Document:

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                                                                    Exhibit 10.4

                              EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
                                (GERARD J. HART)

     THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (this "Agreement") is entered into as of May 5,
2004 by and between TEXAS ROADHOUSE, INC., a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), and GERARD J. HART, a resident of the Commonwealth of Kentucky
("Executive").

                                    RECITALS

     A.   The Company is preparing for an initial public offering of its shares
of Class A Common Stock, $0.001 par value ("Class A Common Stock"), which will
be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (the "IPO").

     B.   The Company has entered into an agreement to merge with Texas
Roadhouse Management Corp., a Kentucky corporation ("Management Corp."),
effective immediately prior to the closing of the IPO, with the Company as the
surviving corporation.

     C.   Executive is currently employed by Management Corp. as its President,
pursuant to an Employment Agreement dated March 15, 2000, between Management
Corp. and Executive (the "Prior Employment Agreement").

     D.   Executive has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the
Company.

     E.   The Company desires that the employment of Executive, and Executive
wishes such employment, as Chief Executive Officer of the Company following the
IPO, to be governed by the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.

                                    AGREEMENT

     NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing premises and the
respective agreements of the Company and Executive set forth below, the Company
and Executive, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:

          1.   EFFECTIVE DATE. The terms and conditions of Executive's
     employment hereunder shall become effective upon completion and closing of
     the IPO (the "Effective Date"). Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, the
     terms and conditions of Executive's employment hereunder shall not become
     effective and this Agreement shall immediately terminate if, prior to the
     Effective Date, any of the following shall occur: (a) Executive resigns
     from his employment with the Company, (b) the death or Disability (as
     defined in Section 10 hereof) of Executive, (c) the Company decides not to
     proceed with the IPO, (d) if the Company files a Registration Statement on
     Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to an IPO,
     the subsequent withdrawal of such Registration Statement prior to its
     effectiveness, (e) if the IPO does not close on or prior to September 30,
     2004, or (f) Executive's employment is terminated by Management Corp.
     Neither Executive nor the Company may revoke or cancel this Agreement prior
     to the Effective Date without written agreement of the other party.

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          2.   EMPLOYMENT. Subject to all the terms and conditions of this
     Agreement, Executive's period of employment under this Agreement shall be
     the period (the "Term") commencing on the Effective Date and ending on the
     last day of the twelfth full fiscal quarter following the Effective Date
     (the "Third Anniversary Date"), unless the Executive's employment
     terminates earlier in accordance with Section 9 hereof. Thereafter, if
     Executive continues in the employ of the Company, the employment
     relationship shall continue to be at will, terminable by either Executive
     or the Company at any time and for any reason, with or without cause, and
     subject to such terms and conditions established by the Company from time
     to time.

          3.   POSITION AND DUTIES.

               (a)  EMPLOYMENT WITH THE COMPANY. While Executive is employed by
     the Company during the Term, Executive shall be employed as the Chief
     Executive Officer of the Company, and such other titles as the Company may
     designate, and shall perform such duties and responsibilities as the
     Company shall assign to him from time to time, including duties and
     responsibilities relating to the Company's wholly-owned and partially owned
     subsidiaries and other affiliates.

               (b)  PERFORMANCE OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. Executive shall
     serve the Company faithfully and to the best of his ability and shall
     devote his full working time, attention and efforts to the business of the
     Company during his employment with the Company hereunder. While Executive
     is employed by the Company during the Term, Executive shall report to the
     Chairman of the Company or to such other person as designated by the Board
     of Directors of the Company (the "Board"). Executive hereby represents and
     confirms that he is under no contractual or legal commitments that would
     prevent him from fulfilling his duties and responsibilities as set forth in
     this Agreement. During his employment with the Company, Executive shall not
     accept other employment or engage in other material business activity,
     except as approved in writing by the Board. Executive may participate in
     charitable activities and personal investment activities to a reasonable
     extent, and he may serve as a director of business organizations as
     approved by the Board, so long as such activities and directorships do not
     interfere with the performance of his duties and responsibilities
     hereunder.

          4.   COMPENSATION.

               (a)  BASE SALARY. While Executive is employed by the Company
     during the Term, the Company shall pay to Executive a base salary at the
     rate of Five Hundred Thousand and no/100 Dollars ($500,000.00) per fiscal
     year, less deductions and withholdings, which base salary shall be paid in
     accordance with the Company's normal payroll policies and procedures.

               (b)  INCENTIVE BONUS. Commencing with the first full fiscal
     quarter following the Effective Date and for each full fiscal quarter
     thereafter that Executive is employed by the Company during the Term,
     Executive shall be eligible for a quarterly incentive bonus in an amount up
     to Seventy Five Thousand and no/100 Dollars ($75,000.00), based upon
     achievement of defined goals established by the Compensation

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     Committee of the Board and in accordance with the terms of any incentive
     plan of the Company in effect from time to time (the "Incentive Bonus").
     The level of achievement of the objectives each fiscal quarter and the
     amount payable as Incentive Bonus shall be determined in good faith by the
     Compensation Committee. Any Incentive Bonus earned for a fiscal quarter
     shall be paid to Executive on or before the 90th day following the last day
     of such fiscal quarter.

               (c)  STOCK OPTIONS. Pursuant to the First Amended and Restated
     Equity Incentive Plan of the Company, as of the Effective Date, Executive
     shall be granted options to purchase 165,000 shares of Class A Common Stock
     at an exercise price equal to the price per share at which shares of Class
     A Common Stock are offered to the public in the IPO. The options shall vest
     in accordance with the following schedule:

<Table>
<Caption>
                            DATE                          AMOUNT VESTING
                            ----                          --------------
               <S>                                        <C>
               First Anniversary of the Effective Date     24,000 shares
               Second Anniversary of Effective Date        24,000 shares
               Third Anniversary of Effective Date        117,000 shares
</Table>

               If a share dividend, share split or share combination shall occur
     with respect to the Common Shares of Texas Roadhouse Holdings LLC, a
     Kentucky limited liability company, shall occur prior to the closing of the
     IPO, or such Common Shares are exchanged for shares of Class A Common Stock
     in connection with the IPO on a basis other than one-to-one, the amounts
     set forth in this Section 4(c) shall be correspondingly adjusted.

               (d)  BENEFITS. While Executive is employed by the Company during
     the Term, Executive shall be entitled to participate in all employee
     benefit plans and programs of the Company that are available to executive
     officers generally to the extent that Executive meets the eligibility
     requirements for each individual plan or program. The Company provides no
     assurance as to the adoption or continuance of any particular employee
     benefit plan or program, and Executive's participation in any such plan or
     program shall be subject to the provisions, rules and regulations
     applicable thereto.

