# Would you buy a Cocktail at a restaurant like Outback? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 27, 2015, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-cocktail-at-a-restaurant-like-outback/711042 "2015-01-27T19:37:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-cocktail-at-a-restaurant-like-outback/711042/101 "2015-01-29T19:11:37Z")
> [@Penfeather](#): > > Glass is a little effete, though, isn’t it? I find it’s much more authentic to grind my own vessels from obsidian, and so much better for the planet. Icelandic obsidian, of course, not that cut-price Mexican stuff. Poser. It’s not even faintly authentic unless you’re drilling your own magma bore hole and harvesting molten obsidian lava for blowing. Never mind directly synthesizing barley cells (including DNA) from free-range hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus atoms. Ultimate DIY, man. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-cocktail-at-a-restaurant-like-outback/711042/102 "2015-01-29T19:16:46Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > I haven’t had a problem finding good reviews on even the smallest hole-in-the-wall joints over the past 5 or 6 years, but your experiences are obviously different than mine. My experience with the review sites is that there are far too many places with puffed-up ratings–where I am asked to believe that _every_ local joint is 3.5 stars or better. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-cocktail-at-a-restaurant-like-outback/711042/103 "2015-01-29T19:29:20Z")
Yeah, I’m not a heavy Yelp user, that happened to me once, and I’ve heard of it happening to others. I think I could be exaggerating the prevalence of this phenomenon. I use urbanspoon more, but mostly as a restaurant locator (“where’s the nearest pizza place?”) rather than a list of rankings. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-cocktail-at-a-restaurant-like-outback/711042/104 "2015-01-29T19:34:47Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > My experience with the review sites is that there are far too many places with puffed-up ratings–where I am asked to believe that _every_ local joint is 3.5 stars or better. Mine is the opposite. I find that the truly excellent local joints are underrated, but I can usually get enough information to tell if it’s a quality restaurant. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-cocktail-at-a-restaurant-like-outback/711042/105 "2015-01-29T20:00:22Z")
I chose _I have ordered cocktails at place like this but rarely_ mostly because when I do get alcohol at a place like TGI Fridays or Chili’s, I usually get beer, but on occasion, I’ll get a frozen margarita, which is something they typically do a workmanlike job of. I’m a bit of a cocktail snob otherwise; I wouldn’t try and order something that actually requires mixological skill or more specialized ingredients, like say a[Jack Rose](http://www.esquire.com/drinks/jack-rose-drink-recipe), a [Mai-Tai](http://www.esquire.com/drinks/mai-tai-drink-recipe) or a [La Floridita daiquiri](http://www.cocktailia.com/cocktail-recipes/la-floridita-daiquiri). I doubt the glorified waiters-cum-bartenders at your average chain casual eatery have a clue what those 3 drinks are. They can handle highballs, but that’s probably about it. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-cocktail-at-a-restaurant-like-outback/711042/106 "2015-01-29T21:23:45Z")
Ironically, I am going to Outback Steakhouse tonight with a friend. _Blasphemer! Chain Restaurant-visitor!_ 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-cocktail-at-a-restaurant-like-outback/711042/107 "2015-01-29T22:09:59Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Poser. > > It’s not even faintly authentic unless you’re drilling your own magma bore hole and harvesting molten obsidian lava for blowing. Never mind directly synthesizing barley cells (including DNA) from free-range hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus atoms. > > Ultimate DIY, man. Huh. I was into magma before it was cool. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-a-cocktail-at-a-restaurant-like-outback/711042.md?page=5)