Rant: Inconsistency at Outback Steak House.



T

Ted Campanelli

Guest
Last week my wife and I stopped at a local Outback for dinner. The
salads and soup were EXCELLENT. The steaks, not bad, but nothing to
write home about (we had the 14 oz rib eye - Rockhampton ?).

Tonight we stopped there again. The soup and salad were inedible due to
the excess of pepper and the steaks could have been used for resoling
the shoes (14 oz rib eye dome medium - dark pink in the middle).

When we complained we were told "We make our soups and salad dressings
from scratch. We use the same recipe and they do not vary from day to
day. I find it difficult to believe the steaks are tough. They are
choice cut and tenderized to insure they are not tough (don't ask me
what they 'tenderize' them with)." When I asked for replacements that
did not have all the pepper I was given a run around and FINALLY told
they would be replaced, but we would be charged for them. The same with
the steak.

We left. As we were leaving the manager said if we didn't pay he would
call the police. He got "quite perplexed" when I asked if he would like
my home address and phone to give to the police. Been 3 hours now and
no call from the police.

Needless to say, we will not be going back to that particular Outback
again and I am notifying the main office about what happened.
 
On 2005-01-08, Ted Campanelli <[email protected]> wrote:

> Needless to say, we will not be going back to that particular Outback
> again and I am notifying the main office about what happened.

I had the same experience. I never had any desire to go to Outback's, but
my daughter and SIL treated me to dinner there. I was pleasantly surprised.
Enough so, I treated my neighbors a few weeks later. The same place and
this time it sucked severely! Never again.

As for notifying the head office, it's been my experience big chains
couldn't care less.

nb
 
On Sat, 08 Jan 2005 22:42:11 -0600, notbob
<[email protected]> wrote:

> On 2005-01-08, Ted Campanelli <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > Needless to say, we will not be going back to that particular Outback
> > again and I am notifying the main office about what happened.
>
> I had the same experience. I never had any desire to go to Outback's, but
> my daughter and SIL treated me to dinner there. I was pleasantly surprised.
> Enough so, I treated my neighbors a few weeks later. The same place and
> this time it sucked severely! Never again.
>
> As for notifying the head office, it's been my experience big chains
> couldn't care less.
>
IMO: They're ususally in a state of upheaval and cut costs
at the restaurant level to justify their own bloated
salaries.

sf
 
Ted Campanelli wrote:
> Last week my wife and I stopped at a local Outback for dinner.

First mistake. I have been talked into eating there a couple of times
- each time I literally pooped my pants. They claim they don't use MSG
- I have no doubt the do. Nasty place, it is.

-L.
 
> Needless to say, we will not be going back to that particular Outback
> again and I am notifying the main office about what happened.

I had a similar thing happen at a TGI Fridays and the manager comp'd my
whole meal I was invited to come back for another free meal. I never
did though beacuse I had three bad experiences in a row at two seperate
TGI Fridays and I just wrote the place off as awful. It wasn't nearly
as bad when I was in college or at least it seemed that way.

Chris
 
"Ted Campanelli" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Last week my wife and I stopped at a local Outback for dinner. The
> salads and soup were EXCELLENT. The steaks, not bad, but nothing to
> write home about (we had the 14 oz rib eye - Rockhampton ?).
>
> Tonight we stopped there again. The soup and salad were inedible due to
> the excess of pepper and the steaks could have been used for resoling
> the shoes (14 oz rib eye dome medium - dark pink in the middle).
>
> When we complained we were told "We make our soups and salad dressings
> from scratch. We use the same recipe and they do not vary from day to
> day. I find it difficult to believe the steaks are tough. They are
> choice cut and tenderized to insure they are not tough (don't ask me
> what they 'tenderize' them with)." When I asked for replacements that
> did not have all the pepper I was given a run around and FINALLY told
> they would be replaced, but we would be charged for them. The same with
> the steak.
>
> We left. As we were leaving the manager said if we didn't pay he would
> call the police. He got "quite perplexed" when I asked if he would like
> my home address and phone to give to the police. Been 3 hours now and
> no call from the police.
>
> Needless to say, we will not be going back to that particular Outback
> again and I am notifying the main office about what happened.
>