               (e)  EXPENSES. While Executive is employed by the Company during
     the Term, the Company shall reimburse Executive for all reasonable and
     necessary out-of-pocket business, travel and entertainment expenses
     incurred by him in the performance of his duties and responsibilities
     hereunder, subject to the Company's normal policies and procedures for
     expense verification and documentation.

               (f)  VACATIONS AND HOLIDAYS. Executive shall be entitled to be
     absent from his duties for the Company by reason of vacation for a period
     of four weeks per calendar year. Executive shall coordinate his vacation
     schedule with the Company so as not to impose an undue burden on the
     Company. In addition, Executive shall be entitled to such national and
     religious holidays as the Board shall approve for all of its employees from
     time to time.

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          5.   AFFILIATED ENTITIES. As used in Sections 6, 7 and 8 of this
     Agreement, "Company" shall include the Company and each corporation,
     limited liability company, partnership, or other entity that is controlled
     by the Company, or is under common control with the Company (in each case
     "control" meaning the direct or indirect ownership of 50% or more of all
     outstanding equity interests).

          6.   CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. Except as required in the performance
     of Executive's duties as an employee of the Company or as authorized in
     writing by the Board, Executive shall not, either during Executive's
     employment with the Company or at any time thereafter, use, disclose or
     make accessible to any person any confidential information for any purpose.
     "Confidential Information" means information proprietary to the Company or
     its suppliers or prospective suppliers and not generally known (including
     trade secret information) about the Company's suppliers, products,
     services, personnel, customers, recipes, pricing, sales strategies,
     technology, computer software code, methods, processes, designs, research,
     development systems, techniques, finances, accounting, purchasing, and
     plans. All information disclosed to Executive or to which Executive obtains
     access, whether originated by Executive or by others, during the period of
     Executive's employment by the Company (whether before, during, or after the
     Term), shall be presumed to be Confidential Information if it is treated by
     the Company as being Confidential Information or if Executive has a
     reasonable basis to believe it to be Confidential Information. Executive
     acknowledges that the above-described knowledge and information constitutes
     a unique and valuable asset of the Company and represents a substantial
     investment of time and expense by the Company, and that any disclosure or
     other use of such knowledge or information other than for the sole benefit
     of the Company would be wrongful and would cause irreparable harm to the
     Company. During Executive's employment with the Company, Executive shall
     refrain from committing any acts that would materially reduce the value of
     such knowledge or information to the Company. The foregoing obligations of
     confidentiality shall not apply to any knowledge or information that (i) is
     now or subsequently becomes generally publicly known, or (ii) is required
     to be disclosed by law or legal process, other than as a direct or indirect
     result of the breach of this Agreement by Executive. Executive acknowledges
     that the obligations imposed by this Section 6 are in addition to, and not
     in place of, any obligations imposed by applicable statutory or common law.

          7.   NONCOMPETITION COVENANT.

               (a)  AGREEMENT NOT TO COMPETE. During Executive's employment with
     the Company (whether before, during, or after the Term) and during the
     Restricted Period (as defined below), Executive shall not, directly or
     indirectly, on his own behalf or on behalf of any person or entity other
     than the Company, including without limitation as a proprietor, principal,
     agent, partner, officer, director, stockholder, employee, member of any
     association, consultant or otherwise, engage in any business that is then
     competitive with the business of the Company, including without limitation
     any business that operates one or more restaurants that utilize a
     steakhouse or roadhouse concept.

               (b)  AGREEMENT NOT TO HIRE. Except as required in the performance
     of Executive's duties as an employee of the Company, during Executive's
     employment with

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     the Company (whether before, during, or after the Term) and during the
     Restricted Period, Executive shall not, directly or indirectly, hire,
     engage or solicit or induce or attempt to induce to cease working for the
     Company, any person who is then an employee of the Company or who was an
     employee of the Company during the six (6) month period immediately
     preceding Executive's termination of employment with the Company.

               (c)  AGREEMENT NOT TO SOLICIT. Except as required in the
     performance of Executive's duties as an employee of the Company, during
     Executive's employment with the Company (whether before, during, or after
     the Term) and during the Restricted Period, Executive shall not, directly
     or indirectly, solicit, request, advise, induce or attempt to induce any
     vendor, supplier or other business contact of the Company to cancel,
     curtail, cease doing business with, or otherwise adversely change its
     relationship with the Company.

               (d)  RESTRICTED PERIOD. "Restricted Period" hereunder means the
     period commencing on the last day of Executive's employment with the
     Company and ending on the date that is two years following the last day of
     the Term.

               (e)  ACKNOWLEDGMENT. Executive hereby acknowledges that the
     provisions of this Section 7 are reasonable and necessary to protect the
     legitimate interests of the Company and that any violation of this Section
     7 by Executive shall cause substantial and irreparable harm to the Company
     to such an extent that monetary damages alone would be an inadequate remedy
     therefor. Therefore, in the event that Executive violates any provision of
     this Section 7, the Company shall be entitled to an injunction, in addition
     to all the other remedies it may have, restraining Executive from violating
     or continuing to violate such provision.

               (f)  BLUE PENCIL DOCTRINE. If the duration of, the scope of or
     any business activity covered by any provision of this Section 7 is in
     excess of what is determined to be valid and enforceable under applicable
     law, such provision shall be construed to cover only that duration, scope
     or activity that is determined to be valid and enforceable. Executive
     hereby acknowledges that this Section 7 shall be given the construction
     that renders its provisions valid and enforceable to the maximum extent,
     not exceeding its express terms, possible under applicable law.

               (g)  PERMITTED EQUITY OWNERSHIP. Ownership by Executive, as a
     passive investment, of less than 2.5% of the outstanding shares of capital
     stock of any corporation listed on a national securities exchange or
     publicly traded in the over-the-counter market shall not constitute a
     breach of this Section 7.

          8.   INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.

               (a)  DISCLOSURE AND ASSIGNMENT. As of the Effective Date,
     Executive hereby transfers and assigns to the Company (or its designee) all
     right, title, and interest of Executive in and to every idea, concept,
     invention, and improvement (whether patented, patentable or not) conceived
     or reduced to practice by Executive whether solely

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     or in collaboration with others while he is employed by the Company, and
     all copyrighted or copyrightable matter created by Executive whether solely
     or in collaboration with others while he is employed by the Company that
     relates to the Company's business (collectively, "Creations"). Executive
     shall communicate promptly and disclose to the Company, in such form as the
     Company may request, all information, details, and data pertaining to each
     Creation. Every copyrightable Creation, regardless of whether copyright
     protection is sought or preserved by the Company, shall be a "work made for
     hire" as defined in 17 U.S.C. Section 101, and the Company shall own all
     rights in and to such matter throughout the world, without the payment of
     any royalty or other consideration to Executive or anyone claiming through
     Executive.

