TXRH dining room solo?

I had a shop set up and the guest won't be able to make it. As far as I can tell there is nothing in the guidelines that prevents a solo dining room visit (and personally I'd rather dine solo than eat at the bar anyway). Has anyone done this?

Create an Account or Log In

Membership is free. Simply choose your username, type in your email address, and choose a password. You immediately get full access to the forum.

Already a member? Log In.

Me too. It's easier with no distractions IMO.
I have always dined solo at these shops.
It’s easy but weird IMO to make us get an appetizer and an entree with one side being a salad. It’s a lot of food for one person. When you dine solo MSC shouldn’t require an app if an entree is required, JMO. And I don’t think an app is required for the bar shop.
I dine solo all the time, and I always end up going home with enough for two more meals. I flat out say that I treat myself to a dine-out once a month, and can never decide what to get, so I over-order and bring the leftovers home so I don't have to worry about lunch for a couple days.
There have been a few IHOP shops where the required order was an enormous amount of food for one person. I just laugh when I order and say "I guess I'll be taking home leftovers!"
I did such place prior pandemic and later carry out only. I see a lots of requirements has been changed. The timing is now "open till an hour before closed". And they did not specify the second person in you party. So it can be done alone.

Shopping Eastern Pennsylvania since 2009
There’s something about the TR dinner rolls that backs me up. Maybe they have a ton of gluten in them, idk. I’m not gluten sensitive, and hopefully neither are the pair of crows who end up eating them. I much prefer Cattle Country/Black Angus, esp. in HI, where the beef came from grass fed cows on the Big Island. Best steak I’ve ever had. Their bread and salad are much better as well.
I do solo all the time- i can get the biggest steak that way. and i spend it all.
I definitely prefer the at-the-bar shops, but I have no problem flying solo if dining room is all that is available.

Been a mostly Road Kill guy on shops, but I will be switching to the Filet Medallions moving forward, with the intent of taking at least one of them home.

As a diabetic, I have to watch it on the rolls with honey butter. I will slather up a couple of them when they are first delivered and save them for my dessert. They do not travel well.

Have synthesizers, will travel...
The only issue with my solo dining room shop is that, although I was seated at a booth, things were so slow the bartender was serving all the tables in that section. (There was not a single bar patron at this time.) The check had the dreaded "PM Bar" on it. Happily the bartender was wearing a name tag (never an issue at TXRH). The narrative I made repeated references to where I was seated (ie. "The manager stopped by my table and also visited the guests at the adjacent table") and the shop was approved without issue.
Doing one tonight. The guidelines for table service clearly say solo is allowed. Max four at the table.
What I object to is that the appetizer requirement was added without any additional compensation. Previously, it was easy to do the shop within the reimbursement and still get a nice steak. Now I go over it each time. It’s only a few bucks and I can live with it, but it is annoying.
Btw, I don’t get the cheap option (the chili) as some suggest, because I don’t like it, and some locations don’t have it, anyway.
I just eat a little of the appetizer and get a box, telling them that my family likes me to bring some home.
Even with the additional required purchase, these are so simple that I consider them well worth doing for the food for that reimbursement.
@unclebobg wrote:

What I object to is that the appetizer requirement was added without any additional compensation. Previously, it was easy to do the shop within the reimbursement and still get a nice steak. Now I go over it each time. It’s only a few bucks and I can live with it, but it is annoying.
Btw, I don’t get the cheap option (the chili) as some suggest, because I don’t like it, and some locations don’t have it, anyway.
I just eat a little of the appetizer and get a box, telling them that my family likes me to bring some home.
How could you realistically complain? Here is what I had at TRH last week.
Large pineapple Juice….3.39
Twisted Mozzarella appetizer….8.99
Grilled Shrimp 9-pc dinner includes salad and side (sweet potato)….17.99
Generous helpings of hot dinner buns…0.00
Total $32.88+15% tip = $38.88
This was plenty of delicious food to fill my stomach, and it was 36% UNDER maximum reimbursement.
Good for you.
If I’m taking a no-fee job at Texas Roadhouse, I’m getting a steak. A good one.
@AZwolfman the math is not mathing...wouldn't that be $37.81?