Wow...that's pretty bad. I've had service like that at Chevy's (which is why
I never go there anymore) but not at Outback. I've had problems there, don't
mistake me, but they were well handled by the manager when the time came.
For example, I ordered a strip medium. It came out well done. I informed the
server that it was overdone, and she argued, saying that she'd told me when
I ordered that it would have a dark pink center. I showed her the steak and
challenged her to show me any shade of pink. She stomped off with the steak
in hand and returned ten minutes later with the SAME STEAK. They'd cooked it
even more, and returned it to me. I laughed myself silly and in-between
gasps for air, requested the presence of the manager. He apologized
profusely and offered to personally make me another steak. He also offered
dessert for everyone at the table, and then proceeded to bring me 2 gift
certificates for $20 each. Now *that*, my friends, is a manager.

kimberly
 
Nexis <[email protected]> wrote:

> It came out well done. I informed the server that it was
> overdone, and she argued, saying that she'd told me when I
> ordered that it would have a dark pink center. I showed her
> the steak and challenged her to show me any shade of pink. She
> stomped off with the steak in hand and returned ten minutes
> later with the SAME STEAK. They'd cooked it even more, and
> returned it to me.

This would be illegal for them to do, at least in California.

Steve
 
On 9 Jan 2005 06:23:20 -0800, "Chris" <[email protected]> connected
the dots and wrote:

~> Needless to say, we will not be going back to that particular
Outback
~> again and I am notifying the main office about what happened.
~
~I had a similar thing happen at a TGI Fridays and the manager comp'd
my
~whole meal I was invited to come back for another free meal. I never
~did though beacuse I had three bad experiences in a row at two
seperate
~TGI Fridays and I just wrote the place off as awful. It wasn't
nearly
~as bad when I was in college or at least it seemed that way.
~
~Chris

You mean back when you had a cast iron and chronically empty stomach
and hollow leg? Most food tastes good to the starving<G>.

We won a dinner for 4 at Outback, and while the food was ok, wouldn't
go back there. Not our style, the huge slab of meat/Aussie yammering.

I like Aussies, but these guys were a bad imitation.

maxine in ri
 
On Sun, 9 Jan 2005 12:56:19 -0800, "Nexis" <[email protected]>
wrote:

> Wow...that's pretty bad. I've had service like that at Chevy's (which is why
> I never go there anymore) but not at Outback. I've had problems there, don't
> mistake me, but they were well handled by the manager when the time came.
> For example, I ordered a strip medium. It came out well done.

Chevy's has steak? They have steak fajitas, but I'm not
aware of a true steak on the menu. My husband says that
they have a steak that we order at an El Salvadoran
restaurant (can't remember what it's called) that is
marinated in cilantro and a bunch of other stuff. It's very
thin, so we don't even try to tell them what "doneness" we
want - they cook it and we eat it. I usually order it with
grilled garlic shrimp (Salvadoran surf & turf), cut the
steak into strips and eat it with the shrimp rolled in a
tortilla. YUM!

> I informed the
> server that it was overdone, and she argued, saying that she'd told me when
> I ordered that it would have a dark pink center. I showed her the steak and
> challenged her to show me any shade of pink. She stomped off with the steak
> in hand and returned ten minutes later with the SAME STEAK. They'd cooked it
> even more, and returned it to me.

I think she (or the kitchen crew) was too used to people
complaining about the slightest bit of pink and ran on
automatic after that.

> I laughed myself silly and in-between
> gasps for air, requested the presence of the manager. He apologized
> profusely and offered to personally make me another steak. He also offered
> dessert for everyone at the table, and then proceeded to bring me 2 gift
> certificates for $20 each. Now *that*, my friends, is a manager.

All's well that ends well!

Speaking of sending things back... don't get me started
about eggs benedict! My family cringes and always tries to
disuade me from ordering it when I see it on the menu,
because they know there's a good chance there will be a
"problem". Hey, why put it on your menu if you can't make
it right? I'm not even talking about the sauce (which is
usually wrong)... who on earth wants a HARD egg benedict?
SHEESH.

sf
 
"Steve Pope" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Nexis <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > It came out well done. I informed the server that it was
> > overdone, and she argued, saying that she'd told me when I
> > ordered that it would have a dark pink center. I showed her
> > the steak and challenged her to show me any shade of pink. She
> > stomped off with the steak in hand and returned ten minutes
> > later with the SAME STEAK. They'd cooked it even more, and
> > returned it to me.
>
> This would be illegal for them to do, at least in California.
>
> Steve

Why? Just curious...
It happened in California, in fact. San Diego, to be precise.
It's happened more than once there too, but not going from well to
leather...it was from rare to medium well.
kimberly
>
 
"sf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Sun, 9 Jan 2005 12:56:19 -0800, "Nexis" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> > Wow...that's pretty bad. I've had service like that at Chevy's (which
is why
> > I never go there anymore) but not at Outback. I've had problems there,
don't
> > mistake me, but they were well handled by the manager when the time
came.
> > For example, I ordered a strip medium. It came out well done.
>
> Chevy's has steak? They have steak fajitas, but I'm not
> aware of a true steak on the menu. My husband says that
> they have a steak that we order at an El Salvadoran
> restaurant (can't remember what it's called) that is
> marinated in cilantro and a bunch of other stuff. It's very
> thin, so we don't even try to tell them what "doneness" we
> want - they cook it and we eat it. I usually order it with
> grilled garlic shrimp (Salvadoran surf & turf), cut the
> steak into strips and eat it with the shrimp rolled in a
> tortilla. YUM!

