When a Texas woman bit into her Texas Roadhouse steak, the texture stopped her cold.
The meat was so mushy it felt more like mashed potatoes than a juicy, tender steak. Now she’s asking the internet to explain what went wrong.
Texas Woman Gets Mushy Texas Roadhouse Steak
In a viral video with more than 1.8 million views, TikToker Kim (@kimmyk561) shared her unsettling experience with a steak from Texas Roadhouse. The video shows her pressing a spoon into a piece of cooked steak, revealing a soft, mushy interior.
“What would you do if somebody fed you a steak that was pure mush?” she says in the video, demonstrating how the meat has an almost Play-Doh-like consistency.
Kim explains that she ordered a family meal from Texas Roadhouse for her nephew because it’s his favorite restaurant.
However, when she took a bite of the steak, she nearly got sick.
“I put that in my mouth, and I thought I was gonna hurl all over the place,” she says.
She describes cutting into the steak and watching it flop, noting that it appeared cooked differently throughout.
“It’s like there’s no sinew,” Kim says. “When I went to bite into it, it was like mashed potatoes or pate.”
She adds that the meat had a funky smell, though not necessarily rotten.
Kim clarifies she’s been sick and wasn’t in a position to drive back to the restaurant, but she’s asking viewers to explain what could have caused this texture.
“Can somebody tell me what that even is, and why have you ever seen a steak that just mushed like that?” she asks. “Tag Roadhouse in the comments, and maybe they can help me understand what in the world is that I got.”
In her caption, Kim emphasizes her love for Texas Roadhouse.
“For the record, we absolutely love Texas Roadhouse. I’ve never had one of their steaks. I always get chicken and salad. I’m just needing clarification because this is not normal,” she wrote.
What Causes Steak To Have A Mushy Texture?
A few different things can turn a perfectly good steak into something with the consistency of baby food.
One common culprit is going overboard with meat tenderizer.
According to Butcher Magazine, commercial meat tenderizers have enzymes from papaya or pineapple that break down the proteins in meat. They’re supposed to make tough cuts easier to chew, but too much turns them into mush. If a restaurant leaves the tenderizer on too long or uses too much, you end up with meat that has no structure left.
Tasting Table notes that meat tenderizer should only sit on steak for 15 to 30 minutes tops. Any longer and the enzymes keep breaking down the meat until it’s falling apart. The powder works by destroying collagen and elastin in the muscle fibers, but when you overdo it, there’s nothing left holding the meat together.
Marinating for too long causes similar issues. Chef’s Resource explains that leaving steak in tenderizer for too long creates a mushy, gross texture. The USDA says don’t marinate for more than 24 hours, and anything past 48 hours makes the meat fibers fall apart.
Some restaurants also use mechanical tenderizers—machines with tiny blades that poke holes all through the meat to break up the connective tissue. When combined with chemical tenderizers, it can completely destroy the meat’s texture.
Commenters React
“OMG I thought that was refried beans,” a top comment read.
“Looks like canned pet food,” a person said.
“Never ever have received meat like that from Texas Roadhouse, I would call health department or talk to supervisor. Maybe it’s the Location,” another wrote.
“Food today is super gross!” a commenter added.
@kimmyk561 @Texas Roadhouse For the record we absolutely love Texas roadhouse, I’ve never had one of their steaks. I always get chicken and salad, I’m just needing clarification because this is not normal.
UPDATE: A Texas Roadhouse spokesperson told BroBible via statement: “Our meat cutters hand-cut steaks every day in our restaurants so guests receive high quality fresh product. We spoke with the guest and explained that these steaks were over-tenderized. When the over-tenderized steaks sat covered in the to-go pan, they continued to cook until they were very overcooked. It resulted in the soft texture seen in the video.”
BroBible reached out to Kim via TikTok direct message and comment.