Boston woman orders a 20-ounce Ribeye Blue Rare at Texas Roadhouse for $38. Then she cuts into it and has to put the fork down: ‘the smell of that, like’

A Boston resident recently decided to put a Texas Roadhouse grillmaster to the ultimate test. Monique, who frequently creates content centered on high-quality beef preparation, took her expertise to the popular chain steakhouse to see if they could nail a notoriously difficult preparation of a blue rare steak. She documented the entire experience for her followers on TikTok, where the video has already racked up 2.5 million views.

As Monique sits with her steak, she sets the scene for the video. She tells her viewers, “We’re at the Texas Roadhouse for dinner tonight, and I ordered a 20 ounce ribeye from inside the display. This thing was $38. Okay, we’re gonna see if the grill master got it to a blue rare, which is what I ordered.” Then she slices into the cut. “What do we think? Is it blue rare or is it just medium rare?” 

“There you have it,” she notes as she looks at the crosssection. It’s supposed to be blue, but it’s still gonna be really raw in the middle. I would say this is actually perfectly blue.” She cracks some sea salt on the steak and cuts a bite. “I like the fat cap. Oh, my gosh, the smell of that, like, sear of the char from the grill.” After taking a bite, she happily notes, “Oh, my gosh, that grilled flavor. You guys, look at this bite. That is the most perfect blue rare steak I think I have ever had.”

TikTok wasn’t really sold on the mysterious Blue Steak

For those who aren’t familiar with the terminology, a blue rare steak is a specific way to prepare beef. In terms of doneness, the meat needs to be redder than a rare steak. In fact, how you prefer your steak cooked can heavily influence your enjoyment of the same. Which is why an Arizona steakhouse server schooled a customer on how to order steaks recently.

According to the Webstaurant store, a blue steak is cooked very quickly over high heat, leaving the outside seared while the inside remains cool and red, almost raw in texture. It is a preparation method that requires precision, as the goal is to get a crust on the exterior without cooking the interior through. Since the center remains at such a low temperature, it is often debated in terms of food safety, as the surface bacteria aren’t always eliminated by the short cooking time.

The Webstaurant store notes that cuts with less connective tissue are typically best for this method. The lack of heat in the technique means the fat doesn’t have time to render down. Now, Monique picked a cut that wasn’t ideal, but it was a big steak. Unlike a TikToker’s recent Longhorn steak meal that was barely bigger than a finger.

The comment section on her video turned into a heated debate about food safety and culinary standards. One user joked, “Girl it’s Moooo rare,” while another chimed in, “I believe a decent vet could save it.” Others were more concerned about the risk related to how cooked it is, with one viewer stating, “I think it’s raw and you’re at risk,” and another asking, “Can somebody please explain to me why people eat it raw ?”

Many viewers suggested that a chain restaurant might not be the place for such a technical order. One person commented, “If you are going to order a blue rare steak go to a fine dining restaurant not fricken Texas Roadhouse.” Another user echoed this sentiment, writing, “I wouldn’t order blue rare at restaurants, let alone a franchise like Texas Roadhouse. There’s too much risk of contamination. If you want anything less than medium rare, cook it at home.”

Some critiqued the science behind the cook. One user pointed out, “I love blue rare but for a ribeye you need time for the fat to render. it’s gonna be half fat gristle. ribeye should be med rare.” Another user offered a technical explanation for why Texas Roadhouse isn’t the best place for this order. They wrote, “It’s rare, unfortunately Texas roadhouse lacks the grilling heat to be able to produce a true blue rare steak. You need extreme heat for a very short period of time which they don’t have.”

Despite the mixed reactions, Monique seemed perfectly content with her $38 meal.