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Mon-Thu. 12:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Fri. 12:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sat. 3:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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I was here last Thursday with a friend who was going to take me to the airport. I usually like Outback (reasonable prices, not awful food), and they have Stella on tap which is always a +1 for me. So here we are grabbing a bite on a time crunch. We got seated quickly.
And then we waited.
And then we waited some more.
And then we looked around to try and find someone.
And then we sent someone to find anyone to help us out.
It turns out we were seated in a section that had nobody assigned to work it. Whoops! So, the manager came by, they decided they'd offer us two appetizers (complimentary) as an apology. Looking back and given the time crunch, we probably should have passed on the appetizers, but live and learn. The food arrived, and we dug in. I can't speak for my coworker's dish, but I had done the Victoria Center Cut (w/ horseradish) and unfortunately it was only lukewarm. Medium-rare should still have a bit of heat to it. Again, thanks to the time crunch (and the delay in cooking caused by waiting for appetizers to finish), we really didn't have time to deal with it.
So, when all was said and done, the Manager came over and kinda apologized for the whole thing. We got a $25 certificate (for a return trip) because the food was cold. I really don't agree with this strategy, because it sounds like "come back and spend money again, we promise it'll be better next time!". It's their policy though, so you can't really be too upset over how they handled it. I mean, we used to go to the Outback in Salinas a lot when I was in college and had pretty fond memories of the place. I'm pretty sure it hasn't changed that much and this was just a really bad night for them. However, it was still a really bad night.
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Went to this restaurant over the weekend - although quite familiar with Outback from traveling in Asia, this was my first experience with one in the US...alas, it was quite a letdown.
After waiting at an empty hostess stand for five minutes, we were finally seated. Drink order was taken immediately, and were delivered quite fast.
Thus ends the kudos.
I ordered a bacon cheeseburger, and the wife ordered a chicken w/swiss sandwich. The burger was served with fake cheese (this is SO different than the ones I've previously been to), and the fries were, at best, soggy. Dripping. Disgusting.
In fact, the only reason that this review got bumped to three stars was that the wife enjoyed the chicken sandwich (although not the fries).
Overall, quite a disappointing visit.
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I have been to this Outback several times and I have never been disappointed.
Their House Salad with shredded Parmesan cheese, vegetable oil, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, dried parsley, garlic powder, pepper, salt
is simply great.
Try that
This review is specifically for people using the gluten free menu. I've had a soft spot in my heart for Outback Steakhouse since I had to go gluten free. It is very relaxing to walk into a restaurant, get the designated gluten free menu, and have lots of choices for dinner. I always get the same thing: caesar salad no croutons, garlic mashed potatoes, small outback special, and the chocolate thunder dessert. And I always specify to the waiter or waitress that I am ordering off of the gluten free menu. Until I moved to CA last year I had no problems with Outback restaurants, but I have now been to the Daly City branch and this San Mateo branch and got gluten-ed. I have a very specific reaction to being exposed to gluten so I know that this is what happened this weekend. I don't know if it is these two specific branches or if the chain in general has changed it's policies (not officially of course since they still put out the gf menu), but I will not be back.
It was effin' disgusting.
I wish I took a picture of the seriously 6!!! signs as you walk into the dining room that say something about causing cancer. The first sign: about liquor in lead crystal bottles- OK- I know that... but the last one just says "This premise contains things known to the state of CA to cause cancer and birth defects." Wow. Like a nuclear warhead!? I think I'm good off the Outback from now on. $30.00 for lunch and I couldn't even eat it! Soggy fries, nasty burger, weird cheese-
OH! And they give you a lunch specific menu. As in says "lunch menu" on the front. Open that sucker up... top right hand corner is a huge picture of this baked potato that looked SUPER good. Guy came to take our order and I said "I'll have that!" His answer? We don't have baked potatoes until 4. REALLY!? Then why the eff put a huge picture of just a baked potato front and center of your LUNCH menu? Seriously?
