Avoid Ordering This Lean Cut Of Steak At LongHorn Steakhouse, Or Risk A Tough Bite

If you're headed for a juicy steak dinner at casual chain LongHorn Steakhouse, you should know that their various steaks, from a ribeye to a T-bone or New York strip, are not all created equal. To sort the wheat from the chaff, Chowhound tried and ranked seven standard LongHorn Steakhouse steaks and found that there's one option you may want to avoid — although it does have some redeeming values. That steak, which was ranked last, is the Renegade Sirloin. 

Our reviewer found the Renegade Sirloin to be the toughest cut on LongHorn's menu, in part because it's a leaner cut — and generally speaking, lean steak cuts toughen up more easily when cooked. For that reason, if you do opt for the Renegade Sirloin, it would be wise to order it rare to medium-rare to mitigate any potential toughness. If you like your steak cooked blue rare, which effectively means ultra rare (just briefly seared on a grill), you may have to settle for just rare: At least on its online menu, LongHorn does not allow you to select anything less cooked than a rare steak, although this may not be the case when ordering in person. Either way, despite its inherent toughness, the Renegade Sirloin does come with some positives. 

Although it came last in our ranking, the Renegade Sirloin isn't all bad. For one, it's particularly affordable: The 6-ounce version of the steak was $16.50 for our reviewer; that includes a salad and a side like a loaded baked potato, too. (Some sides, like crispy Brussels sprouts, cost an extra few dollars.) That's nearly $10 cheaper than the next most expensive steak we reviewed, the $25.99 Flo's Filet. Especially considering its price, the Renegade Sirloin is reportedly well-seasoned and flavorful — it's just the toughness that weighs it down, particularly in comparison to LongHorn's other fattier cuts.

Bear in mind that fat is considered to be what adds flavor to steak, so a fatty cut like a ribeye will contain more of it. Of course, LongHorn lets you add extras like a Parmesan crust for a few dollars, so that can inject some extra flavor, if you're worried. This issue isn't unique to LongHorn Steakhouse: Generally speaking, sirloin is considered to be a tougher (but more affordable) cut anywhere you go. We found the sirloin a tougher yet more budget-friendly option when we ranked Texas Roadhouse steaks, for instance. Wherever you order your sirloin from, even if it does come out a little chewier than you like, you may still enjoy the flavor and the price tag. If toughness is a dealbreaker, though, order something else.