Filet or sirloin? How to tell the steak cuts apart after a diner's Texas Roadhouse complaint went viral

An Illinois diner’s claim that his local Texas Roadhouse served him sirloin instead of filet mignon on three visits has many steak lovers asking a simple question: would I even notice?

Kenneth Card says he could tell because he used to cook and cut steaks in hotel and restaurant kitchens. Texas Roadhouse has confirmed one mix-up at its Forsyth, Illinois, location and says management “quickly made it right,” but it could not verify that the swap happened three times, Fox News Digital reported. No new statements from either side had been reported as of early Tuesday.

Here’s what meat experts say separates the two cuts, and why the mix-up matters for your bill.

Where the dispute stands

• Card’s TikTok video about the Forsyth restaurant has passed 30,000 views, Complex and Fox News reported.
• At that location, an 8-ounce sirloin costs about $20 and a filet mignon about $30, according to the restaurant’s website as cited by Fox News.
• Card says he is “done” with that restaurant and will “try somewhere else.”
• Texas Roadhouse says staff double-check plates for accuracy and that diners who think they got the wrong steak should tell their server.

Yesterday’s coverage has the full timeline of his three visits.

Filet mignon vs. sirloin: what’s the difference?

South Dakota State University Extension calls the tenderloin, also called filet mignon, “the most-tender cut of meat on the whole beef carcass” and generally the most expensive. America’s Test Kitchen describes tenderloin steaks as “buttery smooth and very tender” but low on flavor, and rates top sirloin as a large, inexpensive steak with decent tenderness and flavor.

That lines up with how Card described it: a filet “melts in your mouth,” while a sirloin is “a little grittier, a little chewier,” he told Fox News Digital.

Why the two can look alike on a plate

Shape alone may not settle it. SDSU Extension explains that restaurants often serve sirloin as a “baseball steak,” also called a top sirloin filet: the sirloin is split into smaller sections and cut thick, about 1.5 to 2 inches. That thick, compact shape can resemble a filet medallion more than a wide grocery-store sirloin does.

This is general background on beef cuts. It doesn’t show what happened at any particular restaurant.

How to check your steak at the table

Based on Texas Roadhouse’s own guidance and the experts above:

1. Check before you eat. Cut into the steak right away. A filet should feel very soft, with a fine texture and little visible fat.
2. Notice the chew. A noticeably firmer, chewier bite with stronger beef flavor is more typical of sirloin.
3. Speak up on the spot. The chain says to tell your server immediately so the kitchen can check it, which is what happened on Card’s third visit.
4. Check the bill. Make sure the item and price match what you ordered.

FAQ

Earlier coverage: Illinois diner says Texas Roadhouse served him sirloin instead of filet three times; chain confirms one mix-up (Oct 26)