I tried the same steak at Texas Roadhouse and LongHorn and can see why the younger brand is more popular — even though it didn’t have the better meal

• LongHorn Steakhouse and Texas Roadhouse are two chains serious about serving the best meat.
• I visited both chains to see how each handles the ultimate steak lover’s cut, the bone-in rib eye.
• Even though LongHorn delivered the better meal this time, I’d sooner go back to Texas Roadhouse.

It’s no secret that Americans love steak.

Look no further than the booming growth of national chains like LongHorn Steakhouse and Texas Roadhouse, which have both seen substantial gains in new locations and sales in the past year, boosting the share prices of their respective parent companies.

Although neither brand has actual origins in the Lone Star state — LongHorn was founded in Georgia in 1981 and Texas Roadhouse in Indiana in 1994 — both have adopted Texas-inspired identities and a mission to serve the best meat.

To put the two porterhouse powerhouses to the test, I visited both chains to see how each handles the ultimate steak lover’s cut, the bone-in rib eye.

This prime cut is one that every grill master worth their seasoning salt takes great care and pride in getting right, making it a sure measure of a kitchen’s talent. Of course, that’s only one (obviously important) piece of the puzzle in the restaurant business.