I ordered the 6-ounce sirloin — the Renegade Sirloin — at LongHorn Steakhouse and, as I would at all three locations, I asked for mashed potatoes and broccoli as the included sides.

My complimentary bread was a single medium-sized loaf of honey wheat that seemed a bit dry. I wondered if I may have just gotten a stale loaf.

The butter served beside it was fresh-from-the-fridge cold, which was not ideal for spreading onto bread.

As for the sides, my broccoli felt very overcooked and too mushy for my liking.

The mashed potatoes were quite good. They were creamy with enough melted butter atop to suffuse flavor but not to overwhelm the texture or taste of the side.

At first, I was a bit put off by the irregular kidney-bean shape of the steak.

Upon slicing into the sirloin, it seemed to me like it had been cooked a bit beyond medium-well. However, I appreciated that the cut had minimal fat and gristle.

The texture was a bit tough — I attribute that to the cooking, not the quality of the meat — but LongHorn's simple seasoning was tasty with notes of pepper.

My sirloin meal cost $18, and my check came to just over $23 after tax and a 20% tip. That price felt fair to me.

All in all, I was neither impressed nor unimpressed with my meal.

Ah, starting with the complimentary bread — those of you who frequent Texas Roadhouse are nodding, right?

Per the chain's site, its famous rolls are "baked fresh every five minutes and served with honey cinnamon butter."

Truth be told, I think the butter tastes too sweet, but who cares? The bread is so fresh, warm, and flavorful that it alone makes the visit to the restaurant worth it.

I find the rolls are best enjoyed as they are — they don't need butter of any kind to be incredible.

In terms of sides, my mashed potatoes seemed a tad overmixed, leading to a glut of starch release and that gummy texture most people, myself included, don't love.

The broccoli wasn't as soft as what I had at LongHorn, but it was still too overcooked for my personal preference.

The 6-ounce sirloin steak I got at Texas Roadhouse appeared to be cooked properly to medium-well based on its color, yet it was still a bit tough to cut through and chew.

The mildly salty and peppery flavor profile of the meat was excellent, though. That said, I was perhaps most impressed by the price of my steak.

I was impressed that my lunch special 6-ounce sirloin was just $14, and my bill came out to just $19.20 after a 20% tip and taxes.

This felt like an outright steal, given the meal came with two sides and rolls. (I'd have welcomed a special lunch price at the other chains, but none was available.)

Even at the full dinner price, the steak meal costs just $16, still making it the most affordable sirloin steak of the bunch. These exceptional prices alone would probably be enough to entice me to return to Texas Roadhouse.

That classic brown loaf of Outback Steakhouse honey-wheat bread was soft and had a mild flavor, but it had nothing on Texas Roadhouse rolls. The latter's offering feels more memorable and fresh.

That said, Outback's creamy butter was more to my taste

When my 6-ounce Outback Center-Cut Sirloin meal arrived, I was pleasantly surprised by the nice shape and appearance of the steak, the fresh herbs scattered across it, the scoop of mashed potatoes, and the generous portion of broccoli.

At Outback, I finally received broccoli that I can say felt just barely overcooked. And for the record, I like my steamed broccoli to have a hint of crunch left, so for many folks, this side would've been perfect.

The mashed potatoes at Outback were close to perfect. Their texture was thick and rich with occasional lumps and bits of potato skin mixed throughout.

The potatoes were much like what I prepare at home, and that's high praise.

Slicing into the steak revealed the most tender cut of meat of all three restaurants.

Here, I found a steak that looked like it had been cooked perfectly to medium-well with almost no hint of gristle through and through.

It was tender, well-seasoned, and very much worth its $18 price — the high quality of the two sides only supported my opinion.

The meal came to $23.54 with tax and a 20% tip, making it the most expensive of the three meals, but not by much.

Each of the chains I visited is worth visiting for a decent, cheap steak meal, but Outback Steakhouse surprised me by setting a high bar.

Complimentary bread aside, the chain was my top pick across the board.

Still, I'd recommend a steak meal at Texas Roadhouse, which impressed me with its wonderfully low prices and delicious rolls. Although I'm not completely sold on LongHorn Steakhouse, I'm open to giving it another shot, especially given the fair price of the meal.

Speaking of prices — to put these meals into perspective, I did some research. On average, a 6-ounce portion of sirloin steak from grocery stores near me would cost just over $5, a potato $1, a head of broccoli $2, and a loaf of bread another $2.

Based on those numbers, I'd spend about $10 just for the core ingredients of the above meals.

After factoring in other necessary ingredients, like butter and seasonings, plus the time and effort required to prep and cook everything, all of these steak meals seemed like an even better deal.

For my starter, I could choose baked-potato soup, a house salad, or a Caesar salad. (There were also two other soup and two other salad options available for a modest additional fee.)

I went with the baked-potato soup, as I adore potato soups.

Unfortunately, this one was just not that great. I found it to be too salty, too thin, and not quite hot enough when it was served to me.

I appreciated the cheese, green onions, and bacon toppings, but the soup itself let me down.

