Italy's America-Themed Restaurant Chain Is Basically Texas Roadhouse
What Texas Roadhouse is to America, Old Wild West is to Italy. Since 2002, diners have been able to eat at a kitschy restaurant chain, now with countless locations throughout Italy and beyond, which serves up a very "American" menu in a very "American" setting.
As one Italian on TikTok put it: "Since you take me to the Olive Garden in America, I bring you to Old Wild West in Italy. This is what you get." So what do you get when you get Italy's interpretation of the ultimate Wild-West themed restaurant? Frontiers, cowboys, pioneers, covered wagons, steaks, Tex Mex, and — for some reason — a ridiculous amount of peanuts.
Reminiscent of a Texas Roadhouse meets Lone Star Steakhouse (if anyone remembers those), Old Wild West is a saloon-like establishment, but it's bursting at the seams with somewhat gaudy Western decor — from the innocuous horseshoes and lassos to the more questionable shackles and teepees. You've got to be dying to know by now ... what's on the unsurprisingly long menu? What does traditional "American" fare look like in Italy?
The Old Wild West is a world of meats
Contrary to all the peanuts that may take you by surprise, the appetizers at Old Wild West are about what you'd expect: chicken wings and chicken nuggets, onion rings, "gringos nachos," mozzarella sticks, and "wild fries" topped with cheese and bacon. But most venture into the land of Old Wild West for its burgers — because this is America we're talking about, after all.
The menu boasts around 15 different burgers to choose from (unfortunately with many named after Native American tribes ...). The hamburgers range from all-American classics with toppings like melted cheese, bacon, and grilled onions, to more specialty burgers topped with Caesar sauce, barbecue sauce, or camembert cheese, to burgers made with breaded chicken or pulled ribs.
Then there's all the other meat: grilled steak and beef fillet served with potatoes (in every form) under "Gran Canyon Meats," barbecue ribs and smoked salmon under "Saloon Specialties," and several types of grilled chicken under "White Mountain Meats." The "Tex Mex" section offers meals like Mexican nachos (topped with meat chili and cheddar sauce), chicken burritos, and Caesar wraps. And even the salads are meat-heavy, piled with chicken, bacon, and marinated beef.
American menu, Italian flair
Each section of the menu at Old Wild West boasts your typical American steakhouse chain classics, but they include a few outliers that remind you where you are. Because while this is America we're talking about, it's Italy's America — so your Texas Roadhouse fare is sure to come with some Italian flair.
This is "Italianized American" at its European finest. "Cheesy sticks" are another version of mozzarella sticks that are made with Montasio cheese. Then there are "green balls," breaded green olives stuffed with potato and smoked Scamorza cheese. Followed by the "Country Burger" — double Italian beef with Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano Reggiano, Italian bacon, and sun-dried tomatoes in oil. And of course, the dessert section screams Italy; you'd be hard-pressed to find pancakes with Nutella or pistachio cream on an American dessert menu. At least the pancakes themselves are American-style, not like crêpe-y British pancakes.
And you'll taste that Italian flair in the ingredients, as well. The beef for the hamburgers and all of the chicken served at Old Wild West is born, raised, and processed in Italy, and the other cuts of beef are sourced from young, grass-fed cattle raised in the Pampas of Argentina. But the peanuts? Those at least come from America.