Outback Steakhouse

10/25/08

Gone way downhill!

by Pattie7 at Citysearch

My family and I have been going to this restaurant for many years, probably since it opened (yes, I remember well when Any Mountain occupied the building, that's how long I've lived in Cupertino!). It used to be absolutely wonderful, with a great wait staff who were attentive and never messed up an order. Recently however (maybe the last year), it has really gone downhill. On our last visit we had to ask multiple times for ice water in addition to our drinks, and the waiters had no idea who had ordered what when the meals arrived. We also had made special requests for one of the salads to have no tomatoes, and it arrived *with* them. For another salad we had asked for extra blue cheese dressing and it was a no-show, as was the grated cheese that topped all of the salads except one. For the entrees we had to ask for horseradish twice and ended up having to chase down the waitress when it had not arrived after some 10 minutes. This was *definitely* one of the worst experiences I've ever had at an Outback! Where's the quality control that Outback is so well known for?

It's a real shame that I have had nothing but bad experiences here lately (my guess is that the "new" manager Brian White) is to blame. This restaurant was *perfect* when Joe Coelho managed it.

I'm still a big Outback fan and make a point of searching these restaurants out when I travel, which is a lot. I guess I will have to try other Outbacks in the Bay Area. Outback Cupertino, get your act together!

• Pros: great location, can eat at the bar, good televisions for sports
• Cons: quality of service has gone way down

Australian tchotchkes and brews give this quintessentially American restaurant a distinctive Down Under flavor.

by Contributor at Citysearch

In Short
Boomerangs, Aussie flags, kangaroo portraits and faux aboriginal art honor the homeland's wilderness, but Outback delivers a polished version of rusticity with varnished blond-wood booths with matching wainscoting and casually uniformed waitstaff. Besides more than a half-dozen cuts of steak, diners can pick from large-portioned entrees like ribs, chops and shrimp or chicken "on the barbie." The Bloomin' Onion, a large onion dipped in batter and deep-fried, is an appetizer with a following.

05/16/02

Happy Hour madness

by JackShay_Citysearch at Citysearch

This Outback is like every other Outback, but only more so. The Apple Computer folks descend on it like locusts at Happy Hour and through dinner. If you like crowds, it's actually a ball and worth the hassle (despite the computer thing, the crowd is not a stereotypical bunch of Engineer/Star-Wars-geeks). A tasteful college party with folks of many ages might be the best description. The black bread used to be better a while ago, but all food is still good (and of course too plentiful). But showing up during peak hours (weekend dinners too) just to get dinner out is a bad idea.

• Pros: energetic scene, decent food
• Cons: insanely busy