An Illinois man says the Texas Roadhouse in Forsyth, Illinois, brought him a sirloin instead of the filet mignon he ordered on three separate visits, and he took the complaint to TikTok. Kenneth Card posted the video on Oct. 5, and national outlets picked up the story in late October, with TODAY reporting on Oct. 27 that the clip had passed 30,000 views.
Texas Roadhouse disputes part of the account. A company representative said it could not confirm the mix-up happened more than once, but acknowledged an error when Card raised it and said the restaurant “made it right.” At the Forsyth location, an 8-ounce filet mignon is listed at $29.99 and an 8-ounce sirloin at $19.49, a gap of $10.50 per steak.
What Kenneth Card Says Happened
Card, who posts on TikTok as @kennethcard3, said he had been eating at the Forsyth restaurant about once a week for over a year and had gotten to know the staff, Fox News Digital reported on Oct. 26. In his TikTok video, posted Oct. 5, he warned other customers about the steak he received.
According to Fox News Digital, the three visits played out differently. On the first, he told staff he thought he had the wrong steak, and they brought him a filet. On the second, he ate the steak without raising the issue. On the third, he spoke with a manager, who had the steak taken back for a second opinion.
Card told Fox News Digital the difference is noticeable to him. He described a filet as “very tender,” a cut that melts as it is eaten, and the sirloin as “a little grittier, a little chewier.” He said he knows what type of meat lands on his plate.
That confidence comes from experience. Card told TODAY he has cut steaks in two professional kitchens, including a steakhouse, for more than 10 years, and that he will not return to that location.
How Texas Roadhouse Responded
The chain gave its side to both outlets. A Texas Roadhouse representative told TODAY the company could not confirm the problem happened on multiple occasions, but said that once Card brought it to the restaurant’s attention, “it was made right” by the staff.
In its statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson said the company had “not been able to track that this occurred on three occasions,” but confirmed the mix-up in question was corrected onsite and that management “quickly made it right.” The New York Post also reported the company’s response on Oct. 26.
The company added that team members double-check food for quality and accuracy as it leaves the kitchen, and that guests who believe they received the wrong steak, or were charged incorrectly, should tell their server at the time. Raising a problem politely and on the spot also fits the old-fashioned manners parents insisted on, which still smooth things over at a restaurant table.
Why the Price Gap Matters to Diners
The menu prices TODAY cited from the Forsyth location put the difference in plain numbers: $29.99 for the 8-ounce filet against $19.49 for the 8-ounce sirloin. Card’s point in the video was that a diner paying for the pricier cut should get it. For a household watching its dining-out budget, a $10.50 swing on a single entree is the kind of line item that adds up, much like the everyday expenses that quietly drain a budget.
The restaurant business has changed in ways that put more meals in delivery bags, as the rise of ghost kitchens shows, but a sit-down steak dinner is still a splurge for a family, which is why getting the right cut matters to the people paying for it.
Both cuts have loyal fans. Sirloin is a backyard-grill staple, and home cooks who follow tips for a smoker grill combo know how differently the two cook. Cheaper cuts also earn their place on the table, as lists of budget foods that even the wealthy eat point out.
How Steak Lovers Can Tell the Cuts Apart
The two steaks come from different parts of the animal. Filet mignon is cut from the smaller end of the beef tenderloin, a muscle along the spine, and is often described as the most tender cut, according to background on the cut. Sirloin comes from the section just behind the short loin; top sirloin is consistently tender and suits grilling, while bottom sirloin is larger and less tender.
Commenters on the story were split, Fox News Digital reported, between those who thought the issue was specific to that location and those who admitted they would not be able to tell the difference between the cuts. For diners who want to check their order, there are visual clues. A filet is usually cut thick and round, with a fine grain and little visible fat around the edge. A sirloin is typically flatter and wider, with a coarser grain and a firmer bite.
Speaking up while the plate is still on the table matters, too. Both of Texas Roadhouse’s statements point to fixing a wrong order on the spot, and a diner who notices a problem after leaving has less to show a manager than one who flags it before digging in.
Here is where things stand, based on the reporting:
- Card says he received sirloin instead of filet three times at the Forsyth location and posted about it on Oct. 5.
- TODAY reported the video had more than 30,000 views as of Oct. 27.
- Texas Roadhouse says it cannot confirm three occurrences but acknowledges one mistake that was corrected.
- The chain asks diners to flag a wrong order with their server at the table.
Card told TODAY he plans to eat elsewhere going forward. Texas Roadhouse, for its part, maintains that the error it could confirm was fixed on the spot.
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Image: Andy Li – CC0/Wikimedia Commons