               (b)  TRADEMARKS. All right, title, and interest in and to any and
     all trademarks, trade names, service marks, and logos adopted, used, or
     considered for use by the Company during Executive's employment (whether or
     not developed by Executive) to identify the Company's business or other
     goods or services (collectively, the "Marks"), together with the goodwill
     appurtenant thereto, and all other materials, ideas, or other property
     conceived, created, developed, adopted, or improved by Executive solely or
     jointly during Executive's employment by the Company and relating to its
     business shall be owned exclusively by the Company. Executive shall not
     have, and will not claim to have, any right, title, or interest of any kind
     in or to the Marks or such other property.

               (c)  DOCUMENTATION. Executive shall execute and deliver to the
     Company such formal transfers and assignments and such other documents as
     the Company may request to permit the Company (or its designee) to file and
     prosecute such registration applications and other documents it deems
     useful to protect or enforce its rights hereunder. Any idea, invention,
     copyrightable matter, or other property relating to the Company's business
     and disclosed by Executive prior to the first anniversary of the effective
     date of Executive's termination of employment shall be deemed to be
     governed by the terms of this Section 8 unless proven by Executive to have
     been first conceived and made after such termination date.

               (d)  NON-APPLICABILITY. Executive is hereby notified that this
     Section 8 does not apply to any invention for which no equipment, supplies,
     facility, Confidential Information, or other trade secret information of
     the Company was used and which was developed entirely on Executive's own
     time, unless (i) the invention relates (A) directly to the business of the
     Company or (B) to the Company's actual or demonstrably anticipated research
     or development, or (ii) the invention results from any work performed by
     Executive for the Company.

          9.   TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT.

               (a)  Executive's employment with the Company shall terminate
     immediately upon:

                    (i)    Executive's receipt of written notice from the
                           Company of the termination of his employment;

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                    (ii)   the Company's receipt of Executive's written
                           resignation from the Company;

                    (iii)  Executive's Disability (as defined below); or

                    (iv)   Executive's death.

               (b)  The date upon which Executive's termination of employment
     with the Company occurs shall be the "Termination Date."

          10.  PAYMENTS UPON TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT.

               (a)  If Executive's employment with the Company is terminated by
     reason of:

                    (i)    Executive's abandonment of his employment or
                           Executive's resignation for any reason (whether or
                           not such resignation is set forth in writing or
                           otherwise communicated to the Company);

                    (ii)   termination of Executive's employment by the Company
                           for Cause (as defined below); or

                    (iii)  termination of Executive's employment by the Company
                           without Cause following expiration of the Term; or

     the Company shall pay to Executive his then-current base salary through the
     Termination Date.

               (b)  If Executive's employment with the Company is terminated by
     the Company effective prior to the expiration of the Term for any reason
     other than for Cause (as defined below), then the Company shall pay to
     Executive, subject to Section 10(i) of this Agreement:

                    (i)    his then-current base salary through the Termination
                           Date;

                    (ii)   any earned and unpaid annual Incentive Bonus for the
                           fiscal quarter immediately preceding the fiscal
                           quarter in which the Termination Date occurs; and

                    (iii)  a crisp $100 bill from W. Kent Taylor.

     Any amount payable to Executive pursuant to Section 10(b)(ii) shall be paid
     to Executive by the Company in the same manner and at the same time that
     Incentive Bonus payments are made to current employees of the Company, but
     no earlier than the first normal payroll date of the Company following the
     expiration of all applicable rescission periods provided by law.

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               (c)  If Executive's employment with the Company is terminated
     effective prior to the expiration of the Term by reason of Executive's
     death or Disability, the Company shall pay to Executive or his beneficiary
     or his estate, as the case may be, his then-current base salary through the
     Termination Date, any earned and unpaid quarterly Incentive Bonus for the
     fiscal quarter preceding the fiscal quarter in which the Termination Date
     occurs and a pro-rated portion of any quarterly Incentive Bonus for the
     fiscal quarter in which the Termination Date occurs, based on the number of
     days during such fiscal quarter that Executive was employed by the Company,
     payable in the same manner and at the same time that Incentive Bonus
     payments are made to current employees of the Company.

               (d)  Cause. "Cause" hereunder shall mean:

                    (i)    an act or acts of dishonesty undertaken by Executive
                           and intended to result in substantial gain or
                           personal enrichment of Executive at the expense of
                           the Company;

                    (ii)   unlawful conduct or gross misconduct that is willful
                           and deliberate on Executive's part and that, in
                           either event, is materially injurious to the Company;

                    (iii)  the conviction of Executive of a felony;

                    (iv)   material and deliberate failure of Executive to
                           perform his duties and responsibilities hereunder or
                           to satisfy his obligations as an officer or employee
                           of the Company, which failure has not been cured by
                           Executive within ten days after written notice
                           thereof to Executive from the Company; or

                    (v)    material breach of any terms and conditions of this
                           Agreement by Executive not caused by the Company,
                           which breach has not been cured by Executive within
                           ten days after written notice thereof to Executive
                           from the Company.

               (e)  "Disability" hereunder shall mean the inability of
     Executive to perform on a full-time basis the duties and responsibilities
     of his employment with the Company by reason of his illness or other
     physical or mental impairment or condition, if such inability continues for
     an uninterrupted period of 45 days or more during any 360-day period. A
     period of inability shall be "uninterrupted" unless and until Executive
     returns to full-time work for a continuous period of at least 30 days.

               (f)  In the event of termination of Executive's employment, the
     sole obligation of the Company hereunder shall be its obligation to make
     the payments called

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     for by Sections 10(a), 10(b), or 10(c) hereof, as the case may be, and the
     Company shall have no other obligation to Executive or to his beneficiary
     or his estate, except as otherwise provided by law.

               (g)  Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, the Company
     shall not be obligated to make any payments under Section 10(b)(ii) or
     (iii) of this Agreement unless Executive has signed a full release of
     claims against the Company, in a form and scope to be prescribed by the
     Board, all applicable consideration periods and rescission periods provided
     by law shall have expired, and Executive is in strict compliance with the
     terms of this Agreement as of the dates of the payments.

