When you think of Outback Steakhouse visions of boomerang decor and Bloomin’ Onions may automatically come to mind. The popular restaurant chain, which was founded in Florida in 1988, is known for its delicious appetizers, affordable lunch combos, and energetic commercials (which often feature sizzling steaks and loaded baked potatoes). But even if you’re a regular, how much do you really know about Outback Steakhouse?
From the astonishing number of calories in its beloved Bloomin’ Onion to the fact that the first location was in Florida (where the company is based), not Australia, here are five secrets about Outback Steakhouse that may surprise you.
No, you’re not imagining it—Outback Steakhouse’s prices are higher than they used to be. In 2021, Outback Steakhouse’s parent company, Bloomin’ Brands, decided to raise the chain’s menu prices by three percent. In early 2022, they bumped that price increase up to five percent, and have decided to leave the increase in place at least through the end of the year.
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Outback Steakhouse’s menu features items such as “Gold Coast Coconut Shrimp” and “Aussie Fries,” and most of us are familiar with the Australian voiceover in the commercials, but that doesn’t mean it serves authentic Australian cuisine. In fact, at the time when the chain was founded, none of its owners had even been to Australia. Frustrated with the restaurant’s lack of Australian delicacies, Aussies took to Reddit to share exactly what they would serve at Outback if they were in charge—including dishes seasoned with chicken salt, potato cakes, and fairy bread.
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While many chain restaurants keep their meat frozen, for the most part, Outback is not one of them. Many of the items on Outback’s menu are prepared fresh, including its famous steaks, but a handful of items may still be frozen. According to one Outback Steakhouse employee on Reddit, fries, fish, lamb, desserts, and a few dressings and sauces are all frozen until they are ready to be served.
Not a huge surprise here, but while this famous appetizer may be delicious, it definitely isn’t healthy. This popular Outback Steakhouse appetizer is not only fried, but is also filled with calories, salt, and fat. One order has 1,950 calories (close to the 2,000-calorie average limit per day), 155 grams of fat (140% of the daily recommended limit), and 3,840 milligrams of sodium (66% more sodium than you should have in an entire day), making it a dish you should probably enjoy only in moderation or split amongst many (many) friends.
If you knew you could make Outback’s popular house bread at home, would you still trek your way over to the restaurant to order it? Corporate may not want you to know that there are a whole bunch of Outback bread copycat recipes, which allow you to easily recreate the popular restaurant chain treat in the comfort of your own kitchen by using just a few simple ingredients. You can bake a batch and then freeze it to enjoy later on when the urge hits. No more having to spend money at an Outback to get your bread fix!
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