Texas Roadhouse Denver: What South Denver Families Need to Know Before Going

What Is Texas Roadhouse?

Texas Roadhouse is a Louisville, Kentucky-based steakhouse chain founded in 1993 by Kent Taylor that has built a serious following for one simple reason: it gives families and steak lovers genuinely good food at prices that don’t require a second mortgage. With more than 700 locations across the country, it’s one of the most popular casual dining steakhouses in America — and the Denver-area location is no exception.

What sets Texas Roadhouse apart from a lot of other chain steakhouses is the commitment to scratch cooking. Every steak is hand-cut in-house daily. The bread — that famous fresh-baked honey-cinnamon butter roll that lands on your table before you even order — is made from scratch in the restaurant. The sides aren’t pulled from a freezer bag. It’s not fine dining, but it’s not cutting corners either.

For South Denver families looking for a reliably good meal without the Cherry Creek price tag, it’s a smart pick. See our South Denver dining guide for more options across the area.

Denver-Area Location

The closest Texas Roadhouse to South Denver proper is located at 900 W Hampden Ave, Englewood, CO 80110 — just off the intersection of Santa Fe Drive and Hampden Avenue in Englewood. That puts it about 10–15 minutes from Wash Park, Bonnie Brae, or University Hills depending on traffic, and it’s easily accessible from C-470 or I-25.

Parking is abundant — it’s a large strip mall-adjacent footprint with its own dedicated lot. If you’re coming from Highlands Ranch or Centennial, this is likely your go-to option, and the drive down Santa Fe is usually straightforward even on weekends.

For families in the Southeast Aurora or Littleton corridor, there are also Texas Roadhouse locations in those areas worth checking — but the Englewood spot is the one South Denver residents tend to gravitate toward.

Hours and What to Expect on Arrival

Texas Roadhouse Englewood is open Sunday through Thursday from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and Friday and Saturday from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Hours can vary around major holidays, so it’s worth a quick check on their website or Google before heading out on Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve.

The wait times here are real — on a Friday or Saturday night starting around 6:00 PM, you can expect to wait anywhere from 30 minutes to over an hour. Texas Roadhouse doesn’t take traditional reservations, but they do have a Call Ahead Seating system. Call the restaurant before you leave home, give them your name and party size, and you’ll be added to the waitlist before you even arrive. It won’t guarantee immediate seating, but it cuts the wait significantly.

The best times to walk in without a long wait: weekday lunches, Sunday afternoons before 5:00 PM, and weeknight dinners Monday through Wednesday before 6:00 PM.

The Bread: Start Here

Before anything else: the bread. Texas Roadhouse’s fresh-baked bread with cinnamon honey butter is one of those things that sounds simple until you actually sit down with a basket of it and realize you’ve eaten four rolls before you even looked at the menu. It’s warm, soft, slightly sweet, and served with a honey-cinnamon butter that your kids will be asking for by name after the first visit.

The rolls are baked in-restaurant throughout the day. It’s the kind of thing you can’t fake with a Sysco delivery — you can tell immediately that someone made it today. Pace yourself, because the mains are big.

The Menu: Steaks, Ribs, and More

The steak menu is the main event. Texas Roadhouse hand-cuts all their steaks daily — you’ll often see the butcher case near the entrance to prove it. Here’s what to know about the key options:

USDA Choice Sirloin. This is the value anchor of the menu. Available in 6 oz and 8 oz cuts, the sirloin is a leaner steak that cooks up well over open flame. At the price point it’s offered, it’s genuinely hard to beat. For families where not everyone eats a full 12 oz ribeye, this is often the practical order.

Ribeye. The ribeye is the signature cut for a reason. The 12 oz and 16 oz options are well-marbled, hand-cut, and seasoned simply — letting the quality of the beef do the talking. If you’re a steak person and you’re only going once, order the ribeye.

Portobello Mushroom Chicken. For non-steak eaters, this is a dependable option. Grilled chicken topped with portobello mushrooms and jack cheese — it’s not revolutionary, but it’s consistent and well-executed.

Fall-Off-The-Bone Ribs. Texas Roadhouse ribs are slow-cooked and genuinely tender. The full rack is massive — great for sharing. The sauce has a nice balance of sweet and smoky that doesn’t overwhelm the meat.

Combo plates. One of the smartest menu moves is the combination plates — steak and ribs, steak and chicken, etc. If your group can’t agree on a single protein, this is your answer.

Sides Worth Ordering

Texas Roadhouse lets you pick two sides with most entrees, and the sides here are a legitimate reason to look forward to dinner:

• Mashed potatoes with gravy — made fresh, not instant. The gravy is thick and savory.
• Seasoned rice — simple, well-seasoned, and a good lighter option if you’re already loading up on bread.
• Chili — the house chili is hearty and well-spiced. A great side in Colorado winter months.
• House salad — nothing fancy, but fresh and big enough to share.
• Steamed vegetables — for the people at the table who are making responsible choices despite all the bread.

