Texas Roadhouse mac and cheese is a creamy baked-style side of elbow pasta in cheese sauce, offered as one of the two free sides included with most entrees, or ordered a la carte for roughly $3 to $5 depending on your location.
What Texas Roadhouse mac and cheese actually is
It is a hot side dish of small elbow macaroni bound in a smooth, mild cheddar-style cheese sauce, served in the same small oval side bowl the restaurant uses for green beans and corn. It is a sauce-based mac, not a firm baked casserole with a browned crust.
Two things surprise first-timers. First, it sits in the side list, not the entree list, so it arrives alongside your steak rather than as a plate of its own. Second, the texture leans soft and saucy. If your mental picture is a dense square cut from a pan, this is not that. It scoops rather than slices, which is exactly why it works as the thing kids finish and adults use to soak up steak juices.
Item spec
| What it is | Elbow macaroni in a creamy cheddar-style cheese sauce, served hot |
|---|---|
| Menu category | Sides (also appears in kids meals at most locations) |
| Size / portion | Standard single side bowl, roughly a cup; a kids portion runs smaller |
| Price | Included free as one of two sides with most entrees; roughly $3-$5 a la carte, set locally |
| Calories | Not printed on every regional menu; ask for the nutrition sheet in-store (see below) |
| What’s included | The side only. Unlimited fresh-baked rolls with cinnamon butter come with dine-in meals |
| Served | All day, lunch and dinner, wherever it is stocked |
| Diet notes | Vegetarian as served; contains wheat and dairy. Not a gluten-free or dairy-free option |
Price and how the two-free-sides rule changes it
Mac and cheese costs nothing extra when you pick it as one of the two sides that come with most entrees. Ordered by itself it lands in the standard side price band, roughly $3 to $5, because franchise and company locations set side pricing regionally.
That two-sides rule is the part people miss. A steak, a chicken entree, ribs and most combos all include two sides at no additional charge, so a $17 sirloin with mac and cheese and a baked potato is still $17. You only pay side pricing when you add a third side, order mac and cheese on its own, or attach it to something that does not include sides, like a burger or an appetizer order.
| How you order it | What you pay |
|---|---|
| As one of two included sides with an entree | No extra charge |
| As an extra side on top of your two | Standard side price, roughly $3-$5 |
| A la carte with no entree | Standard side price, roughly $3-$5 |
| Inside a kids meal | Included in the kids meal price |
We are not publishing an exact figure here because we have not verified one nationally for this item. Pull up your local store page on the official site or the ordering app, choose your restaurant, and the a la carte side price will show for that address. Prices in high-cost metros commonly run 10-15% above small-market stores.
Calories and nutrition
Mac and cheese calories are not printed on every regional Texas Roadhouse menu, so treat any number you see repeated on recipe blogs as unverified. Ask your server for the printed nutrition guide, or check the nutrition page on the official site for your state.
What you can reason about honestly: this is pasta plus a cheese sauce, so it sits in the richer half of the side list alongside loaded potatoes and cheese-topped items, and well above green beans, applesauce or the plain baked potato. If you are counting, the fresh vegetables, applesauce and green beans are the lighter picks. Locations in states with menu-labeling laws print calorie counts directly on the menu, which is the single most reliable place to read the current number for your store.
How to order it well
Ask for it fresh if you are seated early in a slow hour, pair it with something acidic or charred rather than another creamy side, and request it brought with the entree rather than early so it does not set up and thicken on the table.
- Do not double up on rich. Mac and cheese plus a loaded baked potato is two heavy dairy sides. Pair it with green beans, the house salad or fresh vegetables and the plate balances.
- It is the best partner for ribs and BBQ chicken. Sweet, smoky sauce against mild cheese is the pairing that actually earns its place. With a plain sirloin it reads flatter.
- Ask for extra napkins and a fresh scoop. Sides are held hot, so if you care about texture, saying “fresh if you can” when you order is a reasonable request and staff generally accommodate it.
- Rolls change the math. Dine-in gets unlimited fresh-baked rolls with cinnamon butter before food arrives. If you have already worked through a basket, a lighter second side beats mac and cheese.
- Add-ons vary. Some locations will let you top it or add bacon; many will not, because sides are portioned from a batch. Ask, but do not assume.
Kids menu mac and cheese vs the adult side
Most locations list mac and cheese on the kids menu as a main, served in a smaller portion with a kids drink and typically one side, at the standard kids meal price. The adult version is the same recipe in a side bowl.
