flavor, which may be a good option for kids who prefer plainer food. But, the 11-year-old I was dining with ranked this entree in last place because they didn’t like the texture of the cheese. 

Had I known this, I would’ve ordered them without cheese to see how they would have tasted. The 14-year-old mentioned that you couldn’t even taste the burger underneath the cheese and butter bun, effectively rendering it tasteless. The regular menu’s All-American cheeseburger is considered one of the items you should avoid ordering from Texas Roadhouse because of its forgettable flavor, so it makes sense that the kiddie version also placed at the bottom of this list. 

Next on the ranking are the Jr. chicken tenders, which included six small pieces of white meat chicken with ranch. However, one nugget was a fraction of the size of the rest, so effectively it was 5½ little nuggets. While the website says you pick two dipping sauces (from a selection of honey mustard, ranch, barbecue sauce, or no sauce), we were not asked which ones we wanted and were defaulted to ranch. 

The pieces have a crisp breading with visible yet tiny specks of black pepper, which offers some seasoning without making it too overwhelming for kids with sensitive palates. The Jr. chicken tenders are bite-sized morsels — almost like chicken nuggets — while the Chicken Critters basket on the Ranger menu offers larger, more tender-sized pieces.

The toddler was a fan of the chicken and ate a few small nibbles — granted, they’re not a voracious eater at this age. The 14-year-old mentioned that the chicken was juicy, but the 11-year-old simply wasn’t a big fan. They thought the breading made the pieces dry, which pushed it back in the ranking. This meal and the Chicken Critters basket are placed one after another because they effectively offer the same flavor.

There’s not much to say about the Chicken Critters basket that wasn’t already said about the Jr. chicken tenders. It’s exactly the same flavor, except the portion size is different. 

The one factor that set these apart was that the Chicken Critters feature an ultra-crispy and golden breading. The 11-year-old still thought they were dry, though the 14-year-old and I found them to be pretty juicy. I can confidently say this is a liberal amount of chicken for a child or pre-teen, making it an economical option for families eating out and giving it a slight edge over the previous meal.

Texas Roadhouse describes the Ranger rib basket as being “award-winning.” The photo depicts clear grill marks, but that is not how it arrived at the table. It looked perfectly edible, but not nearly as picturesque and without the clearly defined ribs. 

The order comes with a few ribs and barbecue sauce, and, of course, the kid’s side of choice. There are also some charred, crispy pieces — which I personally love — but this isn’t my ranking now, is it? 

The 11-year-old said the meat tasted good and reminded them of the ones their grandma would make for special occasions. When I heard this, I thought that it would be a good sign for the ranking, but hey, here we are. It wasn’t especially memorable, and there were other options on the menu that were far better. To be fair, the adult-sized portion of ribs isn’t one of Texas Roadhouse’s best offerings, either. 

The grilled chicken looks considerably better and more flavorful in person than it does on the website, where it appears bland, beige, and boring. Texas Roadhouse should swap out the photo because it doesn’t look appetizing, nor does it do the meat justice. It has a visible char on the exterior and mild flavor, and there’s not a lot going on in terms of seasoning; most of the flavor comes from the char and salt. Although, you can always add some of the steak sauce that’s on the table. 

They are quality pieces of chicken. They weren’t rubbery, which could have been off-putting to kids and adults alike. This chicken is a convenient option because kids can eat it with their hands, much like chicken tenders, or use a fork and knife. Considering the other chicken meals didn’t rank high, I was surprised to find out that the 11-year-old liked the grilled chicken quite a bit. Ultimately, it fared better because the meat had a soft, juicy interior compared to the dry breading of the Jr. chicken tenders and Chicken Critters basket. 

As the name suggests, this kids’ meal is comprised of small pieces of steak. There are little holes on each piece, which suggests it was cooked on a skewer. The meat has a mild, slightly salty flavor, and the grill marks add dimension. The pieces are petite, so they’re easy to chew, but I still cut them into more manageable pieces for the toddler.

