# roadhouse

/ˈɹoʊdˌhaʊs/ (US) · /ɹˈəʊdhaʊs/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/roadhouse
Updated: 2026-10-12

## Definition

a restaurant or bar located on a main road in the countryside. These places often offer food, drinks, and sometimes live music or rooms to stay in.

For teachers: a commercial establishment, typically situated on a major highway in a rural area, providing meals, alcoholic beverages, and occasionally lodging or entertainment.

## Examples

- We stopped at a small roadhouse for dinner during our trip.
- After driving for six hours through the desert, the neon sign of a lonely roadhouse was a welcome sight.
- The play is set entirely within a dusty Texas roadhouse, where the transient nature of the customers serves as a backdrop for the permanent staff's personal dramas.

## Usage notes

- Commonly used in North American and Australian English to describe rural highway stops.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.