          11.  RETURN OF PROPERTY. Upon termination of Executive's employment
     with the Company, Executive shall deliver promptly to the Company all
     records, files, manuals, books, forms, documents, letters, memoranda, data,
     customer lists, tables, photographs, video tapes, audio tapes, computer
     disks and other computer storage media, and copies thereof, that are the
     property of the Company, or that relate in any way to the business,
     products, services, personnel, customers, prospective customers, suppliers,
     practices, or techniques of the Company, and all other property of the
     Company (such as, for example, computers, cellular telephones, pagers,
     credit cards, and keys), whether or not containing Confidential
     Information, that are in Executive's possession or under Executive's
     control.

          12.  REMEDIES. Executive acknowledges that it would be difficult to
     fully compensate the Company for monetary damages resulting from any breach
     by him of the provisions of Sections 6, 7, and 8 hereof. Accordingly, in
     the event of any actual or threatened breach of any such provisions, the
     Company shall, in addition to any other remedies it may have, be entitled
     to injunctive and other equitable relief to enforce such provisions, and
     such relief may be granted without the necessity of proving actual monetary
     damages.

          13.  MISCELLANEOUS.

               (a)  GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement shall be governed by, subject
     to, and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of
     Kentucky without regard to conflict of law principles. Any action relating
     to this Agreement shall only be brought in a court of competent
     jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and the parties consent to
     the jurisdiction, venue and convenience of such courts.

               (b)  JURISDICTION AND LAW. Executive and the Company consent to
     jurisdiction of the courts of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and/or the
     federal district courts, Western District of Kentucky, for the purpose of
     resolving all issues of law, equity, or fact, arising out of or in
     connection with this Agreement. Any action involving claims of a breach of
     this Agreement shall be brought in such courts. Each party consents to
     personal jurisdiction over such party in the state and/or federal courts of
     Kentucky and hereby waives any defense of lack of personal jurisdiction or
     FORUM NON CONVENIENS. Venue, for the purpose of all such suits, shall be in
     Jefferson County, Commonwealth of Kentucky.

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               (c)  ENTIRE AGREEMENT. Except for any written stock option
     agreement and related agreements between Executive and the Company, this
     Agreement contains the entire agreement of the parties relating to
     Executive's employment with the Company and supersedes all prior agreements
     and understandings with respect to such subject matter including without
     limitation the Prior Employment Agreement, and the parties hereto have made
     no agreements, representations or warranties relating to the subject matter
     of this Agreement that are not set forth herein. As of the Effective Date,
     the Prior Employment Agreement shall terminate and be of no further force
     or effect; provided, however, any obligations of Executive or the Company
     arising under the Prior Employment Agreement prior to the Effective Date
     shall survive such termination.

               (d)  NO VIOLATION OF OTHER AGREEMENTS. Executive hereby
     represents and agrees that neither (i) Executive's entering into this
     Agreement, (ii) Executive's employment with the Company, nor (iii)
     Executive's carrying out the provisions of this Agreement, will violate any
     other agreement (oral, written or other) to which Executive is a party or
     by which Executive is bound.

               (e)  AMENDMENTS. No amendment or modification of this Agreement
     shall be deemed effective unless made in writing and signed by the parties
     hereto.

               (f)  NO WAIVER. No term or condition of this Agreement shall be
     deemed to have been waived, except by a statement in writing signed by the
     party against whom enforcement of the waiver is sought. Any written waiver
     shall not be deemed a continuing waiver unless specifically stated, shall
     operate only as to the specific term or condition waived and shall not
     constitute a waiver of such term or condition for the future or as to any
     act other than that specifically waived.

               (g)  ASSIGNMENT. This Agreement shall not be assignable, in whole
     or in part, by either party without the prior written consent of the other
     party, except that the Company may, without the consent of Executive,
     assign its rights and obligations under this Agreement (i) to any entity
     with which the Company may merge or consolidate, or (ii) to any corporation
     or other person or business entity to which the Company may sell or
     transfer all or substantially all of its assets. After any such assignment
     by the Company, the Company shall be discharged from all further liability
     hereunder and such assignee shall thereafter be deemed to be the "Company"
     for purposes of all terms and conditions of this Agreement, including this
     Section 13.

               (h)  COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in any number
     of counterparts, and such counterparts executed and delivered, each as an
     original, shall constitute but one and the same instrument.

               (i)  SEVERABILITY. Subject to Section 7(f) hereof, to the extent
     that any portion of any provision of this Agreement shall be invalid or
     unenforceable, it shall be considered deleted herefrom and the remainder of
     such provision and of this Agreement shall be unaffected and shall continue
     in full force and effect.

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               (j)  SURVIVAL. The terms and conditions set forth in Sections 5,
     6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 13 of this Agreement, and any other provision that
     continues by its terms, shall survive expiration of the Term or termination
     of Executive's employment for any reason.

               (k)  CAPTIONS AND HEADINGS. The captions and paragraph headings
     used in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not
     affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement or any of the
     provisions hereof.

               (l)  NOTICES. Any notice required or permitted to be given under
     this Agreement shall be sufficient if in writing and either delivered in
     person or sent by first class certified or registered mail, postage
     prepaid, if to the Company, at the Company's principal place of business,
     and if to Executive, at his home address most recently filed with the
     Company, or to such other address or addresses as either party shall have
     designated in writing to the other party hereto.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Executive and the Company have executed this Agreement
as of the date set forth in the first paragraph.

                                     TEXAS ROADHOUSE, INC.

                                     By:
                                        ----------------------------------------
                                          W. Kent Taylor, Chairman

                                     GERARD J. HART

                                     -------------------------------------------

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                                                                    Exhibit 10.5

                              EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
                                (SCOTT M. COLOSI)

     THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (this "Agreement") is entered into as of May 5,
2004 by and between TEXAS ROADHOUSE, INC., a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), and SCOTT M. COLOSI, a resident of the Commonwealth of Kentucky
("Executive").

                                    RECITALS

     A.   The Company is preparing for an initial public offering of its shares
of Class A Common Stock, $0.001 par value ("Class A Common Stock"), which will
be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (the "IPO").

     B.   The Company has entered into an agreement to merge with Texas
Roadhouse Management Corp., a Kentucky corporation ("Management Corp."),
effective immediately prior to the closing of the IPO, with the Company as the
surviving corporation.

     C.   Executive is currently employed by Management Corp. as its Chief
Financial Officer, pursuant to an Employment Agreement dated November 2002,
between Management Corp. and Executive (the "Prior Employment Agreement").