I was referring to service, not steak :)
Chevy's service, IMHO, sucks big time, at least 90% of the time. And the
salsa just isn't what it used to be.

>
> > I informed the
> > server that it was overdone, and she argued, saying that she'd told me
when
> > I ordered that it would have a dark pink center. I showed her the steak
and
> > challenged her to show me any shade of pink. She stomped off with the
steak
> > in hand and returned ten minutes later with the SAME STEAK. They'd
cooked it
> > even more, and returned it to me.
>
> I think she (or the kitchen crew) was too used to people
> complaining about the slightest bit of pink and ran on
> automatic after that.

Probably, but not a very good excuse. She was just tuned out from the
beginning and it was all downhill from there.

>
> > I laughed myself silly and in-between
> > gasps for air, requested the presence of the manager. He apologized
> > profusely and offered to personally make me another steak. He also
offered
> > dessert for everyone at the table, and then proceeded to bring me 2
gift
> > certificates for $20 each. Now *that*, my friends, is a manager.
>
> All's well that ends well!
>
> Speaking of sending things back... don't get me started
> about eggs benedict! My family cringes and always tries to
> disuade me from ordering it when I see it on the menu,
> because they know there's a good chance there will be a
> "problem". Hey, why put it on your menu if you can't make
> it right? I'm not even talking about the sauce (which is
> usually wrong)... who on earth wants a HARD egg benedict?
> SHEESH.
>
> sf

LOL....you would get along with my husband...he shares your sentiments on
eggs benedict. He loves the dish, but can rarely find a decent version of it
in restaurants. The last time he did, it was a waffle place outside of Coos
Bay. Everything we had there was divine. The waffles, his eggs benedict, his
brothers omelet, all of it. And personally, I absolutely loved their triple
berry sauce that was served with the waffles and pancakes. Raspberries,
blackberries and strawberries. Yum!

kimberly
 
Nexis <[email protected]> wrote:

>"Steve Pope" <[email protected]> wrote in message

>> Nexis <[email protected]> wrote:

>>> She
>>> stomped off with the steak in hand and returned ten minutes
>>> later with the SAME STEAK. They'd cooked it even more, and
>>> returned it to me.

>> This would be illegal for them to do, at least in California.

>Why? Just curious...
>It happened in California, in fact. San Diego, to be precise.
>It's happened more than once there too, but not going from well to
>leather...it was from rare to medium well.

Well, if they actually put it on the grill, and returned it,
then that is illegal because they cannot take food that has
been delivered to a table and then process it again in the kitchen.
They theory is that is has been out of their control. (When
they weren't looking, the customer may have sprinkled the
steak with poison or spores or something... or maybe they
coughed on it or touched it with their unwashed hands... and therefore
the restaurant risks infecting their other customers by doing this.)

Steve
 
Steve Pope wrote:
> Nexis <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>"Steve Pope" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
>
>>>Nexis <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>>>She
>>>>stomped off with the steak in hand and returned ten minutes
>>>>later with the SAME STEAK. They'd cooked it even more, and
>>>>returned it to me.
>
>
>>>This would be illegal for them to do, at least in California.
>
>
>>Why? Just curious...
>>It happened in California, in fact. San Diego, to be precise.
>>It's happened more than once there too, but not going from well to
>>leather...it was from rare to medium well.
>
>
> Well, if they actually put it on the grill, and returned it,
> then that is illegal because they cannot take food that has
> been delivered to a table and then process it again in the kitchen.
> They theory is that is has been out of their control. (When
> they weren't looking, the customer may have sprinkled the
> steak with poison or spores or something... or maybe they
> coughed on it or touched it with their unwashed hands... and therefore
> the restaurant risks infecting their other customers by doing this.)
>
> Steve
>

What happens when you cut a steak and it is not cooked enough? Are you
telling me they cook an entirely new steak? BS. Mine comes back with my
knife cut in it.


jim
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom Back