Texas Roadhouse, Waukesha

My wife and I had stopped in to dine at the Texas Roadhouse the weekend before, but there had been a long wait, so we went elsewhere. This time, I called ahead to add my name to the waiting list (no reservations accepted). When we arrived, the 35-45 minute wait worked out just about right -- we were seated within a minute or two.. As we were escorted to our table (over a path of crushed peanut shells), the hostess asked if it was our first visit and gave an overview of the menu (steaks, ribs, others good stuff, etc.) Because of the loud background music and shouted conversations, I could only understand about half of her monologue. (BTW, my hearing is normally fine -- or was). We were given a basket of rolls when seated (for use as earplugs perhaps?). Upon arriving at the booth, we encountered my pet peeve -- I am a big guy, and I absolutely detest being wedged into a narrow booth with an immobile center table. Oh well, no extreme rib eating here or I might never escape the booth!!! After a brief search for menus (they are on they are on the table by the condiments), my wife and I opened up the menus. My wife is night blind and the dim lighting at the table was giving her problems, so I read the menu to her. This might have been romantic, except I was shouting across the table (above the noise and music) so she could understand what I was saying. The menu selection is good and the prices are on average or slighty better than Applebees', TGI Friday's, or Chili's. Priced at the higher end of the menu was a good selection of steaks (available in a variety of serving sizes). Unlike Applebee's, the chili or side salad could be ordered as a side dish included with the entree. After reviewing the menu, I selected the smothered chicken and my wife chose the fried catfish. While waiting, we were brought a bucket of peanuts to munch on (now I knew where the shells on the floor came from). The salad arrived promptly and was followed in due time by the entrees. The food and was hot and presented nicely. My wife had four or five large chunks of catfish which guaranteed we would be having leftovers. In contrast, my smothered chicken consisted of one small chicken breast and a few mushrooms partially covered by a single slice of cheese. This was quite different from the similar entree served at Applebee's. Except for the deafening background noise and the completely unintelligible line dance performance by the servers, the meal proceeded mercifully well. I knew it was time to go when my wife asked for a to-go box for her leftovers and shouted a question inquiring if the local custard stand was still open. The cost of the meal with soft drinks was $25.17 (excluding tip). Despite being very busy, we received excellent attention from the wait staff and the food was hot and tasty. The noise situation made the meal unpleasant and is the primary reason we will not be returning. We here dined at 7:30pm on Saturday, September 9, 2006.