How to Get a Job at Texas Roadhouse
The hiring process used at Texas Roadhouse often varies by location. Some Texas Roadhouse restaurants implement standard interviews with hiring managers as means of gaining employment. Other restaurants hold open calls for an interview where applicants may show up at specified times to meet with Texas Roadhouse personnel. Walk-ins and employee referrals often represent the most common ways aspiring workers gain employment at Texas Roadhouse locations.
Multiple Interviews
Potential servers, hosts, and cooks generally go through a very simple hiring process at Texas Roadhouse. Applicants meet with hiring personnel, which typically takes the form of a district manager or supervisor, in 1:1 meetings. Three or more interviews may prove necessary for employment consideration; however, the restaurant chain often pushes applicants through the entire hiring process in less than a week's time. The average candidate spends about three days participating in job interviews before receiving offers of employment for entry-level positions. Managers also spend a relatively short amount of time going through all of the formal procedures for work. The Texas Roadhouse interview process for managers lasts about a week, in most cases.
Questions to Expect
Job candidates frequently report candid and informal proceedings for Texas Roadhouse interviews. Each hiring session may last as little as ten minutes. Interview questions used during each meeting often hover around availability, personality, and willingness to work as part of a team. Specific Texas Roadhouse interview questions run the gamut, including:
- Define customer service.
- What steps do you take to manage your time?
- What can you bring to the company?
- Can you do the job?
- Who is your hero?
What to Wear
Applicants should arrive at Texas Roadhouse interviews dressed in professional or business-casual clothing. Ideal outfits demonstrate preparedness and well-kempt appearances. Most Texas Roadhouse locations allow for tattoos, facial hair, and long hairstyles. However, servers and hosts may need to adhere to more strict guidelines pertaining to appearances. Model outfits and grooming after current Texas Roadhouse employees during the interview process.
Tips for Success
Engage hiring personnel in a manner that emphasizes and enforces genuine interest in working for the restaurant chain. Knowing Texas Roadhouse menus may also improve candidacy, especially for serving jobs. Line-dancing is also a key-note in any front of the house position at Texas Roadhouse. For celebrations such as birthdays, employees participate in a dance to entertain guests.
Texas Roadhouse Server Interview Video
Video Transcript
Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties?
Texas Roadhouse Server: Oh, so I kind of went through the ranks a little bit. I started off as a busboy. I was there for a couple months, worked my way up to host, and then I ultimately became a server. Being a server there, it's pretty self explanatory. You're in charge of taking care of the tables, you take their orders, you bring them food, you bring them the drinks. You always check on them throughout their meal while they're there, and kind of make sure they're all taken care of.
Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Texas Roadhouse Server: All in all, it was a pretty enjoyable work environment because being a senior in high school at the time, I had a lot of my buddies who were looking for jobs too, and they ended up applying for kind of the same positions I did. Some of them were hosts, I had a couple of them that were busboys, so I was really just surrounded by a lot of my friends most of the times, so it made for a pretty fun work environment, but we also at the same time kind of had to stay serious because it was a job, so we had to make sure that we got our job done, but with the management and everything, they were kind of really understanding that we're all high school students, so we kind of aren't fully as professional as we should be yet, so they were kind of lenient when it came to that.
Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?
Texas Roadhouse Server: Oh my favorite, the tip money. So being a server you only made a wage of 2.35 an hour, which was after taxes you got maybe 10 bucks a paycheck every week, but when it came down to the tip money, it really depended on how good you were at the job. If you had really good customer service, and you were great at talking and taking care of people, you would typically get higher tips, and you get to walk out with those at the end of the night. So rather than having to wait week to week on a paycheck, I could go in for four hours, pick up a shift and maybe walk out with 50 60 bucks at the end of it. So it was really nice and convenient being able to walk out with my money that night.
Interviewer: Please describe the application and interview process.
Texas Roadhouse Server: Oh you see that was the a big thing I kind of didn't like about it. They had a confusing kind of application process. You had to go to their website and kind of navigate through there, and I've always been kind of a paper application person, but it wasn't too hard getting to the actual application on their website, but once you did that you had to fill out this information, you had to have all your taxes and everything that you had to get handled. So it was just a little bit confusing, and then once you got the application and everything actually turned in with all your tax forms, you had to go to an orientation, which is when you could kind of just go in for an hour, they show you where everything is, then after your orientation, you have to have your second interview. Your first interview is before orientation of course, but after orientation, you had your second interview with the owner of the store to make sure they were comfortable, that you knew everything, and that you were going to be a good fit. So after the second interview, you kind of got started. One thing I really didn't like is being a server, it's really self explanatory. You kind of take care of the tables, you got to know the menu. They made you do seven days of training, which is where you shadow and follow around another server who already works there, and you basically do their job for them, but they get the tip money, and you make minimum wage while you're working with them. So I really didn't like the length, the duration, seven days of training. I didn't really agree with that because I was kinda making someone else's money for them, but other than that it wasn't too bad if you were ready to put up with it.
Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?
Texas Roadhouse Server: They were interested with your schooling. They were really kind of caught up in making sure you had all your other bases covered, you were good in school, your home life was are all okay. I kind of liked that they were making sure you're good all around, not just at work. Besides that, they kind of asked about your past employment, if you had any experience in food before, which kind of worked out for me because I had worked at Burger King and McDonald's. It's not the same as a restaurant, but I kind of was used to that employee customer the conversation that kind of goes with that, trying to make small talk and kind of make them feel like they were taken better care of. So it was kind of nice having a past experience working in food with customer service.
Interviewer: How were you notified that you received the job?
Texas Roadhouse Server: Well, after I turned in my application, I was kind of proactive with it, and I called in the next day and kind of asked if they had a chance to review it. After that, they had set days. I think they reviewed applications Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, so if you turn in an application on Thursday, you'd have to wait until the following Monday for them to actually review it, and go ahead and give you a call back. Once they give you a call back, it was kind of up to you when you were available, or when you were free, they would call you in for the first interview. After you kind of went through that process, they'd say, “Okay, well”, say you had your interview on a Monday, they would say, “Well can you come in Wednesday or Thursday for orientation?” If you were available, once you would go through the orientation they'd be like, “All right, well you just have one more second interview. What kind of day works for you?” So, I mean if you had a week open, and you could just go like go Monday and then go back Wednesday and then go back for your second interview on Friday, you could really start within a week. If you were a busy person, they were kind of understanding with that.
Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?
Texas Roadhouse Server: I think what set me apart from other candidates is just I've always been a well rounded people person. I could sit down with someone and talk to them about any given topic for hours, and just kind of give my point of view on it, that and I'm a really genuine person. Some people especially when you go out to eat and get like a server, you can kind of tell if they're in a bad mood, or kind of how their day is going, or if they're kind of being fake nice to you. I'm really good at, no matter what, if I'm having a bad day, or if something's kind of off, I'm always really genuine, and I like to make sure that the customer has a good experience because that in return gives me a better tip at the end of their meal, and then the chances of them coming back in are going to be greater, so we get more people coming in, some more tables I get to serve. So it all kind of affects your wage in the end. So you kind of got to be involved and kind of invested.
Interviewer: What other advice would you give to job seeker looking to gain employment?
Texas Roadhouse Server: It's definitely not going to be for most people, especially dealing with some of the worst customers. No matter what you do, there are always going to be rude with you. You just kinda have to suck it up, keep a smile on your face, and kind of deal with their kind of crap that they're giving you. Another thing you're going to have to end up putting up with and be okay with because you could give someone the best possible service anyone's ever given them, their meals could be perfect, they can never need a refill, you always keep bringing them full of drinks, but they still won't tip you. It's happened to me multiple times where you'll get $100 check and they'll give you a zero. So yeah. Yeah. It's happened a couple of times. So you definitely have to be understanding that your wage and how much money you make isn't set in stone. So it could vary from week to week and day to day how much you make, so just got to be prepared for that.
Texas Roadhouse Server Interview Video
Video Transcript
Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties?
Texas Roadhouse Server: Oh, so I kind of went through the ranks a little bit. I started off as a busboy. I was there for a couple months, worked my way up to host, and then I ultimately became a server. Being a server there, it’s pretty self explanatory. You’re in charge of taking care of the tables, you take their orders, you bring them food, you bring them the drinks. You always check on them throughout their meal while they’re there, and kind of make sure they’re all taken care of.
Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Texas Roadhouse Server: All in all, it was a pretty enjoyable work environment because being a senior in high school at the time, I had a lot of my buddies who were looking for jobs too, and they ended up applying for kind of the same positions I did. Some of them were hosts, I had a couple of them that were busboys, so I was really just surrounded by a lot of my friends most of the times, so it made for a pretty fun work environment, but we also at the same time kind of had to stay serious because it was a job, so we had to make sure that we got our job done, but with the management and everything, they were kind of really understanding that we’re all high school students, so we kind of aren’t fully as professional as we should be yet, so they were kind of lenient when it came to that.
Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?
