If we could leave a zero, we would... Other than the hostess, no one, not the bartender on our initial wait nor the wait staff we never encountered after asking to be reseated because the child next to us regurgitated his bloomin' whatever.. We left... We might try another location later only because we have a gift card to burn up, but ordering it as a carry out seems to be the most logical choice...
(1)
Patricia K.
On my way to Tim's one evening, I had the sudden craving for Outback's chopped bleu cheese and walnut salad. I called them and arranged a "Curbside pickup" and within five minutes (I was just down the street), I had my salad in hand for only $4.24. It is certainly a decent size salad -- enough to serve as my dinner. They also throw in the bread/butter so at $4.24, this deal is a steal!
(4)
Nicole L.
I'm sorry, but what are people enjoying about this place that I just don't get? Don't get me wrong, the staff is excellent. Our waiter tonight, Dominick, who looked to me like a cross between Zachery Levi and Jimmy Fallon, was extremely personable and attentive, but that doesn't excuse the lackluster flavorless food. To be fair, I've never cared for Outback but it's been years since eating at one so I got a gift card from my Discover card cash-back bonus and figured we'd give it another shot. No thanks. The thing is, the food wasn't terrible, it just wasn't worth $16 for a bland steak and four shrimp. I didn't care for the artichoke & spinach dip either. My husband's chicken and ribs were just ok. The chicken itself wasn't anything better than I can cook myself and I can't seem to cook a good chicken breast so that tells you something. Had I actually had to pay for this meal out of my own pocket I would be pissed. I think I'll stick to Lone Star, Longhorn, or Texas Roadhouse. There are so many other options out there, why do people keep coming here?
(2)
Aaron J.
Bad everything and we will not be visiting this location again. On 1/2/2015 we decided since we were visiting our old neighborhood in Bloomingdale, IL we would have dinner at Outback. Big mistake! When we walked in it was standing room only and that is understandable for a Friday evening. I should have followed my instincts and left but the kids have never been to Outback so we waited. After being seated we were given a menu and it was 15 minutes before we saw our waitress again. When she finally appeared we ordered appetizers, and our meal. Our appetizers arrived in 10 minutes, which was great but after still waiting for 50 minutes for our main course I told the family get your coats, I'm paying for the appetizers and we are out of here. One of the other waitresses heard our conversation and suddenly our waitress appeared. She apologized for long wait and gave us a sad story on how they were "slammed" I told her people who were seated after us have already paid their check and left. She brought over the manager and he apologized and said our meal will be served in 5 minutes. When the meal finally arrived the steaks were tough and flavorless; and the pasta dish was tasteless. We wasted close to 2 hours for this below-par meal. Extremely disappointed.
(1)
Angie R.
Last time i was at an Outback was about 10 yrs ago. Now i know why its been so long. This was not my lunch pick, my significant other chose this and I'm very upset. I'm leaving hungry and he spent over 30 on my sucky meal. I'm giving it one star for the decent drink, a blueberry sangria. I ordered the Outback special steak and it was a HUGE disappointment. It was cooked medium rare, how I asked it but it was terrible. Chewy, had no flavor. I ordered the sauteed mushrooms which were whole button mushrooms and they weren't good. Not what I expected. I also ordered the house salad which was just that, very basic. For 30.00 I ate a salad thats comparable to mcds house salad, warm bread with butter and a baked potato. Oh, the potato was good. Now I leave, upset, disappointed and hungry. If you want steak go elsewhere!
(1)
Johnny A.
Went here with my family for Father's Day June 21, 2015 - while via word of mouth and also on Yelp, we have heard some negatives about this restaurant over the years - our experience here last night was very good. Arrived about 4pm. We were seated immediately. Within about a half hour though, we noticed the restaurant really pick up with people. Our waiter was excellent. We regret that we forget his name now and we don't have our receipts to verify it, but he was very accommodating, friendly, and overly nice and helpful. 5 stars there and no issues whatsoever. Early 20's guy, short dark hair. Our soups were excellent. We had cream of potato and it was excellent. Our food was excellent all around. I had your basic cheeseburger and fries and it was probably one of the best burgers I have had in a LONG TIME. My family members had steak entrees and they all said the food was excellent. Would I come here again - yes. Would I ever get carry-out from here - yes. My only reason for not giving the place a perfect 5 stars is miniscule - but - the way our dining area was set up it kinda seemed everybody was on top of everybody - kinda confined. Yes, yes, I know - it was a holiday, so I have to be forgiving for that. I will also be straightforward and say the food is a bit on the expensive side, so plan accordingly. We had a coupon and a $25 gift card, so that helped significantly. Also, on our way out, there were roughly 20-25 people waiting/hanging outside/in the parking lot. A few were just leaning against the railings right next to the restaurant and smoking. This is nothing illegal by any means (and at one time, I also had a cigarette or two in my mouth), but the optics of it looked a bit negative. There should possibly be a designated area for this outside. Overall - a very nice experience and the food - as well as our service - was FANTASTIC.
