Texas Roadhouse baked potato is a whole oversized russet, foil-baked and salted, served free as one of your two entrée sides. Ordered alone it typically runs about $3.50 to $5.50, and loading it with cheese and bacon adds a small upcharge.
What the Texas Roadhouse baked potato is
It is a single large russet potato, rubbed with oil and coarse salt, wrapped in foil and baked until the skin goes crisp and papery. It comes split open with whipped butter and sour cream, and you can upgrade it to loaded for a small charge.
The thing that separates this from a supermarket baked potato is the skin. The salt-and-oil rub draws moisture out of the surface while the foil holds steam inside, so you get a dry, salty, edible jacket over flesh that is fluffy rather than waxy. If your server brings one where the skin is soft and pale, it was likely held too long in the warmer.
Portion size is genuinely big. These are steakhouse-grade potatoes in the 10 to 12 ounce range at most locations, which is why a loaded one plus rolls can outsize a lunch entrée on its own.
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| What it is | Whole russet potato, oil-and-salt rubbed, foil-baked, split and served open |
| Menu category | Sides (part of the two-free-sides entrée bundle) |
| Typical size | Roughly 10-12 oz raw weight; one potato per order, no size choices |
| Comes with | Whipped butter and sour cream on the side or on top |
| Loaded version | Adds shredded cheddar and bacon bits, usually a $1-$2 upcharge |
| Typical à la carte price | Around $3.50-$5.50; free when paired with an entrée |
| Typical calories | Roughly 380-450 plain with butter; noticeably higher loaded |
| Kids version | Offered as a kids side at some locations; portion is still a full potato |
| Vegetarian | Yes plain; no once bacon is added |
Price, sizes and the free-side rule
Most people never pay a listed price for it. Texas Roadhouse entrées include your choice of two sides, and the baked potato sits in the standard no-upcharge group, so the only real price question is what a standalone or extra order costs, generally mid single digits.
Locations are market-priced, so there is no single national number for a side order. What holds steady is the structure: free with an entrée, charged separately as an extra, and “loaded” is a small add-on either way. Metro stores in California, New York and Hawaii sit at the top of the range; Midwest and Southern markets sit at the bottom.
| How you order it | What you typically pay |
|---|---|
| As one of two sides with any entrée | No extra charge |
| Loaded, as one of your two sides | Small upcharge, commonly $1-$2 |
| À la carte / extra side | Roughly $3.50-$5.50 |
| With a kids meal | Included with the kids entrée price |
To confirm the exact figure before you go, pull up your specific store on the Texas Roadhouse site or app and check the sides section, or call the location directly. Prices printed on any third-party guide, including this one, are ranges rather than quotes.
Loaded baked potato: what “loaded” actually adds
Loaded means shredded cheddar and bacon bits added on top of the butter and sour cream that already come standard. It is not a different potato and not a bigger portion, just the toppings, which is why the upcharge stays around a dollar or two.
This is the version most people picture, but the cheese goes onto a hot potato rather than under a broiler. If you want it properly melted, stir it into the flesh yourself while the potato is still steaming. Bacon is real crumbles, not imitation bits, which matters if you are ordering vegetarian: loaded is not, plain is.
Calories and nutrition
Texas Roadhouse does not print calorie counts on every regional menu, so treat any number you see online as directional. A plain baked potato with butter lands in the rough neighborhood of 380 to 450 calories; loading it with cheese and bacon pushes it materially higher.
The chain publishes nutrition information on its website and posts calorie counts on menus in states where the FDA menu-labeling rule applies. If you need exact figures for medical or macro reasons, that official nutrition page is the source to use, not a third-party aggregator that may be quoting an older recipe.
If you are watching intake, the potato itself is the least of it. Butter, sour cream, cheese and bacon are where the calories concentrate, and asking for them on the side costs nothing while giving you full control.
How to order it well
Two moves make a real difference: ask for it fresh rather than from the hold cabinet, and ask for butter and sour cream on the side. Fresh gets you crisp salted skin, and on-the-side toppings stop the potato arriving already drowned.
A few more that servers will honor without fuss:
- Ask for extra sour cream. It is normally free and the standard cup is small.
- Ask for the potato split at the table rather than pre-opened if you want it to stay hot.
- Order loaded but hold the bacon if you want cheese without the meat.
- Pair it with a fatty cut like ribeye and it works; pair it with a lean sirloin and the butter does useful work.
- Remember rolls with cinnamon butter arrive free before the meal, so a loaded potato plus rolls plus a 12 oz steak is a lot of starch.
On side pairing, the baked potato plus a house salad is the most balanced version of the two-side bundle. Baked potato plus steak fries plus rolls is the version people regret at the halfway point.
Worth it? Baked potato vs steak fries vs sweet potato
As a free side it is the best value on the board by weight, and the plain version is the least processed thing in the potato group. Against steak fries it wins on portion; against the sweet potato it wins on savory pairing with beef.
| Side | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Baked potato | Biggest portion, most filling, easy to customize | Quality depends on how long it sat in the warmer |
| Steak fries | Shareable, consistent, good with sauces | Thick cut means soft centers; cool down fast |
| Sweet potato | Sweeter contrast to salty steak; loaded version is dessert-adjacent | Marshmallow and caramel toppings push it well past a side dish |
| Mashed potatoes | Comfort option, arrives hot every time | Smaller portion; gravy is on by default |
If you are ordering à la carte and paying, the calculus changes. A standalone baked potato in the mid single digits is fair rather than a steal, and loading it is the single cheapest way to turn a side into something that eats like a small meal.
Why they sometimes run out
Baked potatoes take about an hour in the oven, so kitchens bake them in timed batches rather than to order. Late in the evening, especially on a slow weeknight, a location can genuinely run out and will offer you a substitute side.
It is a logistics issue, not a menu change. If the potato is the reason you are going, the safest window is the dinner rush itself, roughly 5pm to 8pm, when batches turn over fastest. The last hour before close is the risky slot.
Honest limitations of this page
We are an independent guide, not Texas Roadhouse. We do not receive price files from the company, and nothing here is an official quote. Everything below is a limit you should know before relying on a number on this page.
- Prices are ranges compiled from location menus, not a national price list. Franchise and market pricing means your store can sit outside our range.
- The baked potato listing had no verified single price in our source data, so we give the category range rather than invent a figure.
- Calorie figures are directional. Use the official Texas Roadhouse nutrition page for exact numbers.
- Portion weights and toppings vary slightly by kitchen and by who is on the line.
- Availability of the kids-side and loaded options is not universal across every location.
To confirm anything price-related, check your specific location in the Texas Roadhouse app or call the store. That takes a minute and beats any third-party page, including this one.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a baked potato at Texas Roadhouse?
As one of the two sides included with an entrée it costs nothing extra. Ordered on its own or as an extra side it typically runs about $3.50 to $5.50 depending on your market, and loading it adds roughly $1 to $2.
What comes on a Texas Roadhouse loaded baked potato?
Shredded cheddar and bacon crumbles on top of the whipped butter and sour cream that come standard. It is the same potato as the regular version, just with the extra toppings and a small upcharge.
Is the baked potato free with a steak?
Yes. Every entrée includes your choice of two sides and the baked potato is in the no-upcharge group, so it is effectively free with a steak. Only the loaded upgrade or an extra potato costs more.
How many calories are in a Texas Roadhouse baked potato?
Plain with butter it sits roughly in the 380 to 450 calorie range, and loaded with cheese and bacon goes well above that. Check the official Texas Roadhouse nutrition page for exact current figures.
Is the Texas Roadhouse baked potato vegetarian?
Plain, yes. It is a potato with butter and sour cream, so it works for vegetarians but not vegans. The loaded version contains real bacon crumbles, so ask for it loaded without bacon if you want cheese only.
Why did Texas Roadhouse say they were out of baked potatoes?
They bake in timed batches because a full russet needs about an hour in the oven. If a batch sells out late in the evening the kitchen cannot make one to order, so they offer a substitute side instead.
Can I get extra sour cream or butter on my baked potato?
Yes, and it is normally free. Ask for extra sour cream and for the toppings on the side rather than on the potato so you control how much goes on and the skin stays crisp.
Can you order a baked potato for takeout?
Yes, it travels better than fries because the foil holds heat. Ask for the butter and sour cream packaged separately so the potato is not sitting in melted topping by the time you get home.
Related guides
- Browse the full Texas Roadhouse menu with current price ranges by section.
- Cheaper ways to eat the same food: see the discounted Early Dine window and this week’s specials lineup.
- Ordering to go? Check takeout pricing and what travels well.