Texas Roadhouse Server: Oh my favorite, the tip money. So being a server you only made a wage of 2.35 an hour, which was after taxes you got maybe 10 bucks a paycheck every week, but when it came down to the tip money, it really depended on how good you were at the job. If you had really good customer service, and you were great at talking and taking care of people, you would typically get higher tips, and you get to walk out with those at the end of the night. So rather than having to wait week to week on a paycheck, I could go in for four hours, pick up a shift and maybe walk out with 50 60 bucks at the end of it. So it was really nice and convenient being able to walk out with my money that night.
Interviewer: Please describe the application and interview process.
Texas Roadhouse Server: Oh you see that was the a big thing I kind of didn’t like about it. They had a confusing kind of application process. You had to go to their website and kind of navigate through there, and I’ve always been kind of a paper application person, but it wasn’t too hard getting to the actual application on their website, but once you did that you had to fill out this information, you had to have all your taxes and everything that you had to get handled. So it was just a little bit confusing, and then once you got the application and everything actually turned in with all your tax forms, you had to go to an orientation, which is when you could kind of just go in for an hour, they show you where everything is, then after your orientation, you have to have your second interview.
Your first interview is before orientation of course, but after orientation, you had your second interview with the owner of the store to make sure they were comfortable, that you knew everything, and that you were going to be a good fit. So after the second interview, you kind of got started. One thing I really didn’t like is being a server, it’s really self explanatory. You kind of take care of the tables, you got to know the menu. They made you do seven days of training, which is where you shadow and follow around another server who already works there, and you basically do their job for them, but they get the tip money, and you make minimum wage while you’re working with them. So I really didn’t like the length, the duration, seven days of training. I didn’t really agree with that because I was kinda making someone else’s money for them, but other than that it wasn’t too bad if you were ready to put up with it.
Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?
Texas Roadhouse Server: They were interested with your schooling. They were really kind of caught up in making sure you had all your other bases covered, you were good in school, your home life was are all okay. I kind of liked that they were making sure you’re good all around, not just at work. Besides that, they kind of asked about your past employment, if you had any experience in food before, which kind of worked out for me because I had worked at Burger King and McDonald’s. It’s not the same as a restaurant, but I kind of was used to that employee customer the conversation that kind of goes with that, trying to make small talk and kind of make them feel like they were taken better care of. So it was kind of nice having a past experience working in food with customer service.
Interviewer: How were you notified that you received the job?
Texas Roadhouse Server: Well, after I turned in my application, I was kind of proactive with it, and I called in the next day and kind of asked if they had a chance to review it. After that, they had set days. I think they reviewed applications Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, so if you turn in an application on Thursday, you’d have to wait until the following Monday for them to actually review it, and go ahead and give you a call back. Once they give you a call back, it was kind of up to you when you were available, or when you were free, they would call you in for the first interview. After you kind of went through that process, they’d say, “Okay, well”, say you had your interview on a Monday, they would say, “Well can you come in Wednesday or Thursday for orientation?” If you were available, once you would go through the orientation they’d be like, “All right, well you just have one more second interview. What kind of day works for you?”
So, I mean if you had a week open, and you could just go like go Monday and then go back Wednesday and then go back for your second interview on Friday, you could really start within a week. If you were a busy person, they were kind of understanding with that.
Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?
Texas Roadhouse Server: I think what set me apart from other candidates is just I’ve always been a well rounded people person. I could sit down with someone and talk to them about any given topic for hours, and just kind of give my point of view on it, that and I’m a really genuine person. Some people especially when you go out to eat and get like a server, you can kind of tell if they’re in a bad mood, or kind of how their day is going, or if they’re kind of being fake nice to you. I’m really good at, no matter what, if I’m having a bad day, or if something’s kind of off, I’m always really genuine, and I like to make sure that the customer has a good experience because that in return gives me a better tip at the end of their meal, and then the chances of them coming back in are going to be greater, so we get more people coming in, some more tables I get to serve. So it all kind of affects your wage in the end.
So you kind of got to be involved and kind of invested.
Interviewer: What other advice would you give to job seeker looking to gain employment?
Texas Roadhouse Server: It’s definitely not going to be for most people, especially dealing with some of the worst customers. No matter what you do, there are always going to be rude with you. You just kinda have to suck it up, keep a smile on your face, and kind of deal with their kind of crap that they’re giving you. Another thing you’re going to have to end up putting up with and be okay with because you could give someone the best possible service anyone’s ever given them, their meals could be perfect, they can never need a refill, you always keep bringing them full of drinks, but they still won’t tip you. It’s happened to me multiple times where you’ll get $100 check and they’ll give you a zero.
So yeah. Yeah. It’s happened a couple of times. So you definitely have to be understanding that your wage and how much money you make isn’t set in stone. So it could vary from week to week and day to day how much you make, so just got to be prepared for that.
