The Texas Roadhouse Menu Item That Outback Steakhouse Just Does Better

If you're looking for a reasonably-priced steak and a fun-loving atmosphere, there may be nowhere better than Texas Roadhouse. The casual steakhouse is renowned for its Texas charm, outside-the-box ideas like letting you choose your own steak, and innovative menu items like its rattlesnake bites. But when it comes to cutting up an onion into a flower, slathering it with rich batter, and dropping it in the deep fryer, it might be best to stick to the true masters of the art: Outback Steakhouse.

The Cactus Blossom, Texas Roadhouse's take on Outback's iconic Blooming Onion, was our least favorite item when Tasting Table ranked popular menu items at Texas Roadhouse. We found the dish overly greasy and despite the onion shining through with some sweet notes, the oily and mostly flavorless batter put a pall upon the whole thing. It wasn't that the Cactus Blossom was terrible, but with so many other fantastic sides available, it just isn't worth an order. Instead of filling up on this massive appetizer, why not just nosh upon our favorite item — the complementary rolls with their signature honey cinnamon butter?

To quote Omar Little from the acclaimed television series "The Wire," "You come at the king, you best not miss." Since the Bloomin' Onion became a hit for Outback Steakhouse in 1988, scores of rivals have attempted to imitate the dish. Chili's tried the Awesome Blossom a few years later in 1990, Lonestar Steakhouse introduced the Texas Rose in 2000, and this year Good Intentions, a St. Petersburg-based vegan restaurant, earned a cease-and-desist from Outback for their Onion Blossom special. If imitation truly is the sincerest form of flattery, Outback should feel honored by the many copycats.

Speaking of copycats, was Outback the first to create the appetizer? No, they were not, but one of their founders may have been in the room where it happened. Tim Gannon, one of the chain's founders, credits his chef and friend Jeff Glowski for the idea. In 1985, the two collaborated on the dish for a contest while working at Russell's Marina Grill in New Orleans. Gannon further developed the idea while launching Outback and the rest is history.

Although... that might not be where it started either. Scotty's Steakhouse in New Jersey claims to have done so in the 1970s, although there is scant evidence to prove it. And the concept of chopping an onion into the shape of a flower has been around since at least the 1940s, so it's entirely possible somebody also fried it before Glowski did.