The Experience

Logan’s Roadhouse opened a new location in Rockwall earlier this month. We had been to the location in Sherman with my inlaws and had a nice time, so we were eager to try the Rockwall location. We first went for lunch on Sunday, but the busy church crowd made us shy away. So, we returned for an early dinner on Sunday evening.

We were greeted warmly upon arrival and were asked if we needed a highchair and a table or a booth. I thought they were asking two separate questions, so when they led us (almost immediately) to the booth and it was very obvious there could be no highchair, I was a little bit annoyed. I got over it, though, when I remembered that Kate doesn’t sit in a restaurant highchair very well anyway (they are too easy for her to stand up in and climb out of). I did ask for two booster seats and the host said he’d be right back with two. He came back with one and said he was sorry, but this was the only one they had. I thanked him and took the booster, not knowing which child would get it. He also asked if Kate needed a menu and crayons or if she was not eating. I asked for the menu and crayons. Much to my chagrin, Kate proceeded to eat the end of a crayon. At least they’re non-toxic.

The Food

The server came and took our drink order and then returned a few minutes later to take our dinner order. John had the 8 ounce hand-cut teriyaki club steak. I ordered the healthnut chicken with broccoli and a side salad. My side salad came out first and it was not as health-conscious as I would’ve liked. It was loaded with bacon and swimming in their balsamic dressing. It was tasty, but I’m not exactly convinced it was healthy. We ordered a grilled chicken breast and side of broccoli from the kids’ menu for Natalie and Kate to split.

After a good wait, our food arrived. The first thing I noticed was that my portion size and the girls’ portion size were the exact same. Yet, the cost of my plate was much more, even with the approximate cost of the salad added in. I divvied up the girls’ meals, using a saucer leftover from the bread for Kate. The girls loved their broccoli and just liked their chicken. I enjoyed my chicken and broccoli, as boring as it was. The broccoli did have good flavor, but I was just kind of underwhelmed by it.

The best part of the meal, for us, was the one thing that will make Logan’s not kid friendly for many families. The peanuts. They’re free and they’re in a cool bucket on the table just calling to you. And you know how some places serve kind of bland free peanuts? Not Logan’s! These free peanuts were darn good! That said, with so many families delaying introducing peanuts and with so many peanut-allergic people, it is good to be aware that this place could be dangerous. I did delay peanuts with Natalie, but Natalie introduced them to Kate well before age two. There doesn’t seem to be a peanut allergy in this family, so every time Kate would yell, “Want that! I too!” I would crack open a peanut for her and pacify her for another minute or so. And then, get this, we would throw the shells on the floor. That was so fun for the girls. To actually be allowed and encouraged to throw stuff on the floor? Novel! Of course, this led Kate to throw her crayons and menu on the floor. As well as her fork and napkin and a piece of chicken. Once she gets going, it is tough to stop.

The Service

Like I said before, there was a wait for the food, but I am willing to cut them some slack because they are so new. The server did check on us a couple of times, although we did have to ask for a drink refill for Natalie. As we were asking for the refill, we decided to order dessert. We were going to go with the mini desserts in a bucket that were 3 for $5 (and you get to keep the tiny bucket). Natalie wanted strawberry cheesecake, John wanted a Nutter Butter Fudgeslide and I had planned my entire day’s worth of meals around the mini brownie. I was so disappointed when the server came back and said they were out. She offered to bring me a different option, but I didn’t want to eat a dessert just to eat a dessert, so we said to please just bring the strawberry cheesecake for the girls and forget the rest. Instead, she brought the strawberry cheesecake and the Fudgeslide. Knowing we would be charged for the Fudgeslide, we quickly told her we had canceled that one. Instead of taking it away, she left it on our table, so it sat there tempting the girls who didn’t understand why they couldn’t eat that one, too.

The Kids

They have crayons and a menu to color. That is appreciated, but it doesn’t score any added stars. The inability to use a highchair at the booth will be bad for some families. Additionally, the peanuts will be a huge issue for some families who are concerned about allergies or choking. They do have some standard kid fare (e.g. macaroni and cheese, chicken strips, a mini slider and corn dogs), but they also offer grilled chicken for people who would prefer a better entree for their kids, which is nice. They also offer popcorn shrimp and steak tips. Their side options were not bad, either.

Cost $36.18 – I thought it was pretty high, but the quality of the food really good.

Rants, Raves and Ramblings

The atmosphere of this place was ok for kids. It was very loud, so I didn’t really mind so much that my kids were not very quiet. We were seated in a huge booth in the corner, so it was not so hard to contain Kate, who is a very busy 20-month old. Upon arriving, Natalie made a beeline to the jukebox and was able to add a few songs to the playlist. I’m not exactly sure which songs she added, but I’m sure we heard them. One thing I would have appreciated was the option of sitting in the bar or not. We aren’t really bothered by sitting in the bar, but I think some would have been and it would’ve been nice to have had it mentioned before we were led to the table. Strangely, we made it there and back without having a toddler potty break, so I apologize that I cannot review the cleanliness or the child-friendliness of the bathrooms. The peanuts as a potential issue and the booster seat and highchair issue earns Logan’s 3 stars. I think they could move up to 4 stars in the future, but for now, they get 3.

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