     D.   Executive has been appointed as the Chief Financial Officer of the
Company.

     E.   The Company desires that the employment of Executive, and Executive
wishes such employment, as Chief Financial Officer of the Company following the
IPO, to be governed by the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.

                                    AGREEMENT

     NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing premises and the
respective agreements of the Company and Executive set forth below, the Company
and Executive, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:

          1.   EFFECTIVE DATE. The terms and conditions of Executive's
     employment hereunder shall become effective upon completion and closing of
     the IPO (the "Effective Date"). Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, the
     terms and conditions of Executive's employment hereunder shall not become
     effective and this Agreement shall immediately terminate if, prior to the
     Effective Date, any of the following shall occur: (a) Executive resigns
     from his employment with the Company, (b) the death or Disability (as
     defined in Section 10 hereof) of Executive, (c) the Company decides not to
     proceed with the IPO, (d) if the Company files a Registration Statement on
     Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to an IPO,
     the subsequent withdrawal of such Registration Statement prior to its
     effectiveness, (e) if the IPO does not close on or prior to September 30,
     2004, or (f) Executive's employment is terminated by Management Corp.
     Neither Executive nor the Company may revoke or cancel this Agreement prior
     to the Effective Date without written agreement of the other party.

<Page>

          2.   EMPLOYMENT. Subject to all the terms and conditions of this
     Agreement, Executive's period of employment under this Agreement shall be
     the period (the "Term") commencing on the Effective Date and ending on the
     last day of the twelfth full fiscal quarter following the Effective Date
     (the "Third Anniversary Date"), unless the Executive's employment
     terminates earlier in accordance with Section 9 hereof. Thereafter, if
     Executive continues in the employ of the Company, the employment
     relationship shall continue to be at will, terminable by either Executive
     or the Company at any time and for any reason, with or without cause, and
     subject to such terms and conditions established by the Company from time
     to time.

          3.   POSITION AND DUTIES.

               (a)  EMPLOYMENT WITH THE COMPANY. While Executive is employed by
     the Company during the Term, Executive shall be employed as the Chief
     Financial Officer of the Company, and such other titles as the Company may
     designate, and shall perform such duties and responsibilities as the
     Company shall assign to him from time to time, including duties and
     responsibilities relating to the Company's wholly-owned and partially owned
     subsidiaries and other affiliates.

               (b)  PERFORMANCE OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. Executive shall
     serve the Company faithfully and to the best of his ability and shall
     devote his full working time, attention and efforts to the business of the
     Company during his employment with the Company hereunder. While Executive
     is employed by the Company during the Term, Executive shall report to the
     Chief Executive Officer of the Company or to such other person as
     designated by the Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board").
     Executive hereby represents and confirms that he is under no contractual or
     legal commitments that would prevent him from fulfilling his duties and
     responsibilities as set forth in this Agreement. During his employment with
     the Company, Executive shall not accept other employment or engage in other
     material business activity, except as approved in writing by the Board.
     Executive may participate in charitable activities and personal investment
     activities to a reasonable extent, and he may serve as a director of
     business organizations as approved by the Board, so long as such activities
     and directorships do not interfere with the performance of his duties and
     responsibilities hereunder.

          4.   COMPENSATION.

               (a)  BASE SALARY. While Executive is employed by the Company
     during the Term, the Company shall pay to Executive a base salary at the
     rate of Two Hundred Ten Thousand and no/100 Dollars ($210,000.00) per
     fiscal year, less deductions and withholdings, which base salary shall be
     paid in accordance with the Company's normal payroll policies and
     procedures.

               (b)  INCENTIVE BONUS. Commencing with the first full fiscal
     quarter following the Effective Date and for each full fiscal quarter
     thereafter that Executive is employed by the Company during the Term,
     Executive shall be eligible for a quarterly

                                      - 2 -
<Page>

     incentive bonus in an amount up to Twenty Eight Thousand Seven Hundred
     Fifty and no/100 Dollars ($28,750.00), based upon achievement of defined
     goals established by the Compensation Committee of the Board and in
     accordance with the terms of any incentive plan of the Company in effect
     from time to time (the "Incentive Bonus"). The level of achievement of the
     objectives each fiscal quarter and the amount payable as Incentive Bonus
     shall be determined in good faith by the Compensation Committee. Any
     Incentive Bonus earned for a fiscal quarter shall be paid to Executive on
     or before the 90th day following the last day of such fiscal quarter.

               (c)  STOCK OPTIONS. Pursuant to the First Amended and Restated
     Equity Incentive Plan of the Company, as of the Effective Date, Executive
     shall be granted options to purchase 50,000 shares of Class A Common Stock
     at an exercise price equal to the price per share at which shares of Class
     A Common Stock are offered to the public in the IPO. The options shall vest
     in accordance with the following schedule:

<Table>
<Caption>
                            DATE                          AMOUNT VESTING
                            ----                          --------------
               <S>                                         <C>
               First Anniversary of the Effective Date              None
               Second Anniversary of Effective Date        10,000 shares
               Third Anniversary of Effective Date         40,000 shares
</Table>

               If a share dividend, share split or share combination shall occur
     with respect to the Common Shares of Texas Roadhouse Holdings LLC, a
     Kentucky limited liability company, shall occur prior to the closing of the
     IPO, or such Common Shares are exchanged for shares of Class A Common Stock
     in connection with the IPO on a basis other than one-to-one, the amounts
     set forth in this Section 4(c) shall be correspondingly adjusted.

               (d)  BENEFITS. While Executive is employed by the Company during
     the Term, Executive shall be entitled to participate in all employee
     benefit plans and programs of the Company that are available to executive
     officers generally to the extent that Executive meets the eligibility
     requirements for each individual plan or program. The Company provides no
     assurance as to the adoption or continuance of any particular employee
     benefit plan or program, and Executive's participation in any such plan or
     program shall be subject to the provisions, rules and regulations
     applicable thereto.

               (e)  EXPENSES. While Executive is employed by the Company during
     the Term, the Company shall reimburse Executive for all reasonable and
     necessary out-of-pocket business, travel and entertainment expenses
     incurred by him in the performance of his duties and responsibilities
     hereunder, subject to the Company's normal policies and procedures for
     expense verification and documentation.

               (f)  VACATIONS AND HOLIDAYS. Executive shall be entitled to be
     absent from his duties for the Company by reason of vacation for a period
     of three weeks per calendar year. Executive shall coordinate his vacation
     schedule with the Company so as not to impose an undue burden on the
     Company. In addition, Executive shall be entitled

                                      - 3 -
<Page>

     to such national and religious holidays as the Board shall approve for all
     of its employees from time to time.

