GRAND CHUTE, Wis. (WBAY) – A Virginia couple is working to visit every Texas Roadhouse restaurant in the country, and their journey brought them to Grand Chute on Sunday.
Judy and Mike McNamara track each visit on a spreadsheet that has taken them across the country. Their stop at the Texas Roadhouse on College Avenue in Grand Chute marked their 581st restaurant, spanning 49 states and Puerto Rico.
Hawaii is the only state without a Texas Roadhouse location, Mike said.
The McNamaras first ate at a Texas Roadhouse in October 2003 while visiting family near Knoxville, Tennessee.
“Her brother and sister-in-law and nieces live in Tennessee, outside of Knoxville,” Mike said. “When we would visit over the years, they’d carry us out to eat somewhere. And in October of 2003, they took us to our first Texas Roadhouse.”
At the time, it was not something they sought out. If a location was nearby during a vacation, they would stop in.
The couple, who have been married for 54 years, said they have traveled together their entire married lives.
Judy retired in 2017 after 45 years working at a mill in southeastern Virginia. The couple began traveling regularly that year and created a new mission: visit all Texas Roadhouse locations in America.
“By the end of 2017, we’d only been to 37,” Mike said. “Pulled all the credit card statements out. Went all the way back to Knoxville — we started a spreadsheet. So we said, well, okay, let’s make the vacation centered around Texas Roadhouse,” Mike said.
The McNamaras now plan trips around the nearest Texas Roadhouse location, checking for one nearby when visiting museums and national parks with their dog Andy along for the ride. The couple said they try not to saturate one area too much, saving some locations for future trips.
“It gives you something to come back to as you go through, like, the next year or whenever,” Mike said.
Virginia couple stops in Grand Chute on mission to visit every Texas Roadhouse(WBAY)
The Wisconsin trip marks their second time visiting the state. On a previous trip, they visited four locations in southern Wisconsin while staying in Illinois. This time, they ventured further north.
Noel Whiting, a store marketer at the Grand Chute Texas Roadhouse, said the visit was a milestone for the location.
“We’re their first stop here, and so it’s super cool and exciting,” Whiting said. “I’m glad we get to be a part of their journey coming through Roadhouse.”
The McNamaras said they did not expect their journey to attract attention. Judy posts updates on Facebook to commemorate each visit, and others have reposted the content on TikTok without the couple’s involvement.
“Oh yeah, we follow you on TikTok,” Mike recalled staff at locations telling them. “They repost that stuff on TikTok.”
Mike said he has no interest in managing a TikTok presence himself.
“I have no idea how to get on TikTok,” he said. “I don’t care to get on TikTok.”
After hundreds of visits, the McNamaras said they have their favorite menu items, including sirloin, chicken critters, herb chicken, pulled pork, pork chops, ribs, a side salad, and bread rolls. Mike said they have not gotten tired of the menu yet, not even after 581 locations.
Mike said the food is only part of what keeps them going.
“You’re eating good food, you’re meeting great people, and we’re having a good time,” he said.
As for whether they will finish the challenge, Mike said it depends on how long he can keep driving, currently five to six hours a day, and seven at most.
“We’re going to keep on going for at least a few more years anyway,” he said.
The couple’s Wisconsin tour continues with stops planned in Green Bay on Monday and Wausau on Tuesday. With more than 600 Texas Roadhouse locations nationwide, the McNamaras still have restaurants left to check off.
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