It is not worth it for me to dine solo at TXR nor is it worth it to not maximize the reimbursement. I would rather go $10 over and treat my family than to go alone and work for no pay and get reimbursed for more food than I can eat.
@AZwolfman gets paid to do TXRH in Nevada. It's not a no-fee shop in the state of Nevada.

I still would not be leaving $ unused though. I would try to get as close to $45 or $50 as possible. That chili so darn good, i would get a bowl or a couple of cups of that. I don't need the rolls. I've been looked at funny before when I tell the person, I don't want the rolls.

I don't remember exactly now. Do they not reimburse a bigger tip? Or is 15% max? It has been a couple of months now. I would think @AZwolfman could have been a little more generous on the tip, but maybe the service was not deserving.
Ooops! My mistake; I tried to edit the post to correctly show a grand total of $38.88, but the mysteryshopforum would not allow it. I tried multiple times, but it kept going to a blank white page.
Just so y'all know, I ate so much that my stomach could not hold another bite no matter the cost or lack of cost. I ordered the food that I truly wanted. Why would I want to make the client pay for food that I did not want and could not eat, just so I could run up the bill to the maximum allowed? Maybe too many shoppers having a primary goal of needlessly running up the bill could be a contributor to the client paying a higher job fee. As a side note, I am somewhat of a vegetarian since I will not eat red meat (including pork). So, ordering steak was out of the question.
If I do a shop solo I use the max reimbursement not to 'run up the bill' but to have lunch the next day.


@AZwolfman wrote:

Just so y'all know, I ate so much that my stomach could not hold another bite no matter the cost or lack of cost. I ordered the food that I truly wanted. Why would I want to make the client pay for food that I did not want and could not eat, just so I could run up the bill to the maximum allowed? Maybe too many shoppers having a primary goal of needlessly running up the bill could be a contributor to the client paying a higher job fee. As a side note, I am somewhat of a vegetarian since I will not eat red meat (including pork). So, ordering steak was out of the question.
I am getting every bit of reimbursement offered at TRH be it at the bar or table. I prefer bar when alone though.

I will order whatever it takes to get full reimbursement and have no problem taking stuff home. Really one of the only MSs I do.
@AZwolfman

You still didn't explain the 15% tip. Why not more? Unless they are not reimbursing more than 15%.
It has been a while since I have done the TRX but I thought the tip was at least 15 %

Not sure if this has been talked before but is the tip done before or after taxes.. So if my ticket looked like this

$ 35.00 total before taxes.. (If not mistaken we can not use coupons or any thing like that)
$ 2.89- Tax
---------

$ 37.89 Grand total

So will that be 15 % on the $ 35 ( $ 5,25)

or the 15 % on the $ 37.89 (Which will be 5.68)


I have heard of some people doubling the tax (Which in this case would be $ 5.78
Without going into tip debates it is worth noting that the MSC will reimburse you a 20% post-tax tip on these shops.
@NinS wrote:

Without going into tip debates it is worth noting that the MSC will reimburse you a 20% post-tax tip on these shops.
Yes, I have been known to treat the excellent servers as well as possible. And then there are those times I am double-checking the minimum required because it is that kind of experience. Fortunately, that's rare for this chain.
I did a bar shop this week and spent only $5 over reimbursement for two early bird entrees with two sides each, one beer and a margarita. We skipped the appetizer since neither of us wanted one and I noticed it was not required anymore. Still brought enough home for the next day. BTW, I had the chicken tenders, salad and sweet potato. I usually get the sirloin steak but changed it up and found the chicken tenders to be excellent and there were plenty...actually too many for me to eat. So for a good meal for two adults with adult beverages, the cost was nearly the same as stinky 5 Guys and all their greasy fries. I love TXRH.

*****************************************************************************
The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..

Mark Twain
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

Click here to login