Outback Steakhouse

We haven't been back in Outback Steakhouse for a while, because eating there isn't exactly cheap. But with their Lunch Specials, you could save a few hundred bucks and have your steak at the same time. Their Lunch Specials isn't reallya new thing, and its menu has changed from the last we were here but not to worry, as it still has some great dishes for really great prices. It's only available on weekdays, from 11AM to 3PM.

Outback really hasn't changed all these years. It still has it's dark wooden interiors, and quirky Australian decor strewn around the place. There's still the bar, where you could enjoy your drinks and food while watching sports on the monitors, which is also located inside the Smoking Area. The service is sometimes kind of touch and go here, sometimes it's great, other times it's not. Luckily for this visit, it was great.

We ordered the following:

Kim had the Victoria's Filet.

The Victoria's Filet might seem like a modest sized steak to some. But this 6oz. packs some great flavor. And despite being smaller than most of the other steaks on the menu, it is also quite filling. Best to have it medium rare as to not lose the flavor. This plate comes with mashed potatoes and some veggies.

I had the Chicken Fried Chicken.

This is probably our favorite from the Lunch Specials, and we have had it a couple of times already. Just can't go wrong with perfectly deep fried chicken topped off with their very tasty gravy. This also comes with mashed potatoes on the side.

And for dessert, we shared a Chocolate Thunder from Down Under.

This might be described as a little too rich, and too sinful. But it's just right for me and Kim... Actually, more than right! It's one of the best desserts we like from everywhere we have eaten. It's the best that every spoonful you have has each of its components --  the warm brownie, vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and shavings, and the whipped cream on top! It's sweet, it's warm, it's cold, it's nutty, it's chocolatey... It's just a confluence of flavors inside your mouth!

We love that Outback hasn't changed all that much through the years. After all, why fix something that isn't broken?

Outback Steakhouse
E. Rodriguez Jr Ave (C5),
Libis, Quezon City

Outback Steakhouse: Valentine's Date

February 14, 2013. Thursday.

Note: Sorry for the crappy phonecam pics. Kim forgot to bring the batteries of her camera, and we were left to use my phone.

A week prior to Valentine's Day, I was calling up different restaurants to reserve a table for us. It was our first time celebrating the day since we didn't celebrate last year, so I had restaurants that had sure- fire good meals on my list. Since it was already close to the day itself, I must have gone through half a dozen places before finally getting a table at Outback Steakhouse. It wasn't what we originally had in mind since we wanted to try new places, but good food is still good food. And we know Outback serves great food!

We were a little early for our reservation time, but luckily they already had a table ready. The waitress at the door ushered as to our seats. The places was packed inside! And the line outside door was about a dozen people deep. Once seated, we took our time in ordering since we wanted to order differently from last time.

After ordering, the manager came to our table and gave us some free stuff! It was for those who reserved a table at least 2 days in advance. We got a gift certificate for Lunch Specials for two, a gift card for a full order of Kookaburra Wings, and a framed photo of ourselves. After she left, someone took our picture which they gave to us in an Outback - Valentine's themed frame after about half an hour. All in all, that was about 1,500php worth of freebies.

An Outback Steakhouse meal starts off with the complimentary Dark Honey Wheat Bread.

As we have mentioned before, this is the best complimentary bread we have ever tasted. It was really great as it was already, but Kim found out that you can actually ask for a chocolate dip for it. Kim dipped the bread in butter and enjoyed it that way, while I spread some churned butter on mine before dipping it. The sweetness of the chocolate provided a contrast to the slight saltiness of the churned butter.

For starters, we got half an order of Kookaburra Wings.

We already ordered this before, but we really love wings and we couldn't decide on what appetizer to order. Even though we asked the server that we wanted our wings to be spicy, it still pales comparison compared to other wings joints when it comes to that spice factor. But other than that, this is a great starter to any meal. The wings were crispy and had that right sourness to it.

Kim ordered the Angus Prime Rib with a side of Rice Pilaf and Loaded Baked Potato.

The Angus Prime Rib is a 10 oz. cut of USDA Angus Beef. It is served with au jus, which is the beef's own juice from cooking. So don't mistake it for BBQ sauce as it is far from it. It is watery and tastes just like the beef you are served. It enhances the flavor of the steak, and keeps it moist when it takes you awhile to eat. As with any steak from Outback, you get to choose 2 sides for it. Kim chose Rice Pilaf and a Loaded Baked Potato.

I ordered the Chicken and Ribs Combo.

Since I always order steak when I'm in Outback, I decided to deviate from the usual and order the Chicken and Ribs Combo. In hindsight I probably shouldn't have, because what's wrong in ordering steak when you're in a steakhouse? Tsktsk. The plate I was served wasn't bad, in fact it was good. And it was a really hefty meal for it's price. There was about half a rack of ribs, and 3 pieces of grilled chicken breasts all covered in that great BBQ sauce. But that was the problem, they tasted too much alike because they were cooked in the same suace! The ribs were really tender, and readily fell off the bone, and the chicken breast was juicy and flavorful. But the same taste really got to me, that I only managed to finish half of the ribs and half the chicken breasts. Plus I was really envious of the smell of Kim's steak from across me. This combo came with mashed potatoes and vegetables.

Outback has never failed to provide us with great food and great service. The wait staff are always attentive to details, and the food is always of good quality. We waited a little more than usual for our food on this date, but that's okay since it was really packed and you could see that ordered were really going table after table. The ambiance in Outback doesn't really change even when it's packed or not, it's a place where you can have good conversation even when there's audible background music playing. All in all, a great Valentine's date for us thanks to Outback.

Outback Steakhouse
35 E. Rodriguez JR Ave.,
Libis, Quezon City
(02) 634 - 3801

Other Outback entries:
Back in Outback! Claiming Our Valentine's Freebies  
Outback Steakhouse 

Outback Steakhouse

December 9, 2012. Sunday.

By now, you probably know that we really don't mind spending a lot just as long as it is on good food. So be forewarned, this entry/ dining experience constitutes the most we have ever spent on food together. But it was really all worth it, especially if you're a carnivore.

 

We originally planned to eat at House of Minis along C5 since I really wanted to get some steak. We were coming from Ortigas and there was some sort of rerouting being done right at the intersection of C5 and Ortigas Ave. I was forced to turn left towards the direction of Libis. But I was not be deterred in my quest to have steak that night. Luckily there's a steakhouse right smack in the middle of Libis. You may have heard of it; it goes by the name of Outback Steakhouse.

I know Outback and House of Minis differ greatly in price and the style of cooking. Outback is your upscale (very upscale, actually) steakhouse with aged and dry rubbed steaks, and House of Minis by comparison would seem more like your average mall steak on a hot plate. Still, steak is steak. And I really wanted my steak that night.

I haven't been to Outback in a while, but I must say not much has changed. It still has that old steakhouse vibe going for it, with the use of wood all throughout the resto's decor and furnishings, a bar in the middle, booths of varying seating capacity all around, an incandescent lamp above every booth and of course the faux retro Australian spread out all over the place. The place looks old, but I mean it in a good way. It still feels homey and welcoming.

We ended up ordering the following:

First we were served the traditional Outback Dark Honey Wheat Bread.

This has got to be the best complementary bread ever. It's served warm on a cutting board with a cupful of churned butter. The bread has a sweet cocoa taste to it that really goes well with the slight saltiness of the butter. A perfect meal starter.

Then we got Kookaburra Wings.

Kookaburra Wings (half). 279php.

We both love wings, so we got this for our appetizer. We had it only mildly spicy since we didn't want to wreck our taste buds for our main course. This is Outback's version of the Buffalo Wings. The wings were fried to a nice a crispy texture then tossed into their sauce. Really went well with the blue cheese dip it came with.

Kim ordered a half slab of Baby Back Ribs.

Baby Back Ribs, half slab. 659php.

The half slab was served with fries on the side. The meat easily slid off the bones, all while still being juicy. The barbecue sauce it was coated in was had a tangy taste to it, and it also had a nice little peppery kick to it.

And I ordered a 10 oz. Angus Ribeye.

10 oz. Angus Ribeye. 1455php.

Steak, finally. I like my meat cooked well done since I really don't want any pink left in them. I gauge how a good steak is by the amount of steak sauce/ gravy I would need to eat them. And with this one, I didn't even bother asking for any! I loved the marbling on my cut of ribeye, it just had the right amount of fat to it. Those we think fat is a bad thing, that's not entirely true for steaks since the fat really adds to the flavor of the meat. Despite being cooked on an open flame, my steak managed to remain juicy and tender. It was so good that I really couldn't remember how my sides of rice pilaf and baked potato went.

We both got Cokes.

We liked how they were served with chilled mugs.

We really enjoyed eating here that we are already planning on when to come back. The food might really be on the expensive side, but then again we think it is all worth it.

Outback Steakhouse
35 E. Rodriguez JR Ave.,
Libis, Quezon City
(02) 634 - 3801

Other Outback entries:
Back in Outback! Claiming Our Valentine's Freebies
Outback Steakhouse: Valentine's Date