The loaded sweet potato is a crowd favorite among regulars — it comes topped with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and marshmallows, and it walks the line between side dish and dessert in the best possible way.

The Kids’ Menu

This is where Texas Roadhouse really earns its reputation as a family restaurant. The kids’ menu is solid — not the usual frozen-chicken-nugget-and-soggy-fries situation you find at a lot of chains. The options include:

• Kids’ Grilled Chicken — actual grilled chicken, not a nugget product
• Kids’ Sirloin — a 6 oz cut of the same hand-cut steak adults order
• Kids’ Cheeseburger — a genuine burger, not a slider
• Chicken Critters — chicken tenders that are breaded and fried in-house
• Macaroni and Cheese — a reliable fallback for the picky eaters

Kids’ meals come with a drink and a side. For South Denver families with younger kids who need reliable options while the adults enjoy a proper steak dinner, this setup works well. The atmosphere is also kid-tolerant — it’s loud enough that a toddler having a moment isn’t going to ruin anyone’s evening.

The Atmosphere

Walk into Texas Roadhouse Englewood and you know immediately what kind of place this is. Country music — live on certain nights, always in the background. Peanut shells on the floor (they keep a barrel of free peanuts near the entrance). Mounted memorabilia, wood paneling, and a staff that’s been trained to be genuinely friendly, not performatively so.

It’s comfortable in a way that more expensive restaurants often aren’t. Nobody’s going to look at you sideways if your toddler drops their fork or your teenager is wearing a baseball cap. The dining room is big, the booths are roomy, and the noise level means you can have a real conversation without cupping your hand to your ear.

On select nights, Texas Roadhouse features line dancing performances by the staff in the dining room — typically early in the evening. It’s a signature quirk of the brand that first-timers either find charming or bewildering, but it’s part of what makes the experience feel genuinely different from a standard casual dining chain.

Bar and Drinks

Texas Roadhouse serves a full bar. The margaritas are a staple of the brand — the house frozen margarita is generous in size and reasonably priced. They also serve beer on draft, domestic and import bottles, wine, and a rotating selection of cocktails.

It’s not a craft cocktail destination — don’t come here looking for an artisanal Old Fashioned made with single-origin bitters. But if you want a cold beer or a solid margarita while you wait for your steak to arrive, it does the job well. The bar area near the entrance also has seating and can be a good place to park while waiting for your table.

Pricing: What to Budget

This is where Texas Roadhouse genuinely stands out in the Denver market. For a scratch-kitchen steakhouse experience, the pricing is hard to argue with:

• 6 oz Sirloin with two sides: approximately $14–16
• 12 oz Ribeye with two sides: approximately $22–26
• Full Rack of Ribs: approximately $25–30
• Kids’ meals: approximately $8–10

A family of four — two adults ordering steaks and two kids — can typically eat a full dinner with drinks for $70–90 before tip. Compare that to a comparable steak experience in Cherry Creek or LoDo, and the math makes sense. Prices are subject to change; check current menu pricing on the Texas Roadhouse website or Google listing before going.

Is It Worth It for South Denver Families?

Yes — with the right expectations. Texas Roadhouse is not trying to be Elway’s or Jax Fish House. It’s a casual, family-forward steakhouse that executes its lane well. The steaks are genuinely good for the price. The bread is genuinely great. The kids’ menu is one of the better ones in casual dining. The wait can be real on weekends, but the call-ahead seating system takes the edge off.

For South Denver families with kids who need a guaranteed hit on a Friday night — somewhere everyone will find something they want, without a bill that stings — this is one of the more reliable options in the immediate area.

It’s also worth knowing that Texas Roadhouse handles large group bookings reasonably well. If you’ve got a birthday dinner or a soccer team post-game meal to plan, they’re equipped for that in a way a lot of local restaurants aren’t.

Quick Reference

• Address: 900 W Hampden Ave, Englewood, CO 80110
• Hours: Sun–Thu 11 AM–10 PM | Fri–Sat 11 AM–11 PM
• Reservations: No — call-ahead seating only
• Parking: Free lot, abundant
• Best for: Families, steak lovers, large groups, casual date nights
• Price range: $$ (moderate)
• Kids: Excellent kids’ menu, kid-friendly atmosphere
• Alcohol: Full bar, margaritas, beer, wine
• Website: texasroadhouse.com

More South Denver Dining

Looking for more dining options in South Denver? Check out our guide to South Denver restaurants, or explore specific neighborhood picks like Hillstone Denver for an upscale night out, or Onefold for the best breakfast in the neighborhood.