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Yikes, what has happened to this place? I used to look forward to going to Outback for the Blooming Onion, Cesar Salad and Victoria's Fillet. We were there 2 weeks ago and the service was quite disappointing, the blooming onion was soggy and the Victoria's Fillet was not so flavorful. Even the bread was cold and tasted stale. Bummer.
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This place should be better but it's just not.
I've been to much better Outbacks but this location needs improvement:
We were seated but were never brought any utensils and couldn't find a wait person to do this, eventually we just got up and got are own.
Our waiter didn't even bother to ask us if we wanted any bread. I only knew they had bread when I heard a waiter at the table behind us offer some to his guests.
I ordered a parmesan pasta with scallops that was more like a Cajun pasta. They didn't even mention using red pepper flakes or cayenne on the menu! When I mentioned this to the waiter, and later to the manager, it was like "Funny, you're not the first person to tell me that". Well if I'm not the first person to tell you that, then DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!! At least change the menu to indicate how spicy the dish really is.
Won't be back to this location. I'd rather pay a few bucks extra and get decent food and service.
I love this place! Their ribs and potatoes are amazing. The service is good, the place is clean e the brown bread and sweet butter are delicious! Congratulations
The manager here blocked my car in at the takeout parking area and did not let me out for ten minutes.
The food is okay but nothing special.
After the manager was so rude I swore to never come back.
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Outback? More like never coming BACK! I've seen television commercials for this restaurant for years and never bothered to check it out for numerous reasons. First, chain restaurants usually suck. Second, I am so turned off by the Americanized bastardization of what these folks based in Tampa, Florida think constitutes a true Australian eating establishment. Honestly, I would have been more impressed if they offered kangaroo meat.
Anyway, I decided to try this place after a friend insisted that their food is delicious. So, I headed to the San Mateo location on my lunch break. The first thing I noticed is the limited selection of vegetarian items, which sucked for me. Ultimately, I ordered a bowl of No Limitations Parmesean Pasta, which is just a dumb name for alfredo sauce. The pasta dish tasted awful and was loaded with this fatterning sauce. You can get better pasta at Olive Garden or Old Spaghetti Factory..seriously!
Meanwhile, the service was terrible. I waited over 20 minutes for my shitty bowl of pasta and never got my loaf of bread. I asked for bread *three* times and finally got it when my entree was cleared from the table. I also waited for a refill on my soda, which is ironic since they charge a whopping $2.95.
If I could give this shithole zero stars, I would. They should at least receive one star for the good loaf of bread that arrived at the same time as my bill.
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My review is strictly based on the bartender being a liar. I ordered a mojito and all I asked was that he/she not to over muddle the mint. We've all had over muddled mojitos, the mint gets sucked up in the straw, blah, blah, blah and it makes for a miserable experience. The waiter came back to tell me that they're out of mint. I have several friends that are bartenders and they told me that they say that so they don't have to make it. In case most of you didn't know, mint is in fact a weed and grows like crazy and you can't get rid of it even if you tried. The drink that replaced it was super duper sweet and non alcohol tasting. I guess I got jipped because of my small request.
People thought this was:
As far as chains...still a fan. We had take out tonight and it was as good as the time we dined in. I must say I could live on the sweet potatoes and the streak was tender, juicy, and melt in the mouth. Still solid or we are having good luck. the guys enjoyed their ribs and potatoes.
I am rating this in comparison to other chain steakhouses. We live in the Belmont and we often… Read more »
I live right down the street from this particular location, but have only been here twice. I used to come to the Outback with my family or friends when I wanted to have a nice steak dinner. Some how its lost its luster. Their dinner salads are like what some one would serve in their home. Pre made bag mix, some shredded cheese, and some grape tomatoes cut in half.
