When looking for a restaurant that serves good food and has a friendly atmosphere Outback does the job very adequately. It is a good place to find reasonably priced food in casual environment, and they can be found almost anywhere in Georgia. If you like steak, this definitely a place to try, and even if you don’t then, “No worries,” as an Australian person would say, there are plenty of items for vegetarians too.
Stepping through the door of the Outback in the middle of Atlanta is a welcome relief from the stress of city life as you can feel like you are stepping into another country. The walls are decorated with signs, pictures, miscellaneous trinkets, or even a case full of Australian weapons such as a boomerang. Be warned though, going to an Outback late on a Wednesday night will avoid most crowds but by judging the amount of people waiting when our party left our foodie excursion, it might be best to call for a reservation before leaving for the restaurant.
Having a reservation for our party of seven had us seated quickly around a large wooden round table. The lights were dim and the place was warm to keep customers comfortable if they had been caught in the torrential rain that had ensued all day long. In a few minutes our server for the evening presented herself and took our drink orders. She handed out our dinnerware, but to her dismay she only brought us six sets when there was seven of us. Lastly she gave us a loaf of pumpernickel bread to snack on while we waited. The bread was an instant hit between our party as loaf after loaf was devoured. By the time our waiter could come back for something we had eaten the entire loaf she had just left for us.
While she receded back into the kitchen multiple times to retrieve drinks or more bread, it was decided that no experience to Outback is complete without their signature appetizer, the Bloomin‘ Onion. According to their menu the Bloomin’ Onion is, “A true Outback original. Our special onion is hand-carved by a dedicated bloomologist, cooked until golden and ready to dip into our spicy signature bloom sauce,” and only for the price of $5.95 it is a opportunity that I highly recommend not to pass up for first time visitors.
Again when the food was brought before us seven people descended upon it like ravenous wolves. It was dog eat dog for if one of us had to use the restroom any food brought during that time was a free for all while he was gone. Not even ten minutes later the plate was wiped clean, and our group went back to eating bread.
Between all the drink refills and bringing us more bread the waiter took our second course and main course orders. She had made it only through one person before she was stopped dead in her tracks with the question, “Is the broth in the French Onion Soup meat based?” She had to leave us to go find out the answer.
During the time she was gone I had to pick one of two great steaks, I was torn between the
Savory Pepper Mill NY Strip and The Melbourne. The Savory Pepper Mill NY Strip menu description reads, “Thick slices of New York Strip steak (*cooked to order) encrusted with cracked black pepper and topped with a savory brandy cream sauce. Served atop golden potato wedges,” for $14.95. The Melbourne read, “As big as the name implies, this porterhouse is like two steaks in one - a flavorful strip and fillet tenderloin together, seared for a juicy taste. 20 oz,” for $24.95. Coming in with a large appetite I opted for the Melbourne cooked medium well.
The service for the night was mostly excellent. Only a couple of times was there any confusion or forgotten items. The missing set of dinnerware showed up around the same time as the Bloomin‘ Onion. However serving seven starving teenagers at once our waiter did very well. She was able balance taking orders, replacing bread, removing plates, keeping our thirst at bay, and splitting our bill seven different ways without any error. Safe to say she received a high gratuity at the end of the night.
The restaurant was very neat and clean. Being in the middle of a busy metropolitan area it is difficult to keep everything clean and orderly as hundreds of people walk in and out the doors every day and many more on the weekends. The culture inside felt authentic to the Australian theme making it feel like outside we would find a quiet outback, and not the noisy irritations of the city.
Finally after all confirmed vegetarian French Onion Soups, and salads were removed from the table, our main courses were brought before us. The 20 ounces slab of meat was placed before me. To the left of the meat was a pile of garlic mash potatoes, and to the left was a loaded baked potato.
The steak itself was supreme. It was extremely juicy and very tender. The meat was easy to cut through with the sharp serrated knife. Every bite could be savored as the spices and juices increased the already great flavor with each chew. The only issue that steak possibly had was the large size of it. Twenty ounces makes a great meal, but because of the large size and the bone in the middle of the beef makes getting that very inside difficult to cook. By the bone the steak was more medium rare than medium well, but the flavor was so good there were no complaints coming from me.
Somehow after the steak there was still room enough to add the mash potatoes. These potatoes were great. The garlic chives mixed throughout the potatoes made them excellent. They were moist enough to make them easy to eat and not runny at the same time. I would recommend getting these as a side dish any day.
My last item was a baked potato. It looked great, but had to be eaten the next day for breakfast because there just wasn’t any room left for it. College students will take home any leftovers if it means they won’t have to pay for any more food around their dorm.
The only downside to Outback is if one can make it though all the way to want dessert then they might have to find another place to get it. Outback only serves three desserts, and a sampler dish with two bite pieces of each kind of dessert if the choice is too hard to make.
Overall Outback is a very good restaurant. The place could definitely become busy on a weekend night, but if you could make it during the week you will not be disappointed. Atmosphere was excellent making it easy to forget a bustling city outside, and to trick the mind into thinking you are in a whole other country. Service was good, the staff is friendly and helpful even under fire when they have to keep everything straight from person to person. Lastly, the food was excellent. The price of the food makes eating here very affordable, even for college students, and the quality of the food is great. If you are looking for a place to eat in or around the Atlanta area make this a great place to be. With their slogans, “No Rules - Just Right,” why don’t you tell your friends and family, “Let’s go Outback tonight!”
