Earnings Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 27, 2018	Mar. 28, 2017
Earnings per share
Net income attributable to Texas Roadhouse, Inc. and subsidiaries	$ 54,541	$ 34,313
Basic EPS:
Weighted-average common shares outstanding (in shares)	71,333	70,779
Basic EPS (in dollars per share)	$ 0.76	$ 0.48
Diluted EPS:
Weighted-average common shares outstanding (in shares)	71,333	70,779
Dilutive effect of stock options and nonvested stock (in shares)	472	555
Shares - diluted (in shares)	71,805	71,334
Diluted EPS (in dollars per share)	$ 0.76	$ 0.48