‘Chick-fil-A Meets Five Guys’? Texas Roadhouse’s Sister Chain Expands With 5 New Locations
There are roughly 5,000 Chick-fil-A locations across America. Five Guys has nearly 1,800. But somewhere between those two giants lives a lesser-known chain that fans say beats them both, and most people have never heard of it. It’s called Jaggers, it’s owned by Texas Roadhouse, and after more than a decade of quiet growth, it’s finally ready to make some noise. Five new locations are coming in 2026.
Texas Roadhouse’s Best-Kept Secret
Most Americans know Texas Roadhouse for its hand-cut steaks and free cinnamon butter rolls. Fewer know the brand quietly owns two other chains: Bubba’s 33, a sports bar concept, and Jaggers, a fast-casual burger and chicken joint. While Bubba’s 33 already runs 53 locations, Jaggers has stayed well under the radar, a deliberate choice that’s about to change as the company shifts into a higher gear.
Born in Indiana, Built on a Big Idea
Jaggers opened its first location in 2014 in Noblesville, Indiana, a quiet suburb northeast of Indianapolis. The concept came directly from Kent Taylor, the founder and former CEO of Texas Roadhouse, who envisioned a chain that combined the quality-focused approach of two beloved brands into one menu. It started slow by design, with management focused on learning how to run quick-service restaurants before scaling. What that idea actually looks like on a plate is where things get interesting.
The Vision Behind the Brand
Taylor’s goal was straightforward: take what Chick-fil-A does best with chicken and what Five Guys does best with burgers, then build something better. The result is a scratch-made menu where nothing comes pre-packaged or pre-frozen. Burgers are hand-formed. Chicken is hand-breaded. Salads are made to order. In a fast-food landscape crowded with shortcuts, Jaggers made quality its competitive edge, a bet that appears to be paying off with loyal, vocal fans.
The Chicken That Rivals Chick-fil-A
Jaggers goes toe-to-toe with Chick-fil-A through a lineup of crispy chicken sandwiches, including a classic, a deluxe, and a spicy version. But the menu doesn’t stop there. A Country Fried Chicken sandwich comes topped with a fried egg and country gravy. A lighter California Grilled Chicken option rounds things out. Then there are the chicken tenders, paired with the chain’s signature Jaggers sauce; described by fans as sweet, creamy, and tangy all at once.
Burgers That Are Winning the Internet
On Reddit and food forums, Jaggers burger fans are loud and devoted. Some claim the chain serves the best fast-food burgers available anywhere. Standout options include a Green Chile Cheeseburger with roasted pepper and pepper jack, a Mushroom Swiss Burger, a Sunrise Burger topped with ham and a fried egg, and even a Black Bean Veggie Burger. The range signals a brand thinking beyond the standard fast-food playbook and customers are noticing.
The Fries People Would Trade Their Soul For
No burger chain earns loyalty on the sandwich alone, the fries matter just as much. At Jaggers, they matter a lot. One Reddit user wrote that the fries are so good they would trade their soul for them, joking they had already done so once before. It’s the kind of hyperbolic fan devotion that marketing departments spend millions trying to manufacture. Jaggers appears to have earned it simply by making fries people actually want to eat again.
Milkshakes, Salads, and Something for Everyone
Jaggers rounds out its menu with hand-spun milkshakes in flavors like Banana Split, Ghirardelli Brownie, and Chocolate Chip Cookie alongside classics like strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla bean. Made-to-order salads give health-conscious diners a real reason to visit. The breadth of the menu is intentional — Jaggers wants every member of a group to find something they want, a strategy borrowed directly from the playbooks of both Chick-fil-A and Five Guys.
A Slow Build, Then a Sprint
For most of its first decade, Jaggers grew carefully — just over 15 restaurants across Indiana, Kentucky, Texas, North Carolina, and one international outpost at a U.S. military base in South Korea. The pandemic slowed things further. But 2026 marks a turning point. Five new locations are planned, a meaningful jump for a brand this size. For context, its sibling chain Bubba’s 33 runs 53 locations, a benchmark Jaggers now seems determined to chase.
The Next Big Chain You’ll Soon Know by Name
Jaggers has spent more than a decade perfecting its product far from the spotlight. It has the backing of one of America’s most successful restaurant groups, a menu built on quality, and a fanbase that talks about its food the way people talk about their favorite neighborhood spots. Five new locations in 2026 is a modest step but every major chain started somewhere small. The question is no longer whether Jaggers can grow. It’s how far it will go.