          5.   AFFILIATED ENTITIES. As used in Sections 6, 7 and 8 of this
     Agreement, "Company" shall include the Company and each corporation,
     limited liability company, partnership, or other entity that is controlled
     by the Company, or is under common control with the Company (in each case
     "control" meaning the direct or indirect ownership of 50% or more of all
     outstanding equity interests).

          6.   CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. Except as required in the performance
     of Executive's duties as an employee of the Company or as authorized in
     writing by the Board, Executive shall not, either during Executive's
     employment with the Company or at any time thereafter, use, disclose or
     make accessible to any person any confidential information for any purpose.
     "Confidential Information" means information proprietary to the Company or
     its suppliers or prospective suppliers and not generally known (including
     trade secret information) about the Company's suppliers, products,
     services, personnel, customers, recipes, pricing, sales strategies,
     technology, computer software code, methods, processes, designs, research,
     development systems, techniques, finances, accounting, purchasing, and
     plans. All information disclosed to Executive or to which Executive obtains
     access, whether originated by Executive or by others, during the period of
     Executive's employment by the Company (whether before, during, or after the
     Term), shall be presumed to be Confidential Information if it is treated by
     the Company as being Confidential Information or if Executive has a
     reasonable basis to believe it to be Confidential Information. Executive
     acknowledges that the above-described knowledge and information constitutes
     a unique and valuable asset of the Company and represents a substantial
     investment of time and expense by the Company, and that any disclosure or
     other use of such knowledge or information other than for the sole benefit
     of the Company would be wrongful and would cause irreparable harm to the
     Company. During Executive's employment with the Company, Executive shall
     refrain from committing any acts that would materially reduce the value of
     such knowledge or information to the Company. The foregoing obligations of
     confidentiality shall not apply to any knowledge or information that (i) is
     now or subsequently becomes generally publicly known, or (ii) is required
     to be disclosed by law or legal process, other than as a direct or indirect
     result of the breach of this Agreement by Executive. Executive acknowledges
     that the obligations imposed by this Section 6 are in addition to, and not
     in place of, any obligations imposed by applicable statutory or common law.

          7.   NONCOMPETITION COVENANT.

               (a)  AGREEMENT NOT TO COMPETE. During Executive's employment with
     the Company (whether before, during, or after the Term) and during the
     Restricted Period (as defined below), Executive shall not, directly or
     indirectly, on his own behalf or on behalf of any person or entity other
     than the Company, including without limitation as a proprietor, principal,
     agent, partner, officer, director, stockholder, employee, member of any
     association, consultant or otherwise, engage in any business that is then
     competitive

                                      - 4 -
<Page>

     with the business of the Company, including without limitation any business
     that operates one or more restaurants that utilize a steakhouse or
     roadhouse concept.

               (b)  AGREEMENT NOT TO HIRE. Except as required in the performance
     of Executive's duties as an employee of the Company, during Executive's
     employment with the Company (whether before, during, or after the Term) and
     during the Restricted Period, Executive shall not, directly or indirectly,
     hire, engage or solicit or induce or attempt to induce to cease working for
     the Company, any person who is then an employee of the Company or who was
     an employee of the Company during the six (6) month period immediately
     preceding Executive's termination of employment with the Company.

               (c)  AGREEMENT NOT TO SOLICIT. Except as required in the
     performance of Executive's duties as an employee of the Company, during
     Executive's employment with the Company (whether before, during, or after
     the Term) and during the Restricted Period, Executive shall not, directly
     or indirectly, solicit, request, advise, induce or attempt to induce any
     vendor, supplier or other business contact of the Company to cancel,
     curtail, cease doing business with, or otherwise adversely change its
     relationship with the Company.

               (d)  RESTRICTED PERIOD. "Restricted Period" hereunder means the
     period commencing on the last day of Executive's employment with the
     Company and ending on the date that is two years following the last day of
     the Term.

               (e)  ACKNOWLEDGMENT. Executive hereby acknowledges that the
     provisions of this Section 7 are reasonable and necessary to protect the
     legitimate interests of the Company and that any violation of this Section
     7 by Executive shall cause substantial and irreparable harm to the Company
     to such an extent that monetary damages alone would be an inadequate remedy
     therefor. Therefore, in the event that Executive violates any provision of
     this Section 7, the Company shall be entitled to an injunction, in addition
     to all the other remedies it may have, restraining Executive from violating
     or continuing to violate such provision.

               (f)  BLUE PENCIL DOCTRINE. If the duration of, the scope of or
     any business activity covered by any provision of this Section 7 is in
     excess of what is determined to be valid and enforceable under applicable
     law, such provision shall be construed to cover only that duration, scope
     or activity that is determined to be valid and enforceable. Executive
     hereby acknowledges that this Section 7 shall be given the construction
     that renders its provisions valid and enforceable to the maximum extent,
     not exceeding its express terms, possible under applicable law.

               (g)  PERMITTED EQUITY OWNERSHIP. Ownership by Executive, as a
     passive investment, of less than 2.5% of the outstanding shares of capital
     stock of any corporation listed on a national securities exchange or
     publicly traded in the over-the-counter market shall not constitute a
     breach of this Section 7.

                                      - 5 -
<Page>

          8.   INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.

               (a)  DISCLOSURE AND ASSIGNMENT. As of the Effective Date,
     Executive hereby transfers and assigns to the Company (or its designee) all
     right, title, and interest of Executive in and to every idea, concept,
     invention, and improvement (whether patented, patentable or not) conceived
     or reduced to practice by Executive whether solely or in collaboration with
     others while he is employed by the Company, and all copyrighted or
     copyrightable matter created by Executive whether solely or in
     collaboration with others while he is employed by the Company that relates
     to the Company's business (collectively, "Creations"). Executive shall
     communicate promptly and disclose to the Company, in such form as the
     Company may request, all information, details, and data pertaining to each
     Creation. Every copyrightable Creation, regardless of whether copyright
     protection is sought or preserved by the Company, shall be a "work made for
     hire" as defined in 17 U.S.C. Section 101, and the Company shall own all
     rights in and to such matter throughout the world, without the payment of
     any royalty or other consideration to Executive or anyone claiming through
     Executive.

