What started out as a simple hack for adults trying to eat less or spend less has unfortunately reached the ears of corporate.
Now a beloved hack is seemingly gone. While the internet says people posting online are to blame, others point out that the true culprits are the decision makers in the C-Suite making things worse for everybody.
LongHorn Steakhouse Kid’s Meal Portion Change
In a trending video with more than 141,000 views, content creator Trinity (@authenticti) documented what appears to be a quiet policy change that’s been making the rounds. Ready for this? LongHorn Steakhouse is being accused of shrinking its kids’ sirloin from 6 ounces to 4 ounces.
In the video, Trinity is cutting into a small piece of steak on a plate next to a scoop of mashed potatoes.
“Y’all they changed the 6oz Longhorn steak to a 4oz steak talking about people scamming them taking them to go,” the text overlay on the video reads.
“Y’all I’m flabbergasted they caught us,” she added in the caption.
Trinity appears to be one of the adults who had been ordering off the kids’ menu as a money-saving move, a hack that had been making the rounds on social media.
People figured out that the kids’ sirloin was the same sirloin from the adult menu at a fraction of the price. LongHorn’s apparent response was to cut the portion nearly in half. However, whether this is an official change is unclear since LongHorn does not list the kid’s steak size on the online menu.
Why Adults Were Ordering The Kids’ Meal In The First Place
The hack had been floating around social media for a while. According to Chowhound, the kids’ sirloin was historically a 6-ounce steak priced at around $10, while the adult version with a loaded baked potato ran close to $20.
The steak itself was identical in size and quality. The only real differences: the kids’ meal came with a drink instead of soup or salad, and adults weren’t technically supposed to order it while dining in. Most locations enforced a 12-and-under rule for in-restaurant orders.
The workaround, as the Takeout points out, was takeout. Order online or through a delivery app, and no one can verify whether there’s a child in your home. The takeout kids’ menu lists the sirloin with a choice of doneness, seasoned the same as the adult version, with a side and drink included. The Takeout notes that LongHorn has raised its kids’ menu prices in recent years, but even so, the savings versus the adult option were significant enough that people kept coming back to it.
One couple on Instagram told The Takeout they were eating LongHorn steak dinners for $17 total. A Facebook commenter called it “the best $10 I’ve spent in a long time.”
How LongHorn Stacks Up Against The Competition
For context on just how good the kids’ meal hack was before the portion cut, Allrecipes recently compared kids’ meals across five casual dining chains—Applebee’s, Chili’s, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, and Texas Roadhouse—to find the best value. LongHorn ranked second overall, specifically because of the kids’ sirloin, which the writer said was still cheaper than a steak burrito at Chipotle.
Texas Roadhouse took the top spot, largely because its kids’ meals start at $5.99 and include unlimited fresh-baked rolls with cinnamon butter, plus a Ranger Meal option (which is larger) with a 6-ounce sirloin for $8.99.
Commenters React
“No they changed the 6 oz kids meal sirloin to 4 oz because adults kept ordering kids meals,” a top comment read.
“I dont get it . Even if adults are ordering from the kids menu there still getting kids size portions.. not everyone wants a big meal everytime they eat. Kids meals are for smaller portions not specifically for children,” a person said.
“Yeah this why we cant post everything,” another wrote.
“I knewwww I wasn’t tripping,” a commenter added.
@authenticti Y’all I’m flabbergasted they caught us😂😂😂💀💀💀💀💀#longhorn #longhornsteakhouse #4oz
BroBible reached out to Trinity for comment via TikTok direct message and comment and to LongHorn via email. We’ll be sure to update this if sither responds.