The Best Chain Restaurant for Beef Tips and Gravy, According to a Butcher
Beef tips with gravy are a rich, savory dish that checks off many comfort-food boxes. It’s satisfying, tender, and versatile—you can enjoy it over noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice. While it seems like a simple dish to master and is popular, it’s not widely available at restaurants. Not many chains offer the meal, but there’s one spot that delivers a standout bowl, according to butcher and chef Thomas Odermatt, Founder of Roli Roti Food Trucks and Butcher’s Bone Broth. Read on.
What Exactly are Beef Tips
Beef tips are small, tender pieces of beef cut into bite-sized chunks and cooked either quickly or gently, depending on the dish.
Chef Thomas says, “Traditionally, beef tips aren’t a single specific cut—they’re a butcher’s term, often sourced from tender or semi-tender parts of the animal such as the tenderloin, sirloin, or ball tip.” He adds, “I like to call beef tips a butcher’s secret.”
How to Make Beef Tips Extra Tender
Chef Thomas is a third-generation Swiss butcher and shares how beef tips were a Saturday night treat at home.
“My mother often prepared a modified version of beef stroganoff, served in a rich wine sauce,” he explains. “The true key to great beef tips lies in how the butcher prepares them. I always recommend having them thinly knife-cut, which brings out exceptional tenderness and allows the meat to cook evenly while staying juicy.”
Texas Roadhouse
Texas Roadhouse is a go-to for quality meat at affordable prices, and it’s the one chain Chef Thomas recommends for beef tips, noting that others he knows love the dish as well.
“One of our trucker friends who regularly drives the southern routes with our products loves the chain,” he says. “Every time he pulls up to our dock, he arrives with a story—usually about food or some quick grub he picked up along the way.”
Beef Tips Never Found an American Footing
While beef tips and gravy are a classic, the dish never truly found a strong foothold in traditional American diners or restaurant menus,” according to Chef Thomas. “You’re more likely to find a close cousin in a German restaurant: Rindsgeschnetzeltes mit Rahmsauce, typically served over spaetzle.” He adds, “These true German recipes are rooted in regional heritage and have evolved over time through geography, migration, and local adaptation.”
Beef Tips Are Easy to Cook at Home
If you’re craving beef tips and aren’t near a Texas Roadhouse, Chef Thomas suggests making them at home.
“This dish is easy to make at home and delivers a deep, satisfying flavor at an economical value,” he says. “Trust the butcher—there’s a reason he calls this dish the Butcher’s Secret.”