               (b)  TRADEMARKS. All right, title, and interest in and to any and
     all trademarks, trade names, service marks, and logos adopted, used, or
     considered for use by the Company during Executive's employment (whether or
     not developed by Executive) to identify the Company's business or other
     goods or services (collectively, the "Marks"), together with the goodwill
     appurtenant thereto, and all other materials, ideas, or other property
     conceived, created, developed, adopted, or improved by Executive solely or
     jointly during Executive's employment by the Company and relating to its
     business shall be owned exclusively by the Company. Executive shall not
     have, and will not claim to have, any right, title, or interest of any kind
     in or to the Marks or such other property.

               (c)  DOCUMENTATION. Executive shall execute and deliver to the
     Company such formal transfers and assignments and such other documents as
     the Company may request to permit the Company (or its designee) to file and
     prosecute such registration applications and other documents it deems
     useful to protect or enforce its rights hereunder. Any idea, invention,
     copyrightable matter, or other property relating to the Company's business
     and disclosed by Executive prior to the first anniversary of the effective
     date of Executive's termination of employment shall be deemed to be
     governed by the terms of this Section 8 unless proven by Executive to have
     been first conceived and made after such termination date.

               (d)  NON-APPLICABILITY. Executive is hereby notified that this
     Section 8 does not apply to any invention for which no equipment, supplies,
     facility, Confidential Information, or other trade secret information of
     the Company was used and which was developed entirely on Executive's own
     time, unless (i) the invention relates (A) directly to the business of the
     Company or (B) to the Company's actual or demonstrably anticipated research
     or development, or (ii) the invention results from any work performed by
     Executive for the Company.

                                      - 6 -
<Page>

          9.   TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT.

               (a)  Executive's employment with the Company shall terminate
     immediately upon:

                    (i)    Executive's receipt of written notice from the
                           Company of the termination of his employment;

                    (ii)   the Company's receipt of Executive's written
                           resignation from the Company;

                    (iii)  Executive's Disability (as defined below); or

                    (iv)   Executive's death.

               (b)  The date upon which Executive's termination of employment
     with the Company occurs shall be the "Termination Date."

          10.  PAYMENTS UPON TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT.

               (a)  If Executive's employment with the Company is terminated by
     reason of:

                    (i)    Executive's abandonment of his employment or
                           Executive's resignation for any reason (whether or
                           not such resignation is set forth in writing or
                           otherwise communicated to the Company);

                    (ii)   termination of Executive's employment by the Company
                           for Cause (as defined below); or

                    (iii)  termination of Executive's employment by the Company
                           without Cause following expiration of the Term; or

     the Company shall pay to Executive his then-current base salary through the
     Termination Date.

               (b)  If Executive's employment with the Company is terminated by
     the Company effective prior to the expiration of the Term for any reason
     other than for Cause (as defined below), then the Company shall pay to
     Executive, subject to Section 10(i) of this Agreement:

                    (i)    his then-current base salary through the Termination
                           Date;

                                      - 7 -
<Page>

                    (ii)   any earned and unpaid annual Incentive Bonus for the
                           fiscal quarter immediately preceding the fiscal
                           quarter in which the Termination Date occurs;

                    (iii)  the amount of his then current base salary
                           that Executive would have received from the
                           Termination Date through the earlier of (A) 90
                           days following such Termination Date and (B) the
                           Third Anniversary Date if his employment with the
                           Company had not been terminated; and

                    (iv)   25% of the aggregate quarterly Incentive Bonus earned
                           by Executive for the last four full fiscal quarters
                           immediately preceding the fiscal quarter in which the
                           Termination Date occurs, provided, however, if the
                           Termination Date occurs during the fiscal quarter
                           ending on the Third Anniversary Date, the amount
                           payable pursuant to this Section 10(b)(iv) shall be
                           reduced by a fraction, the numerator of which is the
                           number of days during such fiscal quarter that
                           Executive was employed by the Company and the
                           denominator of which is the number of days in such
                           fiscal quarter.

     Any amount payable to Executive pursuant to Section 10(b)(iii) shall be
     subject to deductions and withholdings and shall be paid to Executive by
     the Company in the same periodic installments in accordance with the
     Company's regular payroll practices commencing on the first normal payroll
     date of the Company following the expiration of all applicable rescission
     periods provided by law. Any amount payable to Executive pursuant to
     Section 10(b)(ii) shall be paid to Executive by the Company in the same
     manner and at the same time that Incentive Bonus payments are made to
     current employees of the Company, but no earlier than the first normal
     payroll date of the Company following the expiration of all applicable
     rescission periods provided by law. Any amount payable to Executive
     pursuant to Section 10(b)(iv) shall be paid to Executive by the Company on
     the same date as any payment would be made pursuant to Section 10(b)(ii) if
     Executive were entitled to such payment.

               (c)  If Executive's employment with the Company is terminated
     effective prior to the expiration of the Term by reason of Executive's
     death or Disability, the Company shall pay to Executive or his beneficiary
     or his estate, as the case may be, his then-current base salary through the
     Termination Date, any earned and unpaid quarterly Incentive Bonus for the
     fiscal quarter preceding the fiscal quarter in which the Termination Date
     occurs and a pro-rated portion of any quarterly Incentive Bonus for the
     fiscal quarter in which the Termination Date occurs, based on the number of
     days during such fiscal quarter that Executive was employed by the Company,
     payable in the same manner and at the same time that Incentive Bonus
     payments are made to current employees of the Company.

                                      - 8 -
<Page>

               (d)  Cause. "Cause" hereunder shall mean:

                    (i)    an act or acts of dishonesty undertaken by Executive
                           and intended to result in substantial gain or
                           personal enrichment of Executive at the expense of
                           the Company;

                    (ii)   unlawful conduct or gross misconduct that is willful
                           and deliberate on Executive's part and that, in
                           either event, is materially injurious to the Company;

                    (iii)  the conviction of Executive of a felony;

                    (iv)   material and deliberate failure of Executive to
                           perform his duties and responsibilities hereunder or
                           to satisfy his obligations as an officer or employee
                           of the Company, which failure has not been cured by
                           Executive within ten days after written notice
                           thereof to Executive from the Company; or

                    (v)    material breach of any terms and conditions of this
                           Agreement by Executive not caused by the Company,
                           which breach has not been cured by Executive within
                           ten days after written notice thereof to Executive
                           from the Company.

               (e)  "Disability" hereunder shall mean the inability of Executive
     to perform on a full-time basis the duties and responsibilities of his
     employment with the Company by reason of his illness or other physical or
     mental impairment or condition, if such inability continues for an
     uninterrupted period of 45 days or more during any 360-day period. A period
     of inability shall be "uninterrupted" unless and until Executive returns to
     full-time work for a continuous period of at least 30 days.

