Texas Roadhouse Changed This Fan-Favorite Dish For The Worse, According To Customers

Sometime around 2018, Texas Roadhouse changed its menu for the worse. It's hard to pinpoint exactly when it happened — after all, the restaurant never sent out a press release announcing that it was altering a unique and beloved dish to be mediocre. We do know, however, that 2018 was when people started noticing a difference in the way the chain was making its Chicken Critters.

Chicken Critters are essentially just chicken fingers. Before 2018, the dish consisted of chicken covered in a light and crispy breading that was fried perfectly, similar to tempura. Today's version, according to many people on Reddit, are just like the chicken fingers you can find at any other restaurant, and they pale in comparison to the original. "Life without them isn't as good," opined a distraught fan. In a Change.org petition, one person described the new version as "bland" and "grease soaked."

Fans of the dish have started multiple Change.org petitions in hopes of convincing Texas Roadhouse to reverse its years-long error. So far, however, the dish has not seen a return to its reported former glory.

Sadly, old-style Chicken Critters are one thing Texas Roadhouse will likely never bring back. Many fans have attempted to replicate the original recipe to fill the Critter-shaped hole in their hearts, but according to Reddit users, the results so far have been mixed.

"It was by far the best chicken tender I have ever had and [I] have not been able to recreate it," one person wrote about the original recipe. While they found some decent recipes for chicken fingers online (may we suggest our ultimate chicken fingers?), none scratched their specific itch.

Eventually, a former Texas Roadhouse employee came to Reddit's rescue with their best recollection of the original recipe. They didn't know the exact contents of the marinade or seasoning, but they knew some of the basics, like poking holes in the chicken before brining it. They wrote, "KEY ingredient: pickle juice. Let's say 1:4 to marinade ratio." They also highlighted Louisiana hot sauce as a standout ingredient. The breading included buttermilk and flour with more pickle juice and hot sauce. The poster didn't remember much more than that, so hopefully someone comes along and uses this to finally achieve the Critters that Texas Roadhouse fans are dreaming about.