Minnesota Loves This Chain; Now An 8th Location Is Planned
Minnesotans clearly have a taste for big portions and bigger personalities, because the largest casual dining chain in the country now has seven locations across the state. And it’s not done yet, as an eighth restaurant is already in the works and set to open later this year.
This restaurant chain has been in business for 33 years in 2026 and is still expanding. It was just named the largest casual dining chain in the entire country, according to this story from Restaurant Business. It's a steakhouse chain, and it pushed past Olive Garden and into the top spot last year, thanks to nearly 15 percent sales growth, Restaurant Business noted.
How a Steakhouse Became the Largest Casual Dining Chain in America
The fact that a steakhouse is now the largest casual dining chain shouldn't be a surprise. Many Americans, including Minnesotans, like a good steak, right? In fact, steak is a popular meal not just here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes but across the country.
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According to a survey in this Fox News story, steak is America's favorite meal. And, steak is also the choice nearly 66 percent of Americans say they would have as their LAST meal too.
America’s Love of Steak Helps Fuel Restaurant Growth
And here in the U.S., we eat a LOT of steak: Americans consumed 27.6 billion pounds of beef in 2020, according to the US Department of Agriculture. The story said the United States accounted for 21.2 percent of all the beef consumed worldwide.
So shout-out to Texas Roadhouse, the steakhouse chain based in Louisville, Kentucky, which took the top spot in the U.S. when it comes to casual dining chains. You can find Texas Roadhouse locations all over the country, more than 600 locations in 49 states and nearly 40 international locations in 10 foreign countries, its website notes.
Where You Can Find Texas Roadhouse Locations in Minnesota
Here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, you'll find Texas Roadhouse locations in seven different cities:
- Texas Roadhouse Apple Valley – Apple Valley, MN
- Texas Roadhouse Coon Rapids – Coon Rapids, MN
- Texas Roadhouse Shakopee – Shakopee, MN
- Texas Roadhouse Woodbury – Woodbury, MN
- Texas Roadhouse St. Cloud – Waite Park, MN
- Texas Roadhouse Rochester – Rochester, MN
- Texas Roadhouse Duluth – Duluth, MN
And, there's soon to be another Texas Roadhouse location that will serve hungry diners in the Twin Cities area, too. The chain is building a new restaurant in Hudson, Wisconsin, just east of the Twin Cities. The Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal says it will be a 7,926-square-foot restaurant with about 290 indoor seats, and is intended to attract traffic from both Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Steak is one of those truly American foods that is a favorite here in Minnesota and is also very popular in other parts of the world. But not every food we love here in the U.S. is also a favorite elsewhere. Keep scrolling to check out some familiar foods that raise eyebrows overseas!
LOOK: 20 American foods that raise eyebrows outside of the US
Gallery Credit: Charlotte Barnett