Even for a kids’ portion, there aren’t many steak pieces on the plate; it was the only dish we didn’t have leftovers from. The grilled chicken appears to come with more food. 

Although we weren’t asked how we wanted them cooked, the meat bits came medium-rare with visible pink portions, but you can customize the cook to the child’s liking. The Lil’ Dillo steak bites were the first thing that we tried, and they seemed to be forgotten. When I asked how they ranked, the 11-year-old slotted them in this spot because they have a similar texture and flavor profile to the No. 1 dish. If your kid likes steak, this is a great option.

Macaroni and cheese is a classic dish that ranked pretty high. As I mentioned earlier, this option can be ordered as a meal or as a side. When everything arrived, I didn’t even realize it was a meal, simply because it was the same size as the mac and cheese side. There’s no differentiation between the two. So, if your kid likes this dish, you could order extra mac and cheese as a side and effectively double the portion for a nominal fee; consider this as a Texas Roadhouse menu hack for children. 

This dish is a familiar food that all of the kids wanted to see. However, I could see that there was some variation in the mac and cheeses that arrived at our table. One was pretty liquidy, with a more noticeable pool of cheese sauce, whereas the other was on the drier, blander side and lacked a cheesy taste — something to keep in mind when you order. You can’t go wrong, but according to the 11-year-old’s ranking (who also mentioned that the dish tastes like how their dad makes it, which is a compliment to Texas Roadhouse), there are a couple of better options on the list.

The all-beef hot dog looks nondescript and forgettable. How good could it be? Well, it provides a lot of flavor, like something served at a backyard barbecue. The hot dog is moist, juicy, and salty. It’s wedged between Texas Roadhouse buns, which are soft, airy, and, of course, buttery. The hot dog comes sliced in half so it fits between the two buns. 

This dish makes a for delectable combination that both kids savored. The 11-year-old ranked it in second, cutting out most of the competition. I cut up some hot dog pieces and bun for the toddler, who seemed to scarf them down. This turned out to be an all-around fan favorite because all the flavors and textures come together well, despite its basic appearance.

The Andy’s steak Ranger meal is a juicy medium-rare hunk of meat. There was some visible liquid from the meat on the plate, so you know just by looking at it that it’s moist. There were beautiful criss-cross grill marks, similar to the way it’s depicted on the online menu. It was clear that Andy’s steak was a favorite before we even ordered, as the 11-year-old mentioned they had it when they visited Texas Roadhouse with their family. 

Even after munching on every single item on the kids’ meal, the steak remained at the top of the list. We got it medium-rare (which is how it comes without customization, but we were not asked about how we wanted the steak), and it had a pretty pink, slightly soft center. It has the restaurant’s iconic steak seasoning. You can omit it, but it was a huge reason why the older kid liked it so much — according to the kid, it’s “salty.” The seasoning gives it some depth without being overwhelming, making it kid-friendly. The steak’s texture is tender and not overly chewy, particularly because it’s medium-rare — another reason why it ranked first place. 

This meal was a truly exceptional experience that the kids enjoyed. It won by a landslide, and the 11-year-old was happy to bring leftovers home. However, if you happen to have steak leftovers, I would recommend using them in a cold dish to keep its texture intact. If you heat it up, you could make it too chewy and rid it of its medium-rare texture. 

I visited Texas Roadhouse with an 11-year-old, toddler, and teen to see what their thoughts were on the kids’ menu options. The 11-year-old was actually familiar with Texas Roadhouse and had been there a few times prior. Before we’d tried anything, they mentioned that the Andy’s steak was a favorite, and it remained there after sampling everything on the kids and Ranger menu, solidifying its No. 1 position. 

This ranking is specifically based on the 11-year-old’s opinions — given that the young toddler can’t really talk, aside from the occasional “no” or asking for more food. At the end of the meal, I asked what the 11-year-old’s favorite dish was, and then we went through everything until we reached the final ranking. I included some observations I made for the younger one and occasional input from the 14-year-old. The children weren’t particularly descriptive, so I’m only here as a vessel to explain flavors and textures — but none of the rankings come from me.