I like the ads because in one they showed people playing rugby. As a rugby fan that makes me forgiving of the cheesy Aussie stereotypes. At least they stopped using that driving kangaroo who seemed to be the boyfriend of that one girl. It just made me think of bestiality. Blagh!
The one in my town has excellent food and it is wildly popular–and this in a town with many good restaurants. There is a wait almost any night. We live a few blocks away so we order off their takeaway menu. It’s ready in 25 minutes and they bring it out to your car as soon as you pull up.
I think the chain is pretty successful. Around here it does better than Lone Star Steakhouse, where the waiters linedance and the Texas sterotypes are even more obnoxious shudder
Sorry about the Outback Steak House and TGIF mix up on the “noogie commercial”. I get all those chain restaurants confused.
You all are gonna hate me for this post.
Here in America we have all sorts of restaurants and restaurant chains. Taco Bell is a Mexican food chain here in the states. That’s not exactly “ethnic” or international, but it really is the only food chain that is not American in origin of taste. I don’t know if you want to call The Outback Steak House “ethnic” food or not. It is pretty much what American’s expect from a large chain restaurant. So here’s my question:
If Australian food were really that good, wouldn’t the Outback Steakhouse be serving it?
Ok, ok, low blow, I know. But really, is Aussie food that different from American?
We live about a block away from one and it’s the only place I can get a rack of lamb in port sauce (which is incredible) with exception of a few French joints that charge about 8 times the price and isn’t as good. I get it every time I’m there. The wife always gets the chicken (the one with the cheese and stuff on it, I can’t remember the name) and the Walkabout soup.
we have one at the mall here been there once … its ok a little pricey its what black angus used to be before it went all cheap
for 3 people it costs about 50 … and as far as taco bell being mexican food … i have friends whos mothers will throw it out if they see it in their house they consider it a insult to real mexican cooking
and dan patrick is one of the announcers in espns sportcenter
now reguarding austrailian food im told its a cross betwene english native and american cooking
Outback Steakhouse isn’t all that bad, but the quality isn’t always consistent from one to another.
I travel a lot because of my job, and find the chains particularly comforting.
I know that there are a lot of good, even great independently owned restaurants just about anywhere that you go, but without the hearty endorsements of the locals, I feel that they are pretty much a crap shoot.
Chains/franchises, on the other hand, tend to be more uniform in quality.
Outback isn’t bad at all, and at least several have been better than average. Though I much prefer Carraba’s Italian Grill, a subsidiary or partner of Outback.
Carraba’s makes the Olive Garden look sick (not a difficult feat anyway), and has a wide selection of various regional Italian dishes, as opposed to the standard Sicilian fare most independent Italian joints offer.
I have no idea if Outback accurately reflects Australian cuisine; judging by the tone of various Down Under types in Gun Control Debates, there are just as many similarities, culturally, between the U.S. and Australia as with Canada, so I’m sure that there are many similarities between our foods and cuisine styles as well.
And Taco Hell is not Mexican food; it’s some American corporate take on Mexican food. Many of my friends with Mexican heritage curse Taco Hell fluently in Spanglish for the travesty they perpetrate. Having had authentic Mexican cuisine, I can’t say as I blame them.
My first experience at an Outback restaurant was quite similar to this. It was in Florida. I’d heard of Outback, but never been there (didn’t have them in here yet). Oh…my…Goddess…we threw down some food. And it was good. Good, good, good. We ate so much we alternated between fits of giggles and food coma for the rest of the night.
And our WAITRESS! Oh my, she was the single best waitperson I have ever encountered in my life. She made us feel like she had just been waiting for us, and only us, to arrive at the restaurant that evening. The sun rose and set on us. She knew what we wanted and needed before we did. She was utterly amazing. We tipped her $10 on a $30 bill.
There’s an Outback here in Flint now, and I ate there for the first time a few months ago. I’ve got to say that my experience there wasn’t much worse than my first experience. Great food, good waitstaff, quite nice, really.
We have one in Jackson here. Good place, usually has a line, as opposed to the Lone Star Steakhouse next door. I’d always suspected the Australian theme was a bit overdone, but the food is great.
My husband’s Australian and we eat at Outback pretty frequently. It’s not Australian food, but it’s great. He starts mumbling as soon as we walk in, though, so nobody will pick up on his accent.
