Texas Roadhouse Investigates Wrong Steak Claims in Illinois

An Illinois customer has challenged the accuracy of steak orders at a Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Forsyth after claiming he received a less expensive cut instead of filet mignon on three visits. Kenneth Card shared his experience in a TikTok video on October 5, 2026, prompting a public response from the restaurant chain, which confirmed one mix-up but said it could not verify that the mistake happened three times.

According to the Forsyth restaurant's menu, an 8-ounce filet mignon costs $29.99, while an 8-ounce sirloin is priced at $19.49. The difference is $10.50 per order, making the distinction central to Card's complaint that customers should receive the food they purchase.

Card told USA TODAY, Fox News Digital and TODAY.com that his experience preparing and cutting meat in professional kitchens, including a steakhouse, helped him distinguish between the two cuts. He said he had visited the Forsyth location regularly and had developed familiarity with its staff before the incidents.

"I know what types of meat I get whenever I receive it," Card said to Fox News Digital.

Card described different responses across the three visits. He said staff replaced the first incorrect steak with a filet mignon, while he ate the steak served on the second occasion without raising a complaint. On the third visit, he said he contacted a manager after receiving what he believed was another sirloin.

According to Card, employees took the steak away for a second opinion and acknowledged that it was not the cut he had ordered. He said the restaurant prepared a replacement filet mignon, which he took home.

"When I go into a place, and I order a $30 steak, I expect to eat a $30 steak," Card told USA TODAY.

Card said his TikTok video attracted more than 34,000 views, with some commenters describing similar concerns at other Texas Roadhouse locations. Others suggested the problem might be limited to the Forsyth restaurant, while some acknowledged that they would struggle to distinguish between the cuts.

"I just wanted to get the word out that, 'Hey, you're getting ripped off if you're ordering this, and they're selling you this,'" Card told Fox News Digital.

Card also told USA TODAY that he had not experienced similar problems during nearly three and a half years as a regular customer. He said the experience damaged his confidence in the location and that he did not expect to return.

Texas Roadhouse said it reviewed the complaint and maintains procedures intended to verify food quality and order accuracy before meals leave the kitchen. The company's response differed in emphasis across statements to news outlets, but it consistently confirmed that staff corrected at least one error.

"While we can't confirm this happened on multiple occasions, when Mr. Card brought this to our attention; it was made right by our team," a Texas Roadhouse representative told TODAY.com.

The company also told Fox News Digital that it had not been able to establish that the alleged mix-up occurred on three separate occasions. It said restaurant management corrected the confirmed incident by providing Card with the filet he ordered.

In a separate statement to USA TODAY, the chain said an extensive investigation found no other customer complaints about incorrect steaks at the Forsyth location. The company cited its quality-control procedures and rejected the suggestion that repeated errors represented an ongoing problem.

"One of our core values is integrity, and while we are disappointed that this guest received the sirloin in error, this is not something that is an ongoing issue," the company said in its statement to USA TODAY.

Texas Roadhouse encouraged customers who believe they received an incorrect item or were charged improperly to notify their server while still at the restaurant so employees can address the issue. Founded in Indiana in 1993, the chain operates more than 700 locations across 49 states, according to the company's information cited by USA TODAY.