Why Did Texas Roadhouse Get Rid Of Its Peanuts?

Since opening its first location in 1993, Texas Roadhouse has set itself apart with several unique traditions and delicious offerings. In one such tradition, you can ask to pick your own steak before you even sit down, ensuring that your cut of beef is marbled to your liking. Once you've made it to your table, you can enjoy the chain's famous rolls with honey cinnamon butter, which are always made from scratch. And for longtime patrons, the free peanuts served before your meal were a cherished staple of the iconic Western-themed steakhouse. However, these have recently disappeared from most restaurants, leading many to ask: Why did Texas Roadhouse get rid of its peanuts?

The answer to this question likely comes down to liabilities and changing consumer expectations. For decades, the pre-meal peanuts were served shell-on in large metal buckets at your table. According to fan site Texas Roadhouse Menu, the company encouraged patrons to discard their peanut shells onto the floor. By the end of the night, almost every inch of floor space would be covered with shells, left to be swept up by the waitstaff after hours. This created a tripping hazard for some guests, causing Texas Roadhouse to receive multiple lawsuits after customers suffered injuries at the hands of discarded shells. The peanuts were also dangerous for those with allergies, although the chain often placed warning signs outside of its restaurants. All that said, there might be more to the story.

Another possible reason why many Texas Roadhouse locations no longer serve peanuts at your table is the COVID-19 pandemic. To welcome customers back safely, restaurants in the U.S. had to quickly change business practices in countless ways. The pandemic forced restaurants to prioritize convenience, with many eateries serving to-go cocktails and seating customers outside to reduce indoor contact as much as possible. Consumer expectations also changed greatly during the pandemic, with many customers finding the idea of communal food shared by multiple parties unsanitary. In a 2023 Reddit thread, several Texas Roadhouse customers wrote about whether the beloved peanuts were still served at their locations after the pandemic. One commented, "Not the one in Baytown Texas since covid ... My daughter asked me, 'Isn't this the place we used to throw peanuts on the ground?' I told her yes, but times have changed." Another user wrote, "I always put them in the bucket ... however since Covid, ours no longer has peanuts."

If you're still looking to get your peanut fix when going to Texas Roadhouse, the chain continues to offer customers individual, pre-packaged bags of roasted peanuts. These bags can be eaten inside the restaurant or taken to-go for an at-home Texas Roadhouse experience. While you can no longer throw the shells on the floor, they're still the classic roasted peanuts that millions have known and loved since the company first launched.