Casual Dining Has a New #1. A Fourth Montana Location is in the Works

 Texas Roadhouse is now the king of casual dining.

With so many fantastic local restaurants in Montana, a chain establishment isn't typically my first choice when we spend our hard-earned dollars eating out. I seem to be in the minority, though, because the parking lots at places like Olive Garden always appear to be packed.

According to a recent Fox News article, there is a new #1 in the casual restaurant category. Step aside, Olive Garden, Chili's, and Buffalo Wild Wings... Texas Roadhouse is now the top casual restaurant in the United States.

The article notes that Texas Roadhouse experienced a significant uptick in customers in 2024. Sales climbed over 14%, generating a staggering $5.5 billion in sales. Texas Roadhouse captured the top spot from Olive Garden, which had been the best-selling casual restaurant in the US since 2018.

Texas Roadhouse has over 700 locations across the globe, with the majority of them located stateside. Montana has three Texas Roadhouse franchises; fans can enjoy free peanuts, well-seasoned steaks, and those delectable honey buttered rolls in Billings, Bozeman, and Missoula.

A 4th Montana Texas Roadhouse location is in the works.

The Electric wrote in December 2024 about the planned Texas Roadhouse in Great Falls that appears to be temporarily delayed by various leasing issues for the proposed location in front of the Holiday Village Mall.

Opinion - As stated at the top of this story, I'm not a huge fan of chain restaurants. I'd rather support a place that serves Montana-raised beef. BUT Texas Roadhouse does a great job. We've only gone a handful of times, and on each visit, the steaks and service were great.

H/T Taste of Country