Restaurant demand in 2026 has been uneven, with many chains leaning on discounts and promotions to protect traffic as inflation continues to pressure consumer spending. Texas Roadhouse has emerged as one of the clearest exceptions, posting strong sales growth and some of the highest unit volumes in the business. The latest company and industry data show the Louisville-based steakhouse chain is drawing more demand than almost any other restaurant brand in America.
Texas Roadhouse posted another outsized growth quarter
Texas Roadhouse confirmed on May 7, 2026, that comparable restaurant sales at company locations increased 7.1% in the first quarter, while average weekly sales rose to $174,151 from $163,071 a year earlier, according to the company’s first-quarter earnings release. Total revenue increased 12.8% to $1.63 billion for the 13 weeks ended March 31, 2026. The company also said four company restaurants and two franchise restaurants opened during the quarter.
Chief executive Jerry Morgan said in the earnings release that “strong traffic trends continue to fuel sales growth,” tying the results directly to guest demand rather than price alone. The company separately said first-five-weeks second-quarter comparable sales were up 6.5% over 2025. Texas Roadhouse also implemented an approximately 1.9% menu price increase in early April, a relatively modest figure compared with the stronger sales growth it reported.
Industry rankings reinforce the scale of that demand. Restaurant Dive, citing Circana’s 2026 Definitive U.S. Restaurant Rankings, reported in April that Texas Roadhouse generated average unit volumes of $7.9 million in 2025, trailing only The Cheesecake Factory among major restaurant brands and ranking ahead of Chick-fil-A. Nation’s Restaurant News also reported in June that Texas Roadhouse’s U.S. sales growth from 2021 to 2025 exceeded 65%, underscoring how consistently the brand has gained share.
The impact is national, though city-by-city demand varies
Texas Roadhouse’s strength is not limited to one region. The company said on May 7 that it had already opened seven company restaurants so far in 2026 and had another 22 under construction, a sign that it is adding capacity because it sees sustained demand across its system. Its annual report also said the company expected about 35 company-owned restaurant openings in 2026 across its brands, including Texas Roadhouse, Bubba’s 33 and Jaggers.
What is publicly confirmed is the chain’s national scale and sales momentum. What is not yet publicly detailed in the company materials reviewed here is a full city-by-city list of every market contributing most to the traffic gains in 2026. The company has not released a comprehensive breakdown of demand by individual metro area in the earnings release.
Even so, the broader industry comparison is clear. Circana’s ranking, as cited by Restaurant Dive, placed Texas Roadhouse among the very top U.S. brands for average sales per restaurant. In casual dining specifically, prior industry reporting has shown Texas Roadhouse moved past Olive Garden to become the largest chain in the segment by systemwide sales, making its current performance especially notable at a time when many sit-down brands are fighting for visits.
Value, staffing and steak demand are helping drive the surge
The company’s filings and outside industry coverage point to several identifiable reasons for the performance. Texas Roadhouse said higher sales were partially offset by commodity inflation of 6.2% and wage and labor inflation of 3.8% in the first quarter, yet it still maintained positive traffic and restaurant-level growth. That suggests the chain’s demand has remained resilient despite higher operating costs.
Restaurant Business and Nation’s Restaurant News have both attributed the brand’s momentum to a mix of comparatively restrained menu pricing, strong operations and continued consumer demand for steak. Texas Roadhouse said its average weekly to-go sales also rose to $25,374 from $22,146 a year earlier, indicating dine-in demand is being supplemented by off-premises occasions rather than replaced by them. Jerry Morgan also said the company’s focus on delivering a “legendary experience” remains central to the brand’s traffic gains.
For customers, the practical takeaway is straightforward: Texas Roadhouse remains one of the busiest restaurant chains in the country, and the company is still expanding to meet demand. That does not mean every location will perform the same way, and the company has not released a full list of its highest-traffic cities. But its latest results show a chain still adding restaurants, still producing above-industry sales volumes and still reporting traffic growth in a difficult restaurant economy.