I just feel when you're going to pay nearly $20 or more per person on a meal, the quality could be better. The other night I came here with a girlfriend to have dinner..and paid like $7 for a good cocktail and $17 on a mediocre meal. Maybe its just the location..? Its practically inside Hillsdale mall..
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We tried this restaurant's online ordering - curbside pickup on 12/31
This was our 1st experience with this Outback, it's been years since trying another Outback down south.
The online ordering process was pretty easy and you can take your time and even plan ahead. We ordered half rack meal, a steak and fish meal for $9.99(WOW), and a kids meal. There were several choices of fish to add and I knew that there was a chance they wouldn't have my selection of Mahi.
They had a soup option to add on at no charge, Conche Chowder. Why not add it on if there's no charge. I set up the p/u for 6:30, about 30 min from the time I placed it.
So our order total was around $26 after tax. Not bad for three meals... SO
Quickly after I clicked submit I received a call from the restaurant. They confirmed they received the order and wanted to confirm the order. They stated they did not have the Conche Chowder but could sub Potato Soup; I said ok as long as it doesn't change the price.
Fish, remember I said I didn't think they would have the fish? Of course they didn't. There were about 15 choices of fish online... at the restaurant they only had salmon or ahi slices. I chose the Ahi tuna.
So the order's is confirmed. We got there about 5 min early. You park around the side of the restaurant and your server/delivery staff comes out to greet you. Our server was a young man. He stated we were earlier than they expected they were working on our order, I said no problem.
Shortly after the manager Lauren came out and introduced herself and stated that the online system incorrectly listed a lunch special(steak & fish) in the dinner selections and wanted to know if it was ok to just give us a steak dinner? I said they had to add some sort of fish to it. She said ok, but that everything else was ready to go and we'd have to wait for them to make the fish... ok make it.
Ten minutes later the server brings out the bags, we thank him and he goes back inside the side door that says employees only... upon checking the bag, there is a missing baked potato. I went to knock on the door and nobody answers. I tried calling but the line was busy. I had to walk around to the front and ask the host to send someone out with the missing spud. Ten minutes later we have spud.
ok 7pm and we're on our way home to reheat our meal
Presentation... not so good in the aluminum tins and clear lids, not a practical type of meal for take out I guess.
Once reheated:
Ribs- yummy
Steak-yummy, cooked right, tasted good
Kids Breaded Chicken-yummy
Fries-soggy (expected after 35/40 minutes)
Fish-wasn't what I actually wanted, but whatever(the ahi app is supposed to be like sushi tuna, raw)
veggies-crisp
potato-good
Soup-delicious
Fight to get what you ordered online, check your curbside p/u thoroughly before server leaves, choose potato or other instead of fries.
Might try eating inside at some time, but probably not.
People thought this was:
I was so freaking happy to see this place open. I've been here a few times now, and it always fills me up. The steak is cooked very well, but you can tell the side dish's come from a 10 gallon bucket,(i.e. mashed potato's, cornbread, ect).
The service is good, and the people are friendly. I love the out side. I can smoke, oh yea..I smoke, and have my beer with lunch or dinner. Its not the best place if your looking for a 5 star steak, but for San Mateo its dress up enough.
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Ok so the service and quality is iffy, but folks.. you can send back your steaks if not to your liking. The staff has been great when we dine there given one time had the server who wanted to get us out so he could go out back to smoke with his buddies.
Rest of the menu is what it is. If from the bay area, do not order fish/seafood from a chain restaurant. Chicken and steak variety is fine. Ironically they have this pasta dish Awawaluia or something spelled along those lines that is pretty damn good. It has a sort of not overload but just right creamy cheese sauce, fresh veggies. Great for vegetarians or you can opt to add grilled chicken breast. Actually very good.
