10 Dishes You Should Never Order At Outback Steakhouse
Outback Steakhouse — America's Australian-inspired restaurant chain — loves to highlight fried food and surf-and-turf dining options. Though the franchise does not necessarily promote an authentic representation of Australian cuisine, the style and offerings at Outback are playful iterations. For a franchise and nation-spanning brand like Outback Steakhouse, you can offer nearly the same menu everywhere, with classic items like the Bloomin' Onion and a hearty steak with a side of shrimp on the barbie. People from all over the U.S. connect over one menu — even to the point where you can try one of everything off of the menu at one location and share a collective experience, like food enthusiast and entertainer Keith Habersberger from The Try Guys. However, you can hope but never guarantee people's experiences at each location.
Across locations, inconsistencies affect the patron's dining experience — from the doneness of its meat to the flavor and taste of side dishes. These instances showcase a larger problem among casual dining restaurants, where quality control becomes increasingly difficult and highlight a need for consistency (via Dallas Observer). While the brand doesn't try to come off as genuine Australian-type food, the offerings there can be a hit or a real mess. To avoid a less-than-savory night out at Outback Steakhouse, we've listed some dishes and options to avoid when ordering.
Steakhouse Mac and Cheese Bites
Mac & cheese bites. The concept of taking the ooey-gooey taste of mac and cheese and packaging it as fried little balls is somewhat tantalizing. You can enjoy something crispy and creamy in a bite-size form. However, like many chain restaurants with a large number of menu offerings, the priorities of Outback Steakhouse aren't bound toward making these bites the star of the show.
A recipe for these appetizers is simple but sadly lacks flavor, due to the processed cheese sauce that can handle the heat of a deep fryer. One review on Tripadvisor notes this specifically, stating that "the macaroni and cheese balls were the most disappointing...you felt like you were just eating a ball of Elmer's glue." Likely, these bite-sized pieces will be made and frozen ahead of time and popped into the fryer once ordered — meaning they sacrifice freshness for convenience. As Reddit user Baker Bear says, "As an Outback employee, I tell customers to not order the Mac bites." Not only can you make a better macaroni and cheese at home, bite-size or not, but it will be more fulfilling than a smaller serving of what you can find at Outback Steakhouse.
Gold Coast Coconut Shrimp
Though called prawns in Australia, Outback's version of coconut shrimp is not an ideal appetizer for several reasons. The first aspect is its composition. Though health consciousness is not necessarily a goal amongst owners or patrons of Outback Steakhouse — 1 serving is 360 calories, according to Food Diary, and is made of fat and carbohydrates — such a heavy dish, alongside a sweet marmalade, could result in overindulging the palate and affecting how your tastebuds enjoy the main course.
Habersberger ("The Try Guys") describes the coconut shrimp as more like a "donut," as it's sweet and full of breading, in his review of Outback's menu items. While this might not necessarily be a bad thing, the heavy fried breading that is typical for a donut can make one deduce that the ratio between shrimp to coating is uneven — therefore not worth its $15 price point.
Steak Cheese Dip
Voted within the top five of Outback Steakhouse's least favorite appetizers is the Three Cheese Steak dip, which is astounding considering where this dish ranked previously. The dip was brought back to the Outback menu in 2020 as part of the franchise's new fan-favorite menu (Chew Boom). Thin steak bits, cheeses, red bell peppers, and onions are served with tortilla chips and kept warm in a small cast iron skillet. The question of why this dish is no longer a favorite among fans can most certainly be attributed to science, as well as its flavor.
This dish falls victim to the Melted Cheese Problem, as Bon Appetit calls it. Sometimes mixing cheese types to melt results in too much oil, breaking in the wrong places, and poor taste. To make a good cheese sauce, stabilizing agents in processed cheeses and ingredients like cornstarch or flour help the emulsion. With the named cheeses included in Outback's recipe, these specific cheeses do not hold up well against high heat used to make the dip, meaning you will ultimately see your sauce separate into oil and cheese clumps — the worst outcome for a cheese dip.
Nashville Hot Wings
Nashville hot chicken is known by a few key monikers: spicy, saucy, and crispy. The dish's heat level blends well with the chicken's delicious greasiness, with a sauce made from the oil it was originally fried in for additional seasonings. For those looking for an iconic flavor and sauce, it's an indulgent and great dish. Although not every restaurant makes a batch of Nashville hot chicken the same way, any major deviation from the original method is disingenuous to the meal. Unfortunately, Outback Steakhouse's version falls into this category.
According to Brand Eating, Nashville Hot Wings were added to Outback's restaurant menu last September. As noted on the restaurant's menu, an order of this dish includes a pound of chicken wings fried and then coated in a "fiery Nashville-style dry rub," with a serving of blue cheese and celery to cut the heat. This "heat," without the use of sauce, is not a Nashville-style chicken wing. Plus the $15 price point is a bit high for what is a plate of small, somewhat spicy wings. You're better off getting your Nashville hot fix somewhere else that delivers on authenticity.
