Not All OutBacks Are The Same!
Written: Nov 10 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Nice landscaped walkway on the bayou with benches for your long wait for a table!
Cons: Service and food!
The Bottom Line: Not all OutBacks are GOOD!
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| Birdfeather's Full Review: Outback Steakhouse |
After several visits to our local OutBack Steakhouse in Baton Rouge where we received good service and great food, we decided to dine at the OutBack in Lafayette, LA on a recent visit. I must say that the Lafayette location was a huge disappointment. Read on to find out why.
We arrived at the OutBack Steakhouse at peak dinner hour on a Friday evening and expected a long wait. That is typical of all OutBacks and was expected. This location at 1600 West Pinhook Road in Lafayette, LA is located directly on the bayou and they have a nice landscaped walkway down to the bayou with benches. My husband went to the bar and ordered us both a drink to help pass the time and we strolled down the walkway to the bayou. If you are out on the water you can pull your boat right up to the dock and tie up and dine at the OutBack.
I have to say the waiting time and the outside atmosphere was probably the best thing I can say about this location of the OutBack. Our wait time was only 45 minutes which was reasonable for a Friday night. The restaurant was packed and there was probably 50 people waiting outside, not to mention those waiting in the bar where we first thought we would wait but all tables and stools were occupied.
Our Dining Experience
Our beepers finally went off and we were seated by a cordial hostess. Our waitress wasn't so pleasant, she seemed put out that she was waiting tables and projected an attitude of such! It took about 15 minutes for her to take our drink and appetizer order and another 15 minutes for us to receive the drinks with the appetizer following 15 minutes later. By this time we had decided on our menu selections and gave her our order at this time. Our food arrived another 45 minutes later. I ordered Victoria's Filet cooked medium- rare and my husband ordered a Prime RibEye cooked medium. I took one look at my steak when it arrived and told my husband that I wanted to send it back. It was seared and looked to be at least a well done steak. While waiting to get the waitress's attention I cut a bite of the steak and it was very well done. I sent my steak back and waited another 30 minutes for my steak. My steak wasn't the only thing that was wrong. My husband was served a PrimeRib instead of the Prime RibEye. He decided to just eat it since he is a diabetic and was starving. I ate my salad which is a nice size and very fresh with huge homemade croutons. I ended up munching on the Bloomin Onion some more while waiting for my steak. It finally arrived and was not medium-rare but medium. At this point I decided it was useless not to mention late and started carving. Our waitress was not very attentive and my husband left her a minimal tip. She never apologized for getting the order wrong and didn't offer to refill our glasses...we had to ask for refills!
Menu
OutBack Steakhouse has several cuts of steaks and this is the specialty here (usually). They also serve hamburgers, sandwiches, seafood, chicken and salads. Prices range $6.99 for sandwiches to $14.79-$27.99 for entrees. Each entree is served with a choice of soup, salad, baked potato or sweet potato.
Kids are welcome here and the menu is kid friendly. The Joey Menu for kids contains burgers, chicken fingers, kid's steak, grilled chicken, mac and cheese and ribs. Dessert is a Spotted Dog Sundae with Oreos or chocolate syrup. Kids menu items range from $4.49 to $5.99.
Atmosphere
Indoor atmosphere is a bit noisy because they are always crowded. The lighting is on the low side and would make for a romantic dinner on an early weekday night when the crowd doesn't have the place booked to capacity.
Bar
You will find a nice size bar area with both stools around the bar and a few tables and chairs. The bar resembles a sports bar with the televisions mounted up on the wall. This would be a nice place to meet friends for a drink after work or a pre-dinner drink while you are waiting...if you can get a place to sit!
My Final Thoughts
Like I said in the beginning of this review, the wait for the table outdoors was the most pleasant part of this dining experience. The only other good thing I can say about it was the dining area was clean and the restrooms were also clean. I cannot recommend this location of the OutBack in Lafayette, LA. Try another restaurant or another location of the OutBack.
© 2004 Birdfeather
Recommended:
No
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