(4)
Hohan H.
I won't be going back. The little mistakes I usually overlook, but this restaurant just messes up too much. I ordered prime rib mr- came well done, charged me for a side that asked could replace the sweet potato that they didn't have, stale bread..... Small things that keep happening. What has happened here? Bummer because we ordered 1-2 times a month....
(1)
Aj K.
People go to restaurants for good food, environment and a memorable experience. Unfortunately, none of them are offered at outback steakhouse in Bloomingdale. A steak house that doesn't know how to cook steaks! At first entering into the restaurant the hostess is not welcoming, They look at guests as an intrusion of their time. Maybe, its more important to gossip and laugh about while customers decide if they went to the right place. After taking our name, It takes half an hour to be seated. We observed several tables were empty, so after inquiring if we can get the one those empty tables, the response is: "oh we don't have servers for that table" What!!! That goes to show that management is unable to utilize their staff or don't have enough help to cater guests. As a customer, you want to be treated well and feel welcomed, you really don't care if they have available servers or not, if management had a good sense of customer service they would make it happen immediately. There used to be a time when restaurants earned your business, treated you with respect and made sure that your experience is such that you would talk about it with your friends and family. Over here, i just felt like a head count, another 50-60 bucks and thats it. Our server was nice, on time and attentive. Their timing on bringing in appetizers was within 5-10 mins (not too bad) and in the meanwhile our drinks were filled as soon as they were half empty. The french onion soup is one of the better ones I have had compared to others however, the steak is a different story. Poor cuts of meat and loads of liquid smoke is used to make your wood fire grill. The meat was dry and tough and had lots of fat on it. This is by far one of the worst steaks I have ever had. After our complaints; The Manager was apologetic and offered another round of steaks or free desert. Sorry, we don't really want more bad food. We respectfully, declined to both. Also don't give an expired appetizer card expect customers to return. Its a gesture at least you can BE NICE!. Sorry, Management is ineffective and needs some training in customer service. If i was an investor at this location, I would seriously consider pulling my money out. Number one rule in restaurant industry is food quality and customer service which they don't have so i wonder how long they would be open. This location needs to revise their business strategy and just call it: Don't comeback Which is exactly what we will do. I will take my business down the street to Jameson and pay for better quality and service than to waste my time and money here.
(1)
Frank B.
Yesterday, I was there with my wife and three adult kids and we all ordered steaks. I order the porterhouse. Maybe it was my fault that I didn't complain. But, my porterhouse was all gristle, fat, and bone. I ate almost none of it. Next time I will order stick with my old favorites, the New York Strip, or the Fillet. Still like most food here.
(3)
Rob H.
Outback lived up to their 5 star rating last night. We had forgotten our coupon and the manager was kind enough to give us the discount anyways. The filet was cooked perfectly and was very tasty. It was well complimented with grilled asparagus, a loaded baked potato & two glasses of Sam's seasonal which made for a perfect meal! We all so had top notch service provided by Melissa which made our meal that much more enjoyable!
(5)
Melissa C.
Honestly, it takes a lot for me to rate a restaurant at a one star. Actually, if I could, I would have given them no stars. It all started when we arrived for our call-ahead reservation. We came with my inlaws and fam to celebrate Father's Day....so there were 7 of us (including the kiddo). Now I understand the concept of call ahead, and that's it's a range of time. We did have to wait 20 minutes, however, when my mother in law called about noon to make the call-ahead, she asked for a specific booth/area because my two-yr-old toddler does well if she has a choice between a booth and a chair (ya...toddlers are special that way!). The person on the phone told her it was not a problem. Well when we got there, they were told that not only did we have to wait about 25 minutes, but that the seat that we had wanted was given away about 10 minutes prior to us arriving! So yes, irritating, but not deal breaking. We finally were sat, and one of my biggest pet peeves is when the waiter/waitress doesn't acknowledge our table within 10 to 15 minutes of sitting. I'm not talking about taking a drink order, just a hi...I'm you're servier...I'll be with you in just a few minutes. We didn't get acknowledge for over TWENTY minutes of sitting down! And than it took another ten minutes to get our drinks! By this time, we realized that if we were going to order our usual appetizers prior to dinner, we wouldn't eat for at least another hour, so we skipped the appetizers and ordered our meals. Myself and my mother in law got a salad/soup, so you figure that would come a few minutes after our order since it's like an appetizer. AGAIN with the 20 minutes for a simple salad