Any trip out of town, at least for food fanatics such as ourselves, is going to be defined by the dining options. We actually plan our route based on the restaurants located along the way to our destination. Our recent trip to Salt Lake City was no exception. Why would I be willingly going to Utah? The back story can be found here.

Our first stop along the way was at a chain restaurant called The Texas Roadhouse. We first found this little gem on a short weekend trip to Billings and wanted to go back to try more. It has a redneck, country music style atmosphere, but it actually works for the type of restaurant it is. They put buckets of peanuts at your table so you can crack them open and drop the shells on the floor, which is always fun. For steak lovers it really can’t be beat either. When you first walk in they have all of their meat on display and you choose the specific steak you want them to cook for you. One of their best options isn’t a New York strip or a Ribeye however, it’s actually a chop steak called the “Road Kill.”

Words fail to describe how incredibly moist and juicy this steak gets, and the seasoning is absolutely perfect. They top it off with sautéed onions and melted pepper jack cheese, which leads one to think it would also be great as a sandwich. There are a lot of side options and you can’t really go wrong with any of them. The steak fries are thick and seasoned well, and the mashed potatoes get the job done. The cactus blossom appetizer is something that shouldn’t be missed either. It’s positively massive and their seasoning and dipping sauce is easily as good or better than those found at other places famous for the blooming onion like Chilli’s. For the faint of heart there is the half sized baby blossom, which is pictured here.

Iced tea fans should pick one up while they are there. It’s a dark and heavy brew that has a very thick tea taste, which is perfect for a hearty steak meal. You can find the whole menu at this location.

When we checked into the hotel we found they had a very interesting variation on flavored water in the lobby. Instead of lemon or limes in the water they put small pieces of melon and orange rinds. It was a totally different take and has me rethinking how I’ll be jazzing up my water from now on. The melon gives it a very fresh taste with a just a hint of sweetness.

Coming up next - adventures in sushi, grilled pizza, sweet potato fries, and more!