Colorado resident finds Texas Roadhouse steaks sitting uncovered near hockey locker rooms. The meat was going to the restaurant to serve customers
A raw deal, perhaps
Customers expect restaurants to handle their food carefully before it reaches the table. But one Colorado resident came across something that could make Texas Roadhouse customers think twice about ordering a steak.
The restaurant has already faced complaints from customers who allegedly found unexpected objects in their steaks. This time, however, the concern wasn’t about something discovered during a meal. It was about where the meat had been sitting before anyone could order it.
According to Reddit user DairyFreeChickadee, Texas Roadhouse steaks were left uncovered in a hallway near hockey locker rooms during a meat-cutting competition in Colorado. The resident claimed hockey players walked past the meat while games were underway. More concerningly, they alleged that organizers planned to send those steaks to nearby Texas Roadhouse restaurants to serve customers.
The location was only part of it
The resident shared a photograph of the meat on the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit, raising questions about how it was being stored. Texas Roadhouse regularly holds meat-cutting competitions where employees demonstrate their skills. These events have taken place inside hockey rinks for years, with the cooler environment providing a suitable setting for working with meat.
However, the Colorado resident took issue with how the steaks were allegedly handled at this particular event. They claimed the meat was left uncovered and unattended in a hallway that hockey players were actively using.
“Hockey games were in session and many players walked past the meat before and after their games,” the poster wrote. The resident also alleged that competition organizers told them the steaks would eventually be served to customers at local Texas Roadhouse restaurants.
That detail raised the stakes. A competition involving raw meat is one thing, but the possibility of that same meat reaching paying customers made the storage conditions a much bigger concern.
The photograph prompted several Reddit users to question the sanitation practices. Some were particularly bothered by the proximity to locker rooms, where players regularly pass through wearing sweaty equipment.
“As someone who used to run the Zamboni and clean locker rooms for a tier 3 junior hockey team, this is disgusting. Those kids be stankin,” one commenter wrote.
Another suggested taking the matter further, writing, “You should share that picture with the local health department.” A third commenter joked, “Mmmm, locker room meats.”
Others shared their own experiences with questionable food handling. One commenter recalled seeing photographs of a butcher shop transporting unpackaged meat in a van. “The meat wasn’t packaged, it was just sitting inside the back of the van,” they wrote.
Another shared a disturbing claim about a butcher shop. “My boyfriend was telling me today that the butcher he worked for would take meat that was turning black and grind it up and sell it as ground meat,” the commenter wrote.
Not everyone agreed that the hockey rink situation was particularly alarming. Some argued that restaurant kitchens can have worse conditions, while others suggested the steaks would be safe once properly cooked.
The concerns extend beyond how unpleasant the hallway might have seemed. Raw meat needs protection from contamination, and keeping it in a cool environment does not automatically mean it is being stored at a safe temperature.
The USDA recommends refrigerating raw beef at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Proper cooking can kill many harmful bacteria, but safe handling remains important before the meat reaches the grill.
Texas Roadhouse has faced other food-related complaints, including a customer who allegedly found dirt in her salad and a diner who claimed ceiling debris fell onto her meal. In this case, the resident’s account leaves one important question unanswered: whether the steaks photographed near the locker rooms were ultimately sent to restaurants.
For customers, though, the allegation alone was enough to raise concerns. They might expect their steaks to come from a refrigerated kitchen, not a hallway where hockey players had just walked past.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
Follow The Mary Sue:
