Outback steakhouse - Well worth a visit!! (Outback Steakhouse)

Member Name: lindseyphilpot

Product:	Outback Steakhouse
Date:	15/10/08 (220 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fantastic atmosphere, great food

Disadvantages: Quite pricy, Not many around!!

I recently visited my local outback steakhouse in Romford Essex.

On arrival I thought that the restaurant was really well decorated. It really matched the Australian theme, including the music. I thought the lighting was a little poor and it seemed dark but I think this was to set the mood and it really went in well with the restaurant on closer inspection.

We were greeted by some really friendly staff and asked to wait at the bar until our table was ready as we hadn't booked. This was a Saturday night and it was extremely busy but we waited no more than 10 minutes for a table which we were really shocked about.

The bar is in the middle of the restaurant and has lots of bar stools placed around it where you can sit and have a drink whilst waiting for your table. The drinks menu was really varied and there was something for everyone. Some examples of this are:-

Martinis - Blueberry,pomegrante pear, cucumber, australian.
Signature cocktails
Speciality cocktails - pina colada, Long Island ice tea, Bondi Beach, coat hanger.
Mojitos - Classic, Apple mojo
Smoothies and Milkshakes
Spirit free cocktails
Aussie Bottled beers
Draught Beers
Wine
Soft Drinks.

Drinks seem to be reasonably priced for a restaurant and are no more than you would expect to pay.

When we were seated, we sat in a little booth which was really great as it was quite intimate and gave you a sence of being away from the rest of the restaurant whilst still being able to soak up the fantastic atmosphere. The tables and chairs were really well cleaned and knives and forks shiny which is always a problem for me if i find a dirty knife and fork.

Our waiter came and introduced himself and was really pleasant. He discussed the menu with us and went through the process of how to choose the right steak for you.

The food menu is also very varied and there is something for everyone,not just steak. They offer starters:

The orginal bloomin' onion
Kookabura wings
Aussie cheese fries
Prawn cocktail
Soup
(many more)

Mains:
Steak - Rump, Sirloin, Rib eye (all with a choice of sauce inc mushroom and peppercorn)
Chicken tenders,
Burgers (no rules burger which is my favorite)
Surf and Turf
Pastas
Swordfish
Salads

Please note all these mains are not as simple as I have made out. All mains come with fries or jacket potatoe and are all made with some great sauces and add ons plus there are many more than I have mentioned (too many to name)

Deserts:
Raspberry white chocolate cheesecake
Pecan brownie
Pecan Pie
Caramel Apple granny
Key lime pie
(and many more)

Once we had decided what to eat we sat and chatted and noticed the overall atmosphere was amazing, we had such a great time as all the waiters and waitresses were so friendly and smily. It was a really fun place to be.

Unfortunately our meal took absolutely ages to come but impressively the manager herself came and explained the situation that they were running late and our meal was on its way, we saw her do this to every table.

When the food came out it was worth the wait. It was all so fresh and so tasty. The presentation was great and everything was really well put together. The deserts were to die for!!

The whole meal including drinks was quite pricy at £60 for 2 people, especially as we were not drinking alcohol but it was definately worth it and would be great for a special occassion and a great fun place for the whole family.

Something I noticed when I was there is that they offer special menus for dietery reqirements, this includes gluten free, vegetarian, Low carb, Diabetic and Heart healthy. I think this is really fantastic as they cater for everybody and if somebody in your family has a special dietery requirement then this is a safe place for them to go and eat.

The overall experience was very pleasant. Unfortunately there are not many of these around infact they are only located in Romford, Enfield, Basildon ,Staines and Stevenage which is a real loss for anyone who don't live near one of these restaurants.
If you are ever near one though I would really recommend you try it as the menu is truly delicious and the restaurant is a really great one!

Summary: Hunt one down - you have to try it!!