Outback Steakhouse in Orlando, FL (International Drive)

I was invited to a menu tasting at the new Outback Steakhouse that recently opened on International Drive. This Outback is located in the I-Drive 360 complex, anchored by the currently half built Orlando Eye ferris wheel.

I attended one of their lunch tasting events. These menu tasting events were used to train Outback's staff in exchange for free food. The meal started with Signature Baked Potato Soup - Creamy potato soup topped with melted cheese, bacon, and green onions.

I had the Baby Back Ribs - Smoked, wood-fire grilled and brushed with a tangy BBQ sauce. Served with Aussie Fries.

Sirloin and Grilled Shrimp. Served with a baked potato and asparagus as sides.

I had their homemade watermelon soda made from ginger ale, watermelon, and lime for my drink.

Sangria:

Outback Steakhouse was fun. This new Outback Steakhouse was pretty much exactly what I was expecting. Like most chains, the food here was pretty much equivalent to what can be had at any other Outback. Still, I think Outback Steakhouse should fully embrace their Australian theme and start serving kangaroo meat. I'd totally try kangaroo if it started being served at Outback. It could be a place for people on kangatarian diets to go eat!

Outback Steakhouse in Sanford, FL

Several months ago, I ate at the Outback Steakhouse in Altamonte Springs. My meal there was lacking in more than one way. I wrote about it here, and since then, I've received some of the angriest feedback out of anything I've written on this blog. That post was published last April and I still get the occasional very emotional email defending Outback. Recently, I gave Outback Steakhouse another chance and tried their location in Sanford, so it will be interesting to see the response this post gets.

There was a wait, but unlike my last Outback experience, the buzzer rang without any glitches when our table was ready. We started out with a Bloomin' Onion since it comes free for AAA members. Originally, this promotion was set to go through the end of 2009, but it seems it was extended into 2010.

For my dinner, I had the Atlantic Salmon. The fish came served with a side of very salty vegetables. Besides from the overly salty vegetables, I didn't have any complaints about the salmon, nor the Bloomin' Onion. It wasn't the greatest food I've eaten, but was average tasting food that I would expect from a chain restaurant like Outback.

I still don't like Outback's menu though. I am not a big steak eater, and not getting something along the lines of slab of cow meat on a plate really limits your options here. The non-mammal meat items are really limited. The menu has two chicken items (neither of which sound very appealing), four seafood items, and one pasta dish. Forget this place if you're a vegetarian, even all the salads on the menu have meat in them. I know it's a steakhouse, but compared to all of the other chain steakhouses that I've visited, Outback has the worst selection when it comes to food that doesn't derive from a cow.

Kook Sports Bar

I was doing something at the Buena Vista Palace Hotel just outside of Downtown Disney. It was dinner time, so I ate food from Kook Sports Bar inside of the hotel. I really don't like sports bars all that much, with the TVs all over, and food that's generally not all that good. The only other option inside of the hotel was a restaurant called The Outback (not connected to the steakhouse chain) which charged far too much for what I saw on the menu. Kook Sports Bar also was really overpriced, but was far less than the Outback. Going by the location, the high price has to be somewhat expected.


I ordered the Blackened Grouper Sandwich. The waitress told me it was the best thing on the menu, but it tasted average to me. Nothing was wrong with the sandwich, but it was nothing special either, and definitely not worth the $14.95 price tag. It consisted of a piece of blackened grouper on a sesame bun with lettuce, onions, and tomatoes. Fries, ketchup, and tarter sauce came on the side.

Besides from the high prices, I had no major complaints about the food, but there was nothing special about the place that would get me to return to Kook Sports Bar any time soon. They will do fine without me with all of the Disney tourists...

Outback Steakhouse in Altamonte Springs

I ate at the Outback Steakhouse in Altamonte Springs, FL. It's been years since my last visit to an Outback so I really didn't know what to expect. The dining experience started out with a wait. I had called ahead to make reservations, and Outback said the wait time would be cut in half. We got there and were given a buzzer. After about a half hour of waiting, it turned out that our buzzer never went off, so we had to wait even longer. They said we were probably out of range, but if that's the case, then Outback needs a new system because we were right outside of the front door, probably twenty feet from the receiver. We finally sat down, and I wasn't impressed with the menu. I don't really like steak, and the non-steak choices are very limited at Outback.

I ended up ordering the Shrimp en Fuego. After a long wait, the food finally was served and I wasn't exactly pleased with my shrimp. They were deep fried, and the way the menu and the waitress described the dish put a different image of the shrimp in my head. Once I got over the deep fried part, the shrimp weren't all that bad. They were covered in a spicy buffalo wing type sauce, and served in a cheese covered potato skin of all things. A side of green beans were served on the side.

Outback is supposed to serve Australian food, but I'm assuming actual traditional Australian food is way different, and most likely way better. I think a Watch Me Eat field trip should be arranged to sample real Australian food...