Stepping through the door of the Outback in the middle of Atlanta is a welcome relief from the stress of city life as you can feel like you are stepping into another country. The walls are decorated with signs, pictures, miscellaneous trinkets, or even a case full of Australian weapons such as a boomerang. Be warned though, going to an Outback late on a Wednesday night will avoid most crowds but by judging the amount of people waiting when our party left our foodie excursion, it might be best to call for a reservation before leaving for the restaurant.
Having a reservation for our party of seven had us seated quickly around a large wooden round table. The lights were dim and the place was warm to keep customers comfortable if they had been caught in the torrential rain that had ensued all day long. In a few minutes our server for the evening presented herself and took our drink orders. She handed out our dinnerware, but to her dismay she only brought us six sets when there was seven of us. Lastly she gave us a loaf of pumpernickel bread to snack on while we waited. The bread was an instant hit between our party as loaf after loaf was devoured. By the time our waiter could come back for something we had eaten the entire loaf she had just left for us.
While she receded back into the kitchen multiple times to retrieve drinks or more bread, it was decided that no experience to Outback is complete without their signature appetizer, the Bloomin‘ Onion. According to their menu the Bloomin’ Onion is, “A true Outback original. Our special onion is hand-carved by a dedicated bloomologist, cooked until golden and ready to dip into our spicy signature bloom sauce,” and only for the price of $5.95 it is a opportunity that I highly recommend not to pass up for first time visitors.
Again when the food was brought before us seven people descended upon it like ravenous wolves. It was dog eat dog for if one of us had to use the restroom any food brought during that time was a free for all while he was gone. Not even ten minutes later the plate was wiped clean, and our group went back to eating bread.
Between all the drink refills and bringing us more bread the waiter took our second course and main course orders. She had made it only through one person before she was stopped dead in her tracks with the question, “Is the broth in the French Onion Soup meat based?” She had to leave us to go find out the answer.
During the time she was gone I had to pick one of two great steaks, I was torn between the
Savory Pepper Mill NY Strip and The Melbourne. The Savory Pepper Mill NY Strip menu description reads, “Thick slices of New York Strip steak (*cooked to order) encrusted with cracked black pepper and topped with a savory brandy cream sauce. Served atop golden potato wedges,” for $14.95. The Melbourne read, “As big as the name implies, this porterhouse is like two steaks in one - a flavorful strip and fillet tenderloin together, seared for a juicy taste. 20 oz,” for $24.95. Coming in with a large appetite I opted for the Melbourne cooked medium well.The service for the night was mostly excellent. Only a couple of times was there any confusion or forgotten items. The missing set of dinnerware showed up around the same time as the Bloomin‘ Onion. However serving seven starving teenagers at once our waiter did very well. She was able balance taking orders, replacing bread, removing plates, keeping our thirst at bay, and splitting our bill seven different ways without any error. Safe to say she received a high gratuity at the end of the night.
The restaurant was very neat and clean. Being in the middle of a busy metropolitan area it is difficult to keep everything clean and orderly as hundreds of people walk in and out the doors every day and many more on the weekends. The culture inside felt authentic to the Australian theme making it feel like outside we would find a quiet outback, and not the noisy irritations of the city.
Finally after all confirmed vegetarian French Onion Soups, and salads were removed from the table, our main courses were brought before us. The 20 ounces slab of meat was placed before me. To the left of the meat was a pile of garlic mash potatoes, and to the left was a loaded baked potato.
The steak itself was supreme. It was extremely juicy and very tender. The meat was easy to cut through with the sharp serrated knife. Every bite could be savored as the spices and juices increased the already great flavor with each chew. The only issue that steak possibly had was the large size of it. Twenty ounces makes a great meal, but because of the large size and the bone in the middle of the beef makes getting that very inside difficult to cook. By the bone the steak was more medium rare than medium well, but the flavor was so good there were no complaints coming from me.
Somehow after the steak there was still room enough to add the mash potatoes. These potatoes were great. The garlic chives mixed throughout the potatoes made them excellent. They were moist enough to make them easy to eat and not runny at the same time. I would recommend getting these as a side dish any day.
My last item was a baked potato. It looked great, but had to be eaten the next day for breakfast because there just wasn’t any room left for it. College students will take home any leftovers if it means they won’t have to pay for any more food around their dorm.
The only downside to Outback is if one can make it though all the way to want dessert then they might have to find another place to get it. Outback only serves three desserts, and a sampler dish with two bite pieces of each kind of dessert if the choice is too hard to make.
Overall Outback is a very good restaurant. The place could definitely become busy on a weekend night, but if you could make it during the week you will not be disappointed. Atmosphere was excellent making it easy to forget a bustling city outside, and to trick the mind into thinking you are in a whole other country. Service was good, the staff is friendly and helpful even under fire when they have to keep everything straight from person to person. Lastly, the food was excellent. The price of the food makes eating here very affordable, even for college students, and the quality of the food is great. If you are looking for a place to eat in or around the Atlanta area make this a great place to be. With their slogans, “No Rules - Just Right,” why don’t you tell your friends and family, “Let’s go Outback tonight!”
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