Blackberry Martini
The not-so-humble martini is a classic cocktail that inspires visions of swanky parties and sophisticated entertaining. Though it's a classic, there are different ways of making, flavoring, and serving martinis — whether you prefer dry or dirty, and which type of alcohol to pair with the vermouth. According to AmericasRestaurant, gin martinis are a bit more botanical tasting while vodka martinis offer a cleaner, fresher taste. While there is room for variation and customization, the integral aspects of making a classic martini include vermouth and either vodka or gin. Outback Steakhouse's version of a Blackberry martini is definitely a variation on the cocktail, but should probably not be called a martini at all.
Though the menu isn't specific in measurements, Outback's TikTok account posted a bartender showing the ingredients that makeup at least one restaurant's version of the cocktail. The drink includes raspberry vodka, blackberry syrup, cranberry juice, and pineapple juice, shaken with ice and strained into a martini glass. A slice of lemon floats in the glass as a garnish, which would make sense as citrus plays a role in a traditional martini. However, the other ingredients combined make this a very loose interpretation of the drink. Honestly, it more closely resembles a party punch than a classic martini, from the lack of vermouth to essentially mixer ingredients making up the majority of the drink. If you're dying for a martini, it's best to go elsewhere.
Victoria's Filet Mignon
Outback Steakhouse's signature dishes should be the steaks and the best items on the menu — no matter the location. While there are plenty of tasty options that are worth the price on the bill, one offering that is not worth indulging in at this chain is Victoria's Filet Mignon.
This steak in particular has been rated as one of the worst steak menu choices at Outback, from a price perspective and cooking skill level. One review on Tripadvisor said, "My filet mignon was significantly undercooked and after I returned it, [it] took 25 minutes before I got it back cooked unevenly this time." They noted that their initial steak had just been returned to the grill instead of receiving a brand-new steak. While the prospect of being able to even afford a cut of steak like filet mignon at a chain restaurant price is tempting, the price for a great steak is set for a reason. To avoid disappointment, it's advised to try other steaks like Outback's ribeye, bone-in or boneless, which showcases more marbling in the meat and larger portions.
Queensland & Kingsland Pasta
The Queensland and Kingsland Pasta dishes are disappointing attempts at an Italian pasta dish. The Kingsland pasta was put on the menu in 2021, as an upgraded version of the Queensland pasta, which serves an alfredo sauce over fettuccine and chicken (via Chew Boom). The Kingsland version replaces the chicken with grilled shrimp and steak — a seemingly delicious offering.
While the dishes are viewed as "fan favorites," you could find a better Italian fettuccine alfredo dish somewhere else — maybe even an Italian restaurant. One Reddit user noted, "Can I just say as someone from Queensland, Queensland is most certainly not known for its pasta." The sauce is the thick, creamy-forward Americanized version of alfredo, with the meat added on top becoming the one indication you are eating at a steakhouse.
For the Kingsland version, there are opportunities to showcase great steak and areas where the dish falls short. On Outback's Twitter post about the Kingsland pasta, one user commented, "I ordered today and [the Kingsland pasta] was gross...The steak was tough and not even cut. So disappointed because I was really looking forward to it." At an Australian-themed steakhouse, don't go for the Italian pasta dish — just to be safe.
Steamed Lobster
Rumors and speculation can stop a good idea right in its tracks. For Outback Steakhouse, that means missing out on ordering their steamed lobster. As reported by Newsweek in early 2022, a video on TikTok by an alleged Outback Steakhouse employee speculated on how the restaurant prepares the lobster. As shown in the video, lobster tails are steamed in the microwave and drizzled with butter after 2 minutes in the machine.
Steaming lobsters is a good method when it comes to cooking this type of crustacean because steaming takes less time to heat the water, and the lobster meat turns out more tender as less water infiltrates the shells (via Maine Lobster Festival). However, what happens in the video is enough to end any desire to eat lobster — let alone any other seafood. A microwave should not be the main method of cooking a meal at a restaurant; otherwise, we would all be trying to steam lobster tails at home. Though the chain's head company Bloomin' Brands has not made comments on the video or validity of restaurant practices, sometimes saying nothing can be enough to send a message.
Cinnamon Oblivion
Desserts at restaurants are an excellent excuse to indulge in something sweet and delicious after a great meal. Sometimes these dishes are unique and special to the restaurant. While the Cinnamon Oblivion was an attempt by Outback Steakhouse to bring back a throwback seasonal favorite, it's something you could likely make better at home yourself (via Chew Boom).
The menu notes that the Cinnamon Oblivion stars a serving of vanilla ice cream rolled in cinnamon pecans and topped with warm cinnamon apples, house-made sweet croutons, caramel sauce, and whipped cream. While the croutons are unique to the restaurant, made from the free bread served when guests are first seated, everything else within the recipe is easy to make yourself. Rolling chopped pecans in cinnamon sugar makes a great snack — in ice cream or on its own — and one of the main flavor contributors — the warmed cinnamon apples — are mostly likely apple pie filling.
Something much more delicious that stars these ingredients would be a warm dish of apple crisp, with the addition of a sweet, crumbly oat topping. Or you could even make slow cooker baked apples. If you find yourself partaking in a meal at Outback, leave without dessert and make these tasty treats at home, where you know they'll be great.