The practical difference is portion and packaging, not the dish. If you are feeding a child who eats a full adult portion, ordering the a la carte side is often the better value than a second kids meal. If you want the drink and the extra side included, the kids meal wins. Kids menu age limits are posted in-store and vary, so confirm at the table.
Is it worth it, and how it compares to other sides
As a free included side it is worth ordering if you like mild, creamy comfort food or you are feeding a picky eater. Paid a la carte it is average value against the rest of the side list, because the loaded baked potato and the seasoned rice deliver more food and more flavor for similar money.
| Side | Best for | Honest verdict vs mac and cheese |
|---|---|---|
| Loaded baked potato | Filling up, sharing | More food and more texture for a small upcharge to load it; better standalone value |
| Seasoned rice | Balance with saucy entrees | Lighter, less rich, soaks up gravy better; the pick if your entree is already heavy |
| Green beans | Cutting the richness | Not competing on comfort, but the smarter second side next to mac and cheese |
| Steak fries | Kids, sharing, dipping | Travels better for takeout; mac and cheese wins on hot-and-fresh dine-in |
Short version: take it free with an entree, skip it as a paid extra unless someone at the table specifically wants it.
Takeout, reheating and travel
Mac and cheese holds up better than fried sides in a takeout box but thickens as it cools, so eat it within about twenty minutes or plan to reheat it. A splash of milk stirred in before microwaving loosens the sauce back to serving texture.
Curbside and delivery orders are packed in sealed containers and the sauce continues cooking against the hot walls of the box, which is why mac that arrives home can taste denser than the same dish at the table. If texture matters to you, this is a dine-in dish first.
Where this page can be wrong
This is an independent guide, not the restaurant. Three specific limits apply here. First, we have not verified a national a la carte price for mac and cheese, which is why you see a range instead of a figure. Second, side availability is not universal: a small number of locations rotate or drop individual sides, and a few regional menus differ. Third, calorie counts are not printed everywhere and we will not publish a number we cannot source.
Confirm all three the same way: open the official Texas Roadhouse site or app, select your specific restaurant, and read the current menu for that address. Calling the store is faster if you only need a yes or no on availability.
FAQ
Does Texas Roadhouse have mac and cheese?
Yes. Mac and cheese appears on the side list at most Texas Roadhouse locations, and on the kids menu as a main at many of them. A small number of stores rotate their side selection, so check your location’s menu in the app if you are ordering ahead.
How much is mac and cheese at Texas Roadhouse?
It costs nothing extra when chosen as one of the two sides included with most entrees. Ordered a la carte it falls in the standard side price band, roughly $3 to $5, set by each location. Check your store’s page on the official site for the exact figure.
Is mac and cheese one of the free sides at Texas Roadhouse?
Yes, at locations that carry it. Most entrees include two sides at no additional charge and mac and cheese is selectable as either one. You only pay side pricing for a third side or an a la carte order.
How many calories are in Texas Roadhouse mac and cheese?
The count is not printed on every regional menu, so we do not publish a figure we cannot verify. Locations in menu-labeling states show calories directly on the menu, and your server can bring the printed nutrition guide on request.
Is Texas Roadhouse mac and cheese baked or stovetop style?
It is served as a creamy, sauce-based side rather than a firm baked casserole with a browned top. It scoops out of the bowl instead of holding a cut shape.
Can kids order mac and cheese as a meal?
Yes at most locations, where it is listed on the kids menu as a main with a drink and typically a side. The portion is smaller than the adult side bowl. Age limits for the kids menu are posted in-store.
Is Texas Roadhouse mac and cheese vegetarian or gluten-free?
It is vegetarian as served and contains wheat and dairy, so it is not gluten-free or dairy-free. If you have a serious allergy, ask a manager about preparation and shared equipment at your specific location.
What goes best with mac and cheese at Texas Roadhouse?
Ribs and BBQ chicken are the strongest pairings, since sweet smoky sauce plays against mild cheese. For your second side, pick something lighter like green beans, fresh vegetables or a house salad rather than doubling up on another creamy dish.
Related guides
- Browse the full Texas Roadhouse menu with current listings by category.
- Feeding a table on a budget? Compare bundled family meal packs and what they include.
- Ordering for a child alongside your entree? See what’s on the kids menu and the age rules.
- Eating before 6pm? The Early Dine value menu is the cheapest way to get an entree with two sides.