The Sensory Overload You Might Experience At Texas Roadhouse Goes Beyond Your Taste Buds

Texas Roadhouse is an iconic, massively popular steakhouse known for its hand-cut steaks, massive portions, freshly baked bread rolls, and significant country flair. Dining at one of the chain's establishments is truly an experience, one that goes well beyond the taste buds. If you're planning on visiting for a quiet meal in a calm atmosphere that makes for deep personal conversations, forget about it — that's simply not its vibe. Texas Roadhouse is known for being a very, very loud place, with a multitude of different sounds blending together, leaving some first-time visitors surprised by the sensory overload.

Before you even step into the restaurant, you notice two things: the people and the music. The restaurant is usually crowded, to the point where it's often difficult to get a table. Country music is blasted both inside and outside, perhaps to warn potential diners of what they're getting themselves into. The restaurant also features several TV screens showing various sports games going on at once. Zealous fans cheer on their favorite teams, servers spontaneously break into line dances (yes, really), and the regular customers embrace the vibe by hollering, singing along, and cultivating their own loud celebrations. Needless to say, the place is not introvert-friendly, but it's a dream come true for those who love loud expressions of Southern joy.

In concrete numbers, Texas Roadhouse is the third-loudest restaurant, according to an analysis from SoundPrint that looked at 18 popular restaurants and considered the input of over 3,300 people. The median sound level measured at Texas Roadhouse is 79 dBA. For reference, 80 dBA and above can damage hearing with prolonged exposure. Texas Roadhouse is by far the loudest at night, reaching sound levels of 85 dBA. When the restaurant is at its quietest (in the afternoon), the sound levels still hit between 75 and 80 dBA, which indicates the noise makes it hard to hold a conversation. This data is backed by the customers taken aback by just how noisy the restaurant is. One customer wrote on Yelp: "Between the ultra loud music, servers clapping and singing, inebriated table conversations, crammed patrons, and clinking dinnerware, you can't hear yourself think let alone have a normal conversation."

Texas Roadhouse is well aware of its noisy environment and is not looking to change it. In 2012, the restaurant was named "Loudest Restaurant in America" by Consumer Reports, and Texas Roadhouse remains very proud of this moniker. In response to being crowned the loudest, the founder and CEO at the time, Kent Taylor, said: "Upbeat country music, laughter, full restaurants, and line dancing make for a great experience. It sure beats the heck out of wine sipping, chirping crickets, and clinking silverware." Well, to each their own.