Texas Roadhouse may be known primarily for their hand-cut steaks, but there is something else that many customers associate with the fastest-growing steakhouse chain — and that’s peanuts. Once upon a time, Texas Roadhouse was known for having complimentary barrels of unshelled peanuts in the waiting area and metal buckets of unshelled peanuts on tables that customers could snack on before they got seated or before their food arrived, and floors covered with peanut shells, as customers were also encouraged to toss the peanut shells on the floor.
That has changed in recent years, to the point that some customers are asking why Texas Roadhouse got rid of its peanuts. However, while the tradition has evolved, it’s not entirely gone. There are some locations that still offer this unique snacking experience, so potential customers with peanut allergies should still think twice before dining at the chain. Other locations still offer peanuts in a sealed plastic bag upon request. Most locations that still offer peanuts no longer encourage tossing discarded shells on the floor, though there are a few holdouts.
Precautions to take at Texas Roadhouse if you have peanut allergies
Since it seems to be location-specific whether peanuts in the shell are still offered and whether shells can still be tossed on the floor, it’s prudent for those with peanut allergies to call ahead to a particular Texas Roadhouse restaurant to inquire about their current peanut offerings — as well as their policies regarding shells on the floor — before venturing inside that restaurant. This is especially true if you have a severe allergic reaction to peanuts, such as potentially fatal anaphylaxis, in which case you should probably avoid Texas Roadhouse altogether, unless you can confirm definitively that a particular restaurant no longer offers peanuts in the shell at all. Texas Roadhouse otherwise does not offer peanuts in their main menu items.
Nor is Texas Roadhouse not the only restaurant chain that diners with peanut allergies should avoid. Popular burger chain Five Guys is also on that list, as it still offers complimentary peanuts (and cooks everything in peanut oil). Additional regional chains that also offer buckets of peanuts (which diners with peanut allergies should also think twice about dining at) include River City Café, along with Cody’s Original Roadhouse in Florida, Santa Fe Cattle Co., and Clearman’s North Woods Inn.