Excellent steaks (medium rare…mmmmmmm), they have Cascade beer (they call it Boag over here, but it’s the same label, Tazzy tiger, etc…have they changed the name since he’s been home?). And I LOVE the silverware…it’s BIG!! When friends come to visit from Oz, we always take them there; they think it’s hysterical.
Another one who’s not ashamed to admit she LOVES Outback Steakhouse. I don’t even meat and I love going there.
Their cheese-fries are fantastic, they have the Best house-dressing for the salad (a honey-mustard vinegarette --they should bottle and market that stuff), and I can get a side of steamed veggies while my companions stuff themselves full of steak.
Not only that, but I’ve never had bad service at an Outback. Granted, I’ve only been to the one out here in Phoenix, but the wait-staff is exceptional. I’ve never had the same person twice and every person that waited on me has been quick, polite, friendly, very attentitive without being cloying, and never messed up an order.
Damn, I thought it was Outback that had the talking moosehead on the wall, but WickedBlue is right, it’s Bugaboo Creek. Ugh. The moosehead’s freak-outishness is only matched by the talking pine tree in the lobby!
I don’t like either restaurant. But then again, I’m not a steak eater…
Outbacks are not franchises. The corporate office bought them all back a few years back. Pity, really, I would seriously consider opening one if they were, those places are a license to print money. Personally, I think Outback is the best place to get steak without moving up to the Ruth’s Chris, Mortons of Chicago bracket, where the steaks are undenyably much better, but $50 will feed one person, not 3.
I just ate at Outback last night. Second time in a week. That is not usual, but I have been craving steak. And boy does the Victoria’s Filet melt in your mouth(especially cooked
medium rare). Doesn’t hold a candle to Black Angus. I had the house salad with it too. It was heaven. Same for their bread. Yummy! Had King Crab too. Mmmmmmmmmm. I split my dinner with my sister, then we ordered the Chocolate Thunder From Down Under. Cheesy name, but really good brownie sundae. Wouldn’t be as great to get if you just called it a “brownie sundae”, now would it?
Love it, love it, love it.
As for the bloomin’ onion, I could throw it away. I don’t like onions all that much, so I could care less. Just give me a salad, steak and dessert and I am happy. A nice guy sitting next to me would put me in heaven.
I’ve eaten at Outbacks a couple of times. Not bad, not great… I honestly don’t understand why there’s always a line of folks waiting to get in. Then again, I can’t think of a single restaurant where I’ll wait 90+ minutes to be seated.
I’ve been to the Outback a few times. The atmosphere is kid friendly and actually not as tacky or as overdone as some other theme restaurants. It’s just kind of a fun place, and though I’m not Australian, I didn’t see it as making fun of anyone who is. It always seemed a much better choice, food-wise, than IHOP or even Red Lobster.
I actually no longer have much of a use for the place though, since I got a “Top Secret Recipes” book that includes both the Alice Springs Chicken and the Walkabout Soup. The names of everything are pretty goofy, but much better than the usual chain restaurant food.
My girlfriend and I went to Ruth’s Chris here in New Orleans (but not the original one here) and I have to say that I wasn’t overly impressed. I had the filet and it was mighty tasty, but I have just as good and better steaks at much better prices elsewhere. We had the crabcakes for an appetizer, and they were just so-so, and the baked potato I got was a little on the dry side. It’s absurd that you have to pay for every item you order, like there’s no salad or side with your entree…if you order steak, you get just a steak. It’s too expensive for what it is, so I don’t think we’ll ever be going back.
Okay, I am new at this, but I have to respond. I work for the first original steakhouse chain that was started back in the mid 60’s. Outback was started by an ex-executive of that company, and yes he is a white american male.
Blooming onions are not Vidalia Onions. If they were, you could not afford to eat a Vidalia Blooming onion. We use a regular yellow onion with a batter, and yes they are very good.
Thematic reataurants are trendy. Darden owns Red Lobster, Olive Garden and Bahama Breeze. Brinker owns Big Bowl, Chili’s, Corner Bakery, MAcaroni Gril, and Eatzi’s. Carlson Worldwide owns TGIFridays, Taqueria Canoncita, Mignon’s, Star Canyon, and a few other that I cannot remember the names.
I agree that the commercials for many concepts are annoying as hale, but you have to appreciate the marketing and mass appeal to the consumer of today. Sometime we can discuss actual food costs and food safety…now that can get interesting.
