Eating out · American steakhouse
Low FODMAP at Texas Roadhouse
Texas Roadhouse cooks from scratch, which is an advantage because staff can usually customize seasoning on request — but the default signature seasoning, marinades, and most 'seasoned' sides are built on garlic and onion powder. The safest approach is a plain steak or chicken with salt and pepper only, paired with a genuinely plain side.
✅ Safest picks
Hand-cut sirloin or ribeye, plain
A steak grilled with only salt and pepper, skipping the standard seasoning rub, is essentially trigger-free meat.
💬 Order it: Ask for the steak 'plain, no seasoning' — the default signature seasoning blend contains garlic and onion powder.
Grilled chicken breast, no marinade
Plain grilled chicken without the standard marinade avoids the garlic/onion base used in most poultry preparations.
💬 Order it: Request it grilled without the pre-marinade, seasoned only with salt and pepper on the grill.
Baked potato, plain
A plain baked potato with butter is low-trigger; the usual toppings (chives, seasoned toppings) are what add risk.
💬 Order it: Ask for it plain with butter only, no chives or seasoned topping blend.
Side salad, modified
Lettuce and fresh vegetables are fine; the croutons and standard dressings are the main issue.
💬 Order it: Ask for oil and vinegar on the side, no croutons, and hold any onion.
Sweet potato, light on the honey butter
The potato itself is fine; the standard honey cinnamon butter adds a notable dose of excess fructose if used generously.
💬 Order it: Ask for it plain or with only a small amount of the honey cinnamon butter on the side.
Steamed vegetables or plain green beans (special request)
Steaming vegetables to order without the standard bacon-onion-garlic braise removes the main risk in this side.
💬 Order it: Specifically request them steamed plain with just salt and pepper — the standard preparation is cooked in an onion-garlic broth.
⚠️ Skip these
Cactus Blossom (fried onion appetizer)
This is a whole onion, breaded and fried, served with a creamy dipping sauce — essentially a concentrated onion dose.
Steak or chicken with default Signature Seasoning/marinade
Unless ordered plain, the standard seasoning rub and marinades used on proteins are built on garlic powder and onion powder.
Fresh-baked yeast rolls with cinnamon honey butter
Wheat rolls served bottomless are an easy fructan overload on their own, and the honey butter adds excess fructose.
Standard green beans (bacon, onion, garlic braise)
The default preparation simmers green beans with bacon, chicken broth, onion, and garlic rather than serving them plain.
Good to know
- •The signature steak seasoning and most marinades are built on garlic and onion powder by default — always request meat 'plain' or 'salt and pepper only' if avoiding fructans.
- •Sides that sound plain (green beans, seasoned rice) are usually simmered in an onion-garlic broth or seasoning blend; ask for a 'no seasoning, steamed plain' preparation specifically.
- •The bottomless fresh-baked yeast rolls are a wheat-fructan source, and the honey cinnamon butter adds excess fructose on top — easy to overdo since refills are free.
- •Sauces, gravies, and dips (steak sauce, ranch, brown gravy, queso) are almost always garlic/onion seasoned — ask for them on the side so you control how much, if any, you use.
- •Because everything is cooked from scratch per order, staff can usually customize seasoning on request — always ask your server rather than assuming a plain-sounding dish is trigger-free.
At a different restaurant? Photograph any menu and get every dish ranked in seconds.
Scan a menu — freeMenus and recipes change; scores reflect typical preparations and published FODMAP research. Informational only — not medical advice. Always confirm ingredients with restaurant staff.