For my entrée, I could choose the Bloomin' Burger or one of three shrimp dishes.

I went with the burger, which cost $15.50 on its own. The fact that my full three-course meal was just $15 illustrates the true savings at play here.

The burger was, as expected, good but not great. It came topped with Outback's signature Bloomin' Onion petals and Bloom sauce, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onion.

It was so messy to eat that I quickly reverted to a knife-and-fork approach. Unfortunately, the pickles seemed more like flavorless cucumber coins than anything else.

However, the meat was properly cooked, the lettuce and tomato seemed fresh, and the sauce was tangy and applied liberally without being gratuitous.

Had I paid $15.50 for the burger alone, I'd have been disappointed. For a three-course meal costing slightly less than that price, I was plenty satisfied with the entrée.

Each entrée in this deal comes with a side. In an attempt to balance out the calories of the burger (and the soup and cake), I went with broccoli.

Other side options were fries, a baked potato, mixed veggies, or a small salad.

Unfortunately, I wasn't satisfied. The broccoli seemed so overcooked it was almost mush. I only ate a few pieces in the name of writing a thorough review, not because it was at all tasty.

For the final course, diners get a slice of New York-style cheesecake with either raspberry or chocolate sauce. (Or I could've upgraded to the Chocolate Thunder from Down Under brownie with ice cream for an extra $3).

I went with the chocolate sauce. Overall, the cheesecake was fine, albeit nothing amazing.

It was sweet without being cloyingly so, and the overall flavor was lightly tangy and, of course, creamy. I didn't mind the texture.

Truth be told, I'm not a huge fan of cheesecake, so I called in my wife and kids to try it also, and they were all plenty happy with the dessert.

All in all, I'd order the Aussie three-course meal deal again.

Next time, I'd probably try my luck with a salad and a different side dish. I'd also be open to trying the shrimp entrées that are also available at the $15 price tier.

Texas Roadhouse, LongHorn Steakhouse, and Outback Steakhouse felt similar in price point.

On average, it cost my party of four about $160 to eat at each, but the food at Outback was the hands-down favorite for everyone in my party.

Its complimentary brown bread was the best we've had, our steaks were melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and we loved the classic Bloomin' Onion appetizer.

My family of four got an appetizer, entreés, two glasses of wine, and two desserts for $165. At the time, we ordered more than we'd normally eat, so I know we could return and spend even less while still getting a really good meal.

Though Ruth's Chris was one of the pricier steakhouses we've visited, our $500 meal felt worth it for the classy atmosphere, delicious food, and impressive wine list.

The chain's side dishes were particularly impressive. My favorite steakhouse side dish is creamed spinach, and the tasty version at Ruth's Chris was everything I could hope for.

The mashed potatoes we had there were also superb, as were the sautéed mushrooms — another steakhouse staple.

We'd absolutely return here for a special occasion.

Our dinner at LongHorn Steakhouse felt like a great value because we enjoyed our generously-portioned meals so much — but a highlight of our dinner was a valuable tip.

LongHorn serves a $30 rib-eye, and when my husband ordered his medium rare, the server took a moment to educate us about that particular cut of meat.

Because of the fat in a rib-eye, he explained, the meat becomes more buttery and tender when it's cooked to a medium temperature.

My husband switched his order, and the resulting rib-eye was delicious. Though we still order cuts such as filet cooked medium rare, his tip stuck with us, and we now cook and order our rib-eyes medium.

Of the steakhouse chains I've been to, Texas Roadhouse had my least favorite overall atmosphere. When we visited, it felt loud, crowded, and chaotic.

Several times during our meal, our conversation was interrupted by servers loudly clapping and singing to people who were there for a birthday dinner. We were also surrounded by many families with young children, who could understandably get a bit noisy.

Texas Roadhouse doesn't have a high-end atmosphere like Ruth's Chris or The Capital Grille, but I'd go a step further and say it's in a class below Outback and LongHorn.

Though the chain had a nicely varied menu, our group found the food to be just OK.

Overall, I think Texas Roadhouse is better suited for families with kids and groups who don't mind a noisier dining experience.

Of all the steakhouse chains I've visited, The Capital Grille was my favorite with its delicious food, extremely attentive staff, and relaxing-but-elegant ambiance.

From the moment we walked into the restaurant, my family felt relaxed and taken care of.

Through several courses — which included some of the best calamari I've ever eaten and a few perfect wine pairings — we kept chatting about what a wonderful experience we were having.

The service and atmosphere alone made this steakhouse my favorite, and the food only sealed the deal.

We tried everything from surf and turf to filet au poivre and loved every bite. My son, who always orders burgers at steakhouses, said The Capital Grille served the best he'd had.

Our meal cost more than $500 after tax and tip, so going here wouldn't fit into our weekly dining out budget. Still, I'd request dinner at The Capital Grille for a special occasion or return for date night with just my husband to save a few hundred dollars.

This story was originally published on January 2, 2025, and most recently updated on May 6, 2025.