               (f)  In the event of termination of Executive's employment, the
     sole obligation of the Company hereunder shall be its obligation to make
     the payments called for by Sections 10(a), 10(b), or 10(c) hereof, as the
     case may be, and the Company shall have no other obligation to Executive or
     to his beneficiary or his estate, except as otherwise provided by law.

               (g)  Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, the Company
     shall not be obligated to make any payments under Section 10(b)(ii), (iii)
     or (iv) of this Agreement unless Executive has signed a full release of
     claims against the Company, in a form and scope to be prescribed by the
     Board, all applicable consideration periods and rescission periods provided
     by law shall have expired, and Executive is in strict compliance with the
     terms of this Agreement as of the dates of the payments.

                                      - 9 -
<Page>

          11.  RETURN OF PROPERTY. Upon termination of Executive's employment
     with the Company, Executive shall deliver promptly to the Company all
     records, files, manuals, books, forms, documents, letters, memoranda, data,
     customer lists, tables, photographs, video tapes, audio tapes, computer
     disks and other computer storage media, and copies thereof, that are the
     property of the Company, or that relate in any way to the business,
     products, services, personnel, customers, prospective customers, suppliers,
     practices, or techniques of the Company, and all other property of the
     Company (such as, for example, computers, cellular telephones, pagers,
     credit cards, and keys), whether or not containing Confidential
     Information, that are in Executive's possession or under Executive's
     control.

          12.  REMEDIES. Executive acknowledges that it would be difficult to
     fully compensate the Company for monetary damages resulting from any breach
     by him of the provisions of Sections 6, 7, and 8 hereof. Accordingly, in
     the event of any actual or threatened breach of any such provisions, the
     Company shall, in addition to any other remedies it may have, be entitled
     to injunctive and other equitable relief to enforce such provisions, and
     such relief may be granted without the necessity of proving actual monetary
     damages.

          13.  MISCELLANEOUS.

               (a)  GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement shall be governed by, subject
     to, and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of
     Kentucky without regard to conflict of law principles. Any action relating
     to this Agreement shall only be brought in a court of competent
     jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and the parties consent to
     the jurisdiction, venue and convenience of such courts.

               (b)  JURISDICTION AND LAW. Executive and the Company consent to
     jurisdiction of the courts of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and/or the
     federal district courts, Western District of Kentucky, for the purpose of
     resolving all issues of law, equity, or fact, arising out of or in
     connection with this Agreement. Any action involving claims of a breach of
     this Agreement shall be brought in such courts. Each party consents to
     personal jurisdiction over such party in the state and/or federal courts of
     Kentucky and hereby waives any defense of lack of personal jurisdiction or
     FORUM NON CONVENIENS. Venue, for the purpose of all such suits, shall be in
     Jefferson County, Commonwealth of Kentucky.

               (c)  ENTIRE AGREEMENT. Except for any written stock option
     agreement and related agreements between Executive and the Company, this
     Agreement contains the entire agreement of the parties relating to
     Executive's employment with the Company and supersedes all prior agreements
     and understandings with respect to such subject matter including without
     limitation the Prior Employment Agreement, and the parties hereto have made
     no agreements, representations or warranties relating to the subject matter
     of this Agreement that are not set forth herein. As of the Effective Date,
     the Prior Employment Agreement shall terminate and be of no further force
     or effect; provided,

                                     - 10 -
<Page>

     however, any obligations of Executive or the Company arising under the
     Prior Employment Agreement prior to the Effective Date shall survive such
     termination.

               (d)  NO VIOLATION OF OTHER AGREEMENTS. Executive hereby
     represents and agrees that neither (i) Executive's entering into this
     Agreement, (ii) Executive's employment with the Company, nor (iii)
     Executive's carrying out the provisions of this Agreement, will violate any
     other agreement (oral, written or other) to which Executive is a party or
     by which Executive is bound.

               (e)  AMENDMENTS. No amendment or modification of this Agreement
     shall be deemed effective unless made in writing and signed by the parties
     hereto.

               (f)  NO WAIVER. No term or condition of this Agreement shall be
     deemed to have been waived, except by a statement in writing signed by the
     party against whom enforcement of the waiver is sought. Any written waiver
     shall not be deemed a continuing waiver unless specifically stated, shall
     operate only as to the specific term or condition waived and shall not
     constitute a waiver of such term or condition for the future or as to any
     act other than that specifically waived.

               (g)  ASSIGNMENT. This Agreement shall not be assignable, in whole
     or in part, by either party without the prior written consent of the other
     party, except that the Company may, without the consent of Executive,
     assign its rights and obligations under this Agreement (i) to any entity
     with which the Company may merge or consolidate, or (ii) to any corporation
     or other person or business entity to which the Company may sell or
     transfer all or substantially all of its assets. After any such assignment
     by the Company, the Company shall be discharged from all further liability
     hereunder and such assignee shall thereafter be deemed to be the "Company"
     for purposes of all terms and conditions of this Agreement, including this
     Section 13.

               (h)  COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in any number
     of counterparts, and such counterparts executed and delivered, each as an
     original, shall constitute but one and the same instrument.

               (i)  SEVERABILITY. Subject to Section 7(f) hereof, to the extent
     that any portion of any provision of this Agreement shall be invalid or
     unenforceable, it shall be considered deleted herefrom and the remainder of
     such provision and of this Agreement shall be unaffected and shall continue
     in full force and effect.

               (j)  SURVIVAL. The terms and conditions set forth in Sections 5,
     6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 13 of this Agreement, and any other provision that
     continues by its terms, shall survive expiration of the Term or termination
     of Executive's employment for any reason.

               (k)  CAPTIONS AND HEADINGS. The captions and paragraph headings
     used in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not
     affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement or any of the
     provisions hereof.

                                     - 11 -
<Page>

               (l)  NOTICES. Any notice required or permitted to be given under
     this Agreement shall be sufficient if in writing and either delivered in
     person or sent by first class certified or registered mail, postage
     prepaid, if to the Company, at the Company's principal place of business,
     and if to Executive, at his home address most recently filed with the
     Company, or to such other address or addresses as either party shall have
     designated in writing to the other party hereto.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Executive and the Company have executed this Agreement
as of the date set forth in the first paragraph.

                                     TEXAS ROADHOUSE, INC.

                                     By:
                                        ----------------------------------------
                                          W. Kent Taylor, Chairman

                                     SCOTT M. COLOSI

                                     -------------------------------------------

                                     - 12 -

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