Texas Roadhouse Hostess Interview Video
Video Transcript
Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Texas Roadhouse Waitress: I was a host, and considering I was only 17, you couldn’t be a waitress or anything until 18. So I mostly just stood behind the host stand, and I checked in guests, I answers calls – sometimes for call-aheads, even though a separate duty, if it was slow – and then when the call-aheads would come in, you would log them in, give them the little thing for the table which would light up and it was their turn to come in. Then you marked off where the table was, what tables were opened, and which ones weren’t. You kept up with that and that’s mostly what I did. Sometimes I’d roll silverware and occasionally bust tables when they needed me to.
Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Texas Roadhouse Waitress: It was very relaxed and the managers were very chill. There was, of course, the country music and it was very upbeat and we would have line dancing and that was really exciting, so…
Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?
Texas Roadhouse Waitress: Well, I walked in and I also let the host in, actually, for an application and that was just a very small, little thing; your standard name, address, work experiences, references, there wasn’t any specific questions or anything super personal. Then when they did call, they called back for an interview like most places probably do, and they pretty much just asked why I wanted to work there, why I think I’d be good for their team and stuff like that.
Interviewer: What should an applicant wear to the interview?
Texas Roadhouse Waitress: Nothing too formal, but nothing like flip-flops or sandals. The uniform is jeans and the T-shirt, sometimes we would wear like button-up plaid because that’s kind of like Roadhousey. Anything like a polo and some nice jeans and appropriate sneakers would probably be just enough.
Interviewer: How were you notified that you received the job?
Texas Roadhouse Waitress: They had called me and they had alerted– they just told me that basically, they offered the job if I was still interested and it took about a week or two because it was a summer job, so a lot of people were applying, so that was probably pretty reasonable.
Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Texas Roadhouse Waitress: Just try to… you should be outgoing, definitely outgoing, especially if you want to be a host or a waitress. Smile, be very friendly.
Perry K. says:
If I got an interview after applying to Texas Roadhouse or any other place for that matter, should I study the menu before I go in so I already know prices and such?
Tia says:
That sounds pointless. They’re not giving you an interview for your memory skills of their menu, they’re giving you an interview because you might be eligible enough to be an employee there.
Nickyred says:
RE: Perry K
Not for the interview Perry, that would be overkill. However, if offered a position in a restaurant, it would be helpful and look good on your part to request a copy of the menu to study before your first day. Knowing your prices is nice, but it is most important to know your food. What comes with each meal, sides and options of substitution, how they are prepared and portion size. After you have worked there a little bit then knowledge of pricing and customer/employee menu item preferences will maximize your tip.
sean a. peete says:
What kinds of questions do they ask in the Texas Roadhouse interview?
J says:
Hey! I work at texas roudhouse, and its pretty easy to get a job there. Interview skills aren’t everything. Its mostly timing, whether they need someone in the position you’re applying for or not. At my Roadhouse (#78) if you get an interview, and you aren’t an idiot, then you have a job. They don’t ask just anyone to come in for an interview, they like young well dressed people. And if you’re going to the Roadhouse in Mesa, BRING A PEN or you will not get hired!
Dj sledge says:
So I applied to Texas Roadhouse for a busser position a hire manager texted me about an interview I gave them a day and they gave me a time and I responded that should be fine with me and that was yesterday and I haven’t gotten a reply back from the hire manager so what does that mean ?
Kevin Tunstall says:
I had an interview with Texas Roadhouse in Chantilly, Virginia for a restaurant manager position. A day before the interview the hiring manager call me to reschedule it because she was sick, so she had me wait two more weeks for the first interview. The first interview took about 28 minutes. Minimum question was asked to me. we got a little confusing to me when she said someone from corporate would be calling you because they like to talk to the people that we’re going to hire. She didn’t seem too motivated when she was telling me that. I had my second interview the next week. It went very well. I put my second interview I sent a thank you letter to the second person that I was interviewing for which was in the corporate office. The marketing partner sent me a email less than four minutes after I sent the email out. informing me to call her at my earliest convenience. once I communicated with her, she stated I call you back today with my decision. At 4:45 PM 15 minutes before close of business, she contacted me and the only information she gave me was a child someone else. this is after waiting seven weeks filling out three assessments, the application and conducting two interviews. There were so many red flags that went up, but I was hoping. Texas Roadhouse core values in Mission was very important to them as well. There’s something going on with that company with the office management versus the field managers. Unfortunately, enough to already have a job as a general manager. The only advice I can give to Texas Roadhouse is in the future. If you’re not interested in a candidate, please don’t take them to seven weeks of dreams it’s not fair to your candidates and it’s not fair to your future customers.