DANVILLE, Va. (WSET) — Judy and Mike MacNamara of Franklin, Virginia, have set a goal since 2017 to dine at all 620 Texas Roadhouses in America.
Their journey began in 2003 when the couple dined at their first location in Knoxville, Tennessee, but the MacNamaras didn’t begin their search until 2017, when Judy decided to retire.
Since they had only visited 32 roadhouses at the time, they knew they would have to spend a lot of time on it. Today, they visit about 70-80 Texas roadhouses annually.
They tell me they keep coming back because Texas Roadhouse “tastes and feels like home.”
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Yesterday they checked off their 447th location in Danville. They say this location was extra special to them as they had tried dining here before it opened.
“We were here before the roadhouse even opened, we looked at antique models here, we went to museums here. And we were just excited that there would be a Texas Roadhouse here,” said Mike MacNamara.
Six months later, he and Judy were back, enjoying their favorite meal in the restaurant’s signature wooden booths under the neon lights of cowboy hats and listening to the theme song from “Footloose.”
“We enjoy good food, see part of the country again and meet wonderful people,” MacNamara said.
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Judy MacNamara explained that keeping track of 447 restaurants is no easy task, which is why she keeps a detailed spreadsheet of restaurant visits.
When asked about their favorite menu items, the couple recommended the 180-gram sirloin, pulled pork, pork chop and chicken.
“We both like simple food and not fancy cuisine, so for us this is a great way to enjoy a meal and people,” MacNamara said.
After the meal, Texas Roadhouse staff presented the MacNamaras with a gift basket of treats for their puppy, Andy, who is named after the restaurant’s mascot, Andy the armadillo.
The couple’s next stop is the Texas Roadhouse in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, before heading to Anchorage, Alaska, in September. Their goal is to visit every Texas Roadhouse in the U.S., except Hawaii.
