LongHorn Steakhouse - PorkFoodService.Com

LongHorn Steakhouse
LongHorn Steakhouse opened in Atlanta, GA in 1981,
but business wasnʼt booming until a freak snowstorm
drove stranded motorists inside. Word quickly spread
about the restaurant, and they now operate over 350
locations in 33 states. Known for genuine Western
hospitality and an “always fresh, never frozen”
approach, LongHorn Steakhouse uses bacon as an ingredient in a number of dishes, from
bacon-topped appetizers and salads to bacon-wrapped steaks. Pork also stars in their
Cowboy Pork Chops and signature Baby Back Ribs. In a restaurant named for steak, pork is
a welcome and flavorful addition.
We caught up with LongHorn Steakhouse to talk about the benefits of offering bacon and
fresh pork on their menu.
NPB: Several of your dishes, from appetizers and burgers to steaks and salads, feature
bacon as an ingredient. Tell us about your bacon.
LongHorn: We use hickory smoked bacon that is crusted with black pepper. We like to cook
it on our flat grill. We feel that more flavor is added by caramelizing the sugars that are in the
bacon from the cure.
NPB: Is bacon profitable for you?
LongHorn: Yes. It allows us to add big flavor, value and quality to menu offerings that you
wouldnʼt get from other proteins.
NPB: Why is using bacon as an ingredient important for your bottom line?
LongHorn: A little goes a long way!
NPB: What kinds of dishes does bacon benefit? What determines whether you will add bacon
to a specific dish?
LongHorn: All dishes! Besides adding an unmatched savory component to the dish, it also
brings along a sense of adventure. Guests are looking for it in unexpected places and when
they find it they canʼt get enough of it.

NPB: Your dinner menu offers a bacon wrapped filet – how does this filet perform compared
to your steaks without bacon?
LongHorn: It does very well. I wouldnʼt say that it does better or worse but it does offer a
flavor profile that you canʼt get on other steaks. When we bacon wrap our filets, we grill them
over an open flame with our signature fire grilled seasoning. This helps to render the fat from
the bacon adding more flavor to the steak and a crispy texture to the bacon.
NPB: You are, obviously, known for your steak, but your menu also features Cowboy Pork
Chops and your signature Baby Back Ribs. How do these dishes perform for you?
LongHorn: They perform very
well. Our guests like the variety
on the menu. We are a
steakhouse first and foremost but
it is important to offer variety. Our
baby back ribs are fall-off- thebone
tender, fire grilled and
glazed with our signature house
made BBQ sauce. They have a
very loyal following.
NPB: When did you first add the ribs and chops to your menu?
LongHorn: 1995
NPB: What were some of the logistics that went into getting ribs and chops on your menu?
What efforts have you put into marketing your two fresh pork dishes?
LongHorn: Adding the chops was fairly simple. Adding the Baby Back Ribs to the menu
involved adding char-grills to our restaurants so we could achieve the flavor profile we
wanted. It also involved teaching our cooks a new skill and adjusting our labor needs a touch.
It has proven to be worth the effort. As a Steakhouse our marketing efforts focus on steak, but
our ribs and chops play a significant role on our core menu.
NPB: How do your customers react to your pork options? How do they react to the price
point?
LongHorn: The chops and ribs are very satisfying to our guests. The price point allows us to
give our guests great value and affordability, which is very important to us.
NPB: Do you have plans to expand your fresh pork offerings in the future?
LongHorn: We are always looking at ways to expand our offerings on our menu to drive
variety and distinctiveness for our guests. We feel that we do have the ability to offer different
cuts and preparations for pork on our menu.

NPB: Have you thought about featuring more pork as an ingredient in your appetizers,
sandwiches or sides?
LongHorn: Absolutely! We have looked at using more cuts in different ways to add
distinctiveness to our entire menu. We have some new dishes in development that are unique
to casual dining and we feel that our guests are going to find them highly craveable!
NPB: You are based in Orlando,
Florida, but have restaurants across
the country. Does location and
availability of ingredients play into your
menu offerings at all?
LongHorn: It does to a degree. We
have over 350 restaurants now and
plan to grow substantially over the
next 5 to 10 years. Location isnʼt the
issue as much as availability.
Whatever cuts we feature we need to
know we can get adequate supply now
and in the future.