Hence a great place to dine with the kiddos... their kid's menu meets the budget with the lil ones are going to eat or fuss:)
My friend wanted her B-Day dinner here. Waiter was very nice and prompt. She started with the Bloomin Onion. Tasted fine,but I'm not a big fan of this item. I think the coconut shrimp is the best. When ordering and you want an app., I don't order the main meal at the same time. I don't care where you are. If you do order everything at once it tends to come out too fast from the kitchen. We ordered a house salad w/ ranch and a pecan salad. Very good. She had the 8oz. prime rib,MR w/garlic mashed potato and I had the Rib-eye,MR with the loaded baked potato. Very juicy and tasty. We both had doggie bags to take home. No room for dessert. This is a very weird location to find. Sits behind the mall next to Cost Plus. Lots of parking which is good. Very good place to eat. The bill was $52.00, but I had a $10.00 coupon that my friend had. It was only $41.00 and I left a $10.00 tip. Nice dinner.
People thought this was:
This is really sad as we waited for this place to open totally expecting something great- not the case we for some reason continue to go back in hopes somehow they will magically get better. The portions are small now with everyone cutting back but the prices are still on the high side. It is real dark & gloomy - save your $ ......I give it one star for the service
food taste = 3.5
price / value = 2.5
service = 3.5
environment = 3.5
having eaten at outbacks in various locations, i was actually expecting a pretty good experience. the last time i went to one in the east coast, i REALLY liked it, so i have to say that this one was a bit of a disappointment. my steak was quite good, but VERY small. outback being australian, you would figure they would stuff you with food, but it was much less than expected.
i am a little, but not completely, surprised to see such low overall ratings, but i do remember getting much better bang for my buck at other outbacks. i'm giving it a 3 because it was a 3, but when i compare it to other outbacks, i'd lean towards a 2.5
Even though this place is for families and claim they are "casual" dining, you still pay upwards of $20 an entree per person (not including apps or drink). I dined here on Sunday night to celebrate my dad's b-day and there were so many mistakes I just stopped counting. How hard is it to make a rare steak? What about timing dinner so everyone gets served at the same time? This is not hard people!
I think it is atrocious that Outback charges this much per entree and their employees do not care. I could go to any "fine dining" private restaurant here in SF and pay the same for much better food., a better experience and the staff cares that you come back.
"Oh yeah, uh huh. That's it. That's the way I like it."
That's our little IQ, just this side of moaning as I butter him up another chunk of the vaguely pneumatic looking, industrial rye bread that must be fired out of some sort of bread howitzer somewhere deep in the bowels of every Outback.
Look, there has to be something in all the food here. How do you explain the fact that as reluctant as you may be to give in and go have a meal here, once you're here and the first round of bread lands on your table and the salads arrive and you begin to salivate at the smell of broiling meat, you find yourself caught up in the whole experience.
"Yeah, baby. Get the waiter to bring us another loaf."
Yes, it's industrial food. No, it's not fine dining. But let's face it, once you step over the reality threshold into a restaurant like Outback, you are in an altered dimension where words like "bread" and "steak" and "fresh" take on their own meanings.
I am not ashamed to admit that there was a day I used to frequent an Outback in Winter Springs, FL, during my brief-yet-endless 2 year stay in Central Florida while managing a large project there. Then, eating at Outback was like having Sunday dinner at a batty but favored Aunt's. You maybe didn't think it was the best food in the world, but it was predictable, reasonably tasty, and a bit of a bargain.
This Outback, of course, is no different. Same mortar-shell bread, same rich and zesty salad (I love the croutons here for some reason and they have really good Ranch dressing, but then again, this is the official restaurant of the Ranch Dressing Belt); same bogus Aussie "atmosphere" and same super-seasoned mass-production steaks. The only possible difference here is that you can actually get a table, probably due to its hidden location on the back side of the food court extension to Hillsdale Mall.
So, if you crave the rye-bomb, the croutons, the Fair Dinkum Sheila ridiculousness, go with gusto. Slather on more butter. The bread likes it.
