Outback Steakhouse

Love going to the Outback near our house since they have some menu items that everyone in my family likes. Specifically sought this place out, but based on the reputation of other locations in their chain. Well... that's what a chain restaurant supposedly has going for it, right? Consistency?

WRONG.

Normally when I walk in to an Outback I have some scrubbed & polished twenty something falling all over themselves to "get the door for the old fart." Here, not so much. I opened the door to see a couple sad teenagers polishing a podium with their elbows, looking oh-so-bored. OK...not what I was expecting, but not the end of the world, right?

One kid grabs some menus and shuffles us over to a booth pretty close to the kitchen. After about ten minutes we get "Lurleen" taking our drink order...and then disappearing for ten more minutes. That was pretty much the first and only time our drinks got any attention. I mean, yeah we're drinking water and iced tea, but still at $25-$30 a person you'd think they'd at least bring a refill by sometimes. Especially when you're asking nicely.

So we order, and after about 15 minutes a bowl of soup comes out, and the other appetizers. Hot, tastes fine, no complaints about the food quality, just slow as all get out. About 15 minutes after that, our food shows. Some cranky girl from the kitchen comes out and hands us our plates. We're kind of looking at each other, surprised, scrambling to hold the food in one hand and slide the dirty dishes out of the way with the other. I call her back, ask again for drinks and something else, I can't even remember what it was but yeah, basically shame on me for interrupting her exit. No drink refills, no clearing the table, no whatever else I asked for (ketchup or something).

Eventually I flag down a server from another table and ask for drink refills. "Do you know you servers name?" Heh.... uhm, no. Sorry to bother you. Worse, I can hear these assholes around the corner standing in the kitchen laughing about something, telling jokes and what not.

No wonder it's not crowded on a Friday night.

Eventually a real live adult stopped by and asked us how it was going, so I bitched and she cut the bill in half. For christ sakes I'm ready to spend the money just bring me another glass of water please, or at least tell me where it is so I don't have to refill my glass in the men's room.

We left without eating the choco-thunder brownie thingy we usually get and had dessert somewhere else.

This particular Outback did me wrong in 2007 and I haven't gone back since.

Perhaps I'm being a little dramatic (I have that tendency, I realize) but everything about my experience at this location rubbed me the wrong way.

I used to love Outback.  I'd request it for my birthday almost every year when I was a kid.  They had a good, loyal customer in me and I'd go as an adult when I wanted a good dinner.  This came to a screeching halt in 2007.

It started with the prices.  I realize our great country fell into an economic funk around this time so it may not have been so bad - if they didn't raise the prices and cut the portions simultaneously.  Seriously, $16 for an 11 ounce steak?  At OUTBACK?  This isn't Ruth's Chris, this is freaking Outback!  Used to be 12 bucks for a 12 ounce steak, which was a good deal.  Needing to save some money myself, I had to opt for the 6 ounce steak for 10 bucks.  No big deal, I figured.  It's healthier to eat less meat, plus the salad and bread are always awesome so that would fill me up.

NOPE!  For a table of four they gave us one loaf of bread.  That was enough for one small slice each.  No one came by and asked if we wanted more, and when I did ask they said they'd bring it out but never did.  I asked twice.

The salad used to be glorious.  Plenty of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, crutons, with a big pile of cheese on top.  The salad I received was pathetic.  A couple shreds of lettuce, one (count 'em, ONE) tomato, a couple cucumbers, a couple croutons, and a meager topping of cheese.  

For upping the prices so much, they sure are misers at this Outback location!

And then the steak, dear lord, the steak... I asked for medium rare.  What I got was a burnt-crisp piece of meat no larger than the size of a deck of cards.  Yes, that's the dieter's portion, but you DON'T GO TO OUTBACK ON A DIET!  You want a big, juicy, delicious steak and you're not counting every calorie while you eat it!  

I paid $20 with drink, tip, and tax, and left hungry and unhappy.  I sent a complaint to the manager but he/she never responded.  I've written this same type of review on several websites so manager, if you're out there, know that I'm still unhappy five years later and I never plan on coming back!

And dear readers, if you want a good steak, let me tell ya something.  Outback sells a 9 ounce filet for $22, right?  Go to Kroger, look for Laura's Beef in the meat section.  Grab a filet package, which will run at about $20 and give you two 8 ounce steaks.  Take those babies home and heat a pan at medium.  Throw some butter in your pan and coat your steaks in a bit of salt and pepper.  When the butter is melted and your pan is hot, add your steaks.  Cook on one side for a few minutes (until lightly browned), then flip.  Cook another couple minutes.  Turn the steaks on their side if they're thick and rotate the steaks until they're cooked all the way around.  Serve with your favorite sides and you will have yourself a meal that rivals anything you could ever get at Outback.  Guaranteed.

Their Outback special is like eating rubber. Ceaser salad would have been ok if it hadn't been swimming in dressing. Don't see the draw of this chain at all!