It was thumbs up all around at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday at the new Texas Roadhouse restaurant on U.S. Hwy. 27/441. Lady Lake Chamber of Commerce members and invited guests were treated to samples of hand-cut steaks, an array of appetizers and the fresh baked bread.
Lady Lake Mayor Ruth Kussard seated with Commissioner Jim Richards found the food to be phenomenal.
“It is my first time eating at a Texas Roadhouse. Area residents have been waiting for this, glad that it is here and opening today,” the mayor, a resident of Village of La Reynalda resident, said.
She also commented on how easy Texas Roadhouse was to work with regarding Lady Lake’s Commercial Design Code. This Texas Roadhouse may look a little different to patrons who have visited other Roadhouses around the country. The local restaurant has a brick façade instead of the wooden look.
Commissioner Jim Richards enjoyed the sampling and gave it a big thumbs up.
Victoria Agogli, a chamber member, was returning for her second visit. She was part of the soft opening on Sunday.
“The food is amazing” said Agoglia. She said she really enjoyed the steak and fall-off-the-bone ribs, she also enjoyed the “wonderful fresh salads.”
Lake County Commissioner Welton Cadwell was in attendance. He agreed with the mayor and Commissioner Richards regarding the food and also added, “This is great for the town and the county. It also solidifies the thinking behind the location of Town Hall with growth heading in this direction.”
Managing partner Chris Ugarte welcomed everyone in and later cut the ribbon with Mayor Kussard. He will be supervising about 190 employees selected from the approximately 1000 that applied. “We love our jobs and it shows through to the guests.” Line dancing among the staff breaks out about every hour and was demonstrated to the tune of Watermelon Crawl. The first Texas Roadhouse opened in 1993 in Clarksville, Ind. The company’s second restaurant is the one in Gainesville.
Texas Roadhouse officially opened at 3 p.m. following the ribbon cutting. The restaurant seats 290 in mostly booth seating. Reservations are not accepted but call ahead seating is. There are seven big screen televisions in the bar area and they have special activities geared towards children every Tuesday night.
The restaurant opens at 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and at 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The address is 745 N. Hwy 441 (in front of Sam’s Club.) The phone number is (352) 674-9764.
