Texas Roadhouse VS Chili's Ribs: The Winner Is Clear

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When presented with the opportunity to compare the ribs at Texas Roadhouse and Chili's, I jumped at the chance. Here are the results of this ultimate showdown.
Transcript
00:00This video was adapted from an article written by Amber Winston on Mash.com.
00:05When presented with the opportunity to compare the ribs at Texas Roadhouse and Chili's,
00:09I jumped at the chance. Here are the results of this ultimate showdown.
00:13Starting with a simple analysis of the two menus, Texas Roadhouse and Chili's ribs run
00:18around the same price, though the latters are a bit pricier. For a full rack of ribs at Texas
00:23Roadhouse, expect to pay about $23 before taxes and about $18 for a half rack. As for Chili's,
00:29you'll pay about $25 for your full slab and about $19 for a half slab. The difference is only a
00:35couple of dollars, but it's ultimately difficult to justify Chili's higher price point. Either way,
00:40you'll pay in the $15 to $25 range for ribs at either restaurant, depending on the size that
00:45you choose. And you'll also get two sides with the rib entree, at either spot. Another thing
00:49that's worth mentioning is that Texas Roadhouse also offers an appetizer portion of ribs,
00:54known as a sidekick, for about $12. Chili's also offers ribs as an appetizer,
00:59but only when you order it as part of the smokehouse combo, at the heftier price of
01:03about $20. Texas Roadhouse's website doesn't specify exactly how many ribs are offered in
01:09his deal, but it should probably be comparable to a half rack. When comparing and contrasting
01:15these ribs, I noticed an immediate difference. Specifically, Texas Roadhouse packed tons of
01:19meat, while Chili's were unbearably thin. Upon the first bite, I quickly discovered that Texas
01:24Roadhouse's ribs also take the cake when it comes to texture, as they were deliciously meaty and
01:29melt-in-your-mouth tender. There was also little to no gristle. Chili's ribs, on the other hand,
01:34are downright embarrassing. They were so tough and overcooked that I had to use muscle to separate
01:39the meat from the bone. Maybe this was just a bad batch, and that honestly better be the case
01:44as the texture was just plain awful. But, while Texas Roadhouse easily takes the crown for best
01:49texture in this rib showdown, I do have a bone to pick, quite literally. For some reason,
01:54every bite seemed to contain a small piece of bone, and this made for a rather unpleasant
01:58experience. The texture of the ribs was delightful, but those darn bones put a damper on the whole
02:03thing. I've sampled these ribs several times before and don't remember having a problem with
02:07them, so maybe it was just this one batch. Regardless, I felt that it was worth mentioning,
02:12especially if you plan to order these ribs for young children.
02:15When comparing the sauces of these ribs, I found both restaurants to have yummy,
02:23yet very different selections. Texas Roadhouse's sauce was very sweet and wasn't the least bit
02:28spicy. It had a subtle smokiness to it that paired beautifully with some sugary overtones.
02:34With that said, there simply wasn't enough of it actually on the ribs. To be clear,
02:38Texas Roadhouse does ask if you want extra sauce when you order online,
02:41and normally I would have jumped at the chance to have it added, and perhaps you might feel the
02:45same way. But for the purposes of this taste test, I wanted to report how the ribs are served
02:50without all the fancy extras. With that said, if the sauce is one of the most important parts
02:54of ribs to you, then I'd recommend that you always ask for extra from Texas Roadhouse,
02:58because the ribs aren't quite as flavorful without it. Now, onto Chili's sauce, which
03:02wasn't too bad. At first taste, though, I didn't like it, but as I kept on eating, it grew on me.
03:08The restaurant offers Texas Dry Rub and Honey Chipotle flavors, but I kept it classic by opting
03:13for the House Barbecue sauce, which featured a very pepper-forward taste paired with sweet
03:18undertones. It also has a mild spiciness that lingered a bit on my tongue. And, while the sauce
03:23wasn't as pleasant as Texas Roadhouse's, it did pair nicely with the char of the rib meat. Anyone
03:28who prefers a spicier barbecue sauce over a sweeter one is likely to love Chili's version.
03:34When comparing the size of the ribs, both restaurants' offerings seem to be roughly
03:45the same portion, at least in terms of the length. Still, I couldn't help but feel slightly
03:50cheated by Chili's. The Texas Roadhouse ribs were way meatier, and because of that, it just felt
03:54like my dollars were better spent there. This is especially true considering that Chili's ribs
03:59cost more, even though they're thinner and less tasty. Not to mention that the batch that I got
04:04was severely undercooked. Still, I would say that by looks alone, one slab doesn't necessarily seem
04:10to be more substantial than the other. The amount of meat packed on each bone is where the two
04:14differ, which allows Texas Roadhouse to win out in the portion category.
04:19So, who's the ultimate winner of our Saucy Rib Smackdown? I won't belabor the reveal,
04:23because, without a doubt, it's Texas Roadhouse. They're not perfect, though,
04:27especially when you consider the lack of sufficient barbecue sauce and those pesky
04:30little bones that kept cropping up in each bite. Nevertheless, I truly did enjoy them.
04:35They were very meaty and substantial, and if there were just a little more sauce on them,
04:39they would've been pretty much perfect. Chili's ribs, on the other hand, were a bit of a disaster,
04:44and I simply can't recommend ordering them. They were thin, horribly overcooked, and, overall,
04:49just bad. But, they weren't the worst ribs in the world, and that's thanks to the sauce.
04:54Though I still don't prefer it over Texas Roadhouse's sauce,
04:57I must admit it has a unique flavor that is further complemented by the charred meat.
05:01Overall, Texas Roadhouse reigns supreme when it comes to delicious chain restaurant ribs.
05:05Their meaty and tender texture makes for a satisfying meal,
05:08just so long as you don't forget the extra sauce.