Outback Steakhouse

"It's a chain. I know this. But man...the few times we have been to Outback (various locations) it is always the same story. Poor service and mediocre food that is overpriced. We decided to go a few nights ago because we had a gift card we wanted to use. We were immediately seated, but then waited almost 20 minutes for service. It was around 715pm and although there were other customers, the restaurant was not busy by any means. A server did stop by about 5 mins after we got there and told us they would be with us shortly. But it was not shortly. I understand being busy, but seeing the server stand on the other side of the bar and chat with a few coworkers for a good 5 minutes was also not very assuring during our wait. We ordered our meals and asked for salads with them. The salads were typical, but the dressing looked and tasted like a giant gob of mayonnaise (asked for ranch) almost as if they forgot to add the ranch spices. The onions in the salad were the size of onion petals, which also was not appetizing. I did not eat my salad and left it on the edge of the table to be picked up because it tasted that gross. The French onion smothered steak was decent, I asked for med rare and it was medium...but that's pretty normal in a restaurant. My husband got the ribeye and Lobster tail with the loaded brussel sprouts and fries. His steak was also over cooked, but edible. The Lobster was flavorless and rubbery, definitely not worth the cost. Fries were cold and the Brussels looked appetizing but were very undercooked..not talking steamed crunch but raw crunch. They also were in a lot of liquid which did not add to the flavor or texture. We were checked on twice during our meal...but then it took forever to get our check and even more time for our server to come back for the payment. We had giftcards and cash so we ended up leaving them for her since we didn't need to sign and she was no where in site. I don't understand the draw of this chain. Never have we had a good experience and the price/quality of food seriously is just not worth it. There is nothing special about the atmosphere either so truly, we don't feel any reason to choose an Outback for a meal at this point. We even heard a group at the bar commenting that "it is always hit or miss going to Outback when it comes to food and service"...that does not seem like a good selling point when choosing a place to eat. We definitely do not plan to go back to this location at all. Just as an added note, we would 100% choose Texas Roadhouse over Outback because we know the food is consistently cooked well and decently priced. Even on an "off night" where service might have been a little slow, we were still satisfied with our meal. We've also been to Longhorn and found that although they are a little more in cost, they too have consistently made a decent meal."

"We had some certificates to use up so we stopped in for a "free" lunch. Had a nice sirloin with coconut shrimp. While my partner had an outback burger that she enjoyed. What amazed us was the speed that everything was prepared. Less than ten minutes from ordering to being served. Hats off to that hard working kitchen crew. On top of all that our server KAYLA was top notch ! She also served the table next to us. How Kayla kept her composer with them is beyond comprehension. They complained about everything including the mash potatoes and her service. Even calling over the manager to complain. What a total bunch of losers. They were so disgraceful it was disgusting how they treated this patient young lady. With four adults and three children they totally trashed the table and floor area . We saw they left her a miniscule tip that was beyond ridiculous ! Hopefully this family gets banned making it a better atmosphere for the rest of us dinners."

"Great food and appetizers. The restaurant is clean and service good. The wait is average, in the range of 15 - 30 mins on normal evenings and weekends. On holidays, be prepared to wait longer, and especially around DE State Univ graduation time. The location is good since you are right in the middle of rte 13 in Dover. When we went, they had a few waitresses serving us, and they all did an excellent job. Great service!!"

"Had dinner on mother's day. I was so impressed with their service on such a busy day. We were seated very promptly and drinks and appetizer came out fast, constant refills and soon after our entrees. Everything was cooked to perfection and tasted absolutely amazing. The portions are awesome and they have so many different meal combinations you can please anyone! I was so happy with our night. The manager was even handing out $10 off to all moms. How sweet?! I will be back very soon and recommend to all my friends and family"