People thought this was:
I am not a fan of chains and hadn't been to one of these in years but my dad took me here and I was really impressed. I wanted something at least kind of healthy and had the chicken (on the barbie?). It was great! A well seasoned chicken breast with grilled veggies. I've been back twice to have it again. I took my husband there because I was amped on it and he ordered a steak. They brought him a rib eye instead and he very politely said it was fine and tasted good so no big deal but please make sure the bill is with the rib eye not steak The manager came over and thanked us for being so calm and nice about it. She brought him the entire steak meal AS WELL AS the ribeye and took both off the bill. Wow! I'm impressed and I'd recommend them!
We stopped in for drinks and appetizers on a post christmas shopping trip and even though we were there when they first opened and ordered quickly our order took about 25 mins. with only two other tables occupied.
The cheese fries would have been a lot better if the cheese wasn't cold and coagulated.
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I like this Outback. I've been there several times and haven't had any problems. There can be a wait for dinner, especially on the weekend, but I expect that at most places, especially chains. My boyfriend calls ahead so that we don't have to wait too long once we're there.
Service is usually really good. Maybe not the fastest, but I don't usually notice.
My boyfriend and I usually get the rib-eye steak, which has always been juicy and tasted great. Last time, to save a few dollars, I got the the 7 oz sirloin, and it was not as good as the rib-eye. It was drier and not as tasty. From now on, if we're going to spend the money to go to Outback, I'm going to get the better cut.
Oh yeah, and I really like the caesar salad, baked potato, and potato soup. I've had the bacon cheese fries too, and they're good once in awhile, but I don't think I'd get them again because we eat the top half with all the good stuff on them, then leave half of the fries once all the cheese and bacon is gone.
Just call me Sally. Yes folks, I am one of those annoying people who orders everything "on the side." Dressing - on the side. Sauce - on the side. Fixin's for my baked potato - on the side. I know it's a pain in the ass, but not that unusual of a request.
For some reason, "on the side" is a concept they have not heard of at this particular Outback. I was actually once asked "on the side of what?" As a result, I have to frequently send my food back and be that bitch in a restaurant that I hated when I was a server. The food is standard Outback fare, but I have to knock a star off because my food always comes slathered with sauce or whatnot.
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While shopping at the mall next door we noticed that Outback had opened its doors and decided to give it a try. Comparing to Chilli's which we have often visited Outback was pricey and the steak I got was dry on the outside and undercooked inside (I don't know how they managed that!). The sides were not of the quality you expect.
We went there during the day and the lighting is so bad I could hardly see what I was eating.
They got our order wrong and our food arrived at different times. Not going back there again.
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2/3 of our party got food poisoning. Probably because they forgot our order and it just sat there. It wasn't very good, the steaks were dry (we ordered medium).
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my husband and i went for lunch thursday sept 10. we were the first in the door since they open at 12. we were seated and waited on right away. asked us what drinks we wanted. they took our order and brought salad and bread right away. we ordered their blooming hamburger. we both ordered and server said slightly pink which we wanted!!!! well we couldnt believe how long it took since we were first and altogether there were only 3 tables with people. couldnt be because of help since more people working then people in restaurant. well we got our burgers. dry and tooooo done. my husbands burger was thicker than mine. mine was size of fast food burgers. 6 dollar burger at carls would have been bigger. disappointed for price they charge.
Overall, pretty mediocre. Think of this as Steakhouse Denny's. I've been her twice and both times it was only so-so. Nothing special.
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Okay everyone is insane if they don't love Outback. I have had nothing but excellent service from this location and the food is always great.
I think the amount of food you get for your money is actually spot on! I got a steak with salad and baked potato for $14. Thats not bad at all.
The trick is to be really specific with your waiters! I always get a blooming onion to start and then the outback special for main. If you want to try something different on the side of your steak than regular steak sauce, try a side of cabernet sauce. They serve it with their lamb dish but u can order it with anything! Try it and you won't be disappointed. I promise!
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I have been here a few times and the service is always great, they have a nice red wine selection but the food is just ok :(
Unless you go at 5:30pm on a Friday there will always be a wait.....
the wine was really good though.....smooth.....i guess better than TGI firdays down the street.
The best thing about this particular Outback location is its location and their outdoor seating. A protip: If you sit outside there you will never have to wait for a table.
As for the Outback chain, it's merely OK to sometimes poor quality steak served in monster portions with great appetizers. Their bar is normally solid, you can get a huge Foster's Lager and wolf down some Aussie Cheese Fries and then call it an evening and leave happy.
If you go for steak, avoid the prime rib. I know it's tempting, it's prime rib. Unfortunately you'll get a fatty gristle piece that will take you 20 minutes longer to eat than your friend's non-prime rib. It is almost as bad as something you'd get in an Indian Casino restaurant.
I like to add on a side of king crab. Even though their crab is thin and spindly it's still king crab so stop being a cheap ass and add it on.
If you're hungry because you skipped lunch and you eat outside, this is a reasonable place to go if you want steak since there are no competetors in the area that offer a truly superior product.
I generally love Outback, but this particular location is still getting its act together.
The cheesy fries are to die for, and you can order a half order (not listed on the menu) if you're trying to avoid the heart attack in the next decade.
The steaks are generally very good and extremely tasty, but they can't seem to get their concept of medium and medium-well down. I've had to send steaks back because they were burnt or undercooked with too much red.
The sides are pretty good, especially the broccoli and the mashed potatoes.
Bring back the cheesy broccoli soup!
The prices are a little high and the service a little hit-or-miss but if you give clear instructions to the waiter about what you want exactly, you can usually get by with a decent meal....
This place is horrible!
I ordered a bacon cheese burger medium, sounds pretty simple, right? I took one bite into the burger and found that it was raw!!!! It was the most disgusting thing I've ever sunk my teeth into. I notified my waitress of the issue and she apologized and had the burger sent back. They came out with the same burger and cheese. The burger was charred and the cheese was burnt. I didn't eat the burger and just finished my salad and left. They didn't even offer to take the burger off my meal. This place is a definite NO GO
People thought this was:
I did the curbside takeaway service, and the food was good. I got ribs, quesadillas, and a blooming onion. I don't expect too much from places like this and I'm rarely disappointed.
Had dinner with a friend on a Thursday night and it was packed. A ton of people at the bar area and no seating for just the two of us when we arrived. Our wait was well over 30 minutes and the service was okay as it was a little on the slower side.
Prices are a bit high for the amount you get and I would probably go elsewhere if I were in the mood for steak again. Food was okay and nothing to rave about. The only savior of the night was the blooming onion.
I've been to this Outback on two different occasions and both times the food was terrible. The vegetables were undercooked, the steak was like chewing on leather and the service was poor. Don't waste your time or money.
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The Worst. Server attempted to use Australian slang (you can tell he has never been there before cause the accent was lame). Staff is kinda rude. Charged my credit card for somebody elses way more expensive order. Never going there again.
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I had lunch here this week with my team at work. I was quite excited since I have not been here for quite some time and the item I remember quite well is the BLOOMIN' ONION. I figured if their BLOOMIN' ONION is so delicious that the rest of the menu would taste just as great! Boy, was I wrong! I ordered the Victoria Cut Filet and it was dry and had no taste at all. Even my baked potatoe that I asked for everything on it just didn't taste like a good baked potato. I was quite disappointed. I would have only gave them 1 star, but the BLOOMIN' ONION bumped them up. I may try some other items on their menu next time and hope for the best since I do want to go back for the BLOOMIN' ONION.
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Food is ok. Service sucks, bigtime!!!! Fake Australian accents across the board. I'm pretty sure half the staff hasn't even been to Oz. Go somewhere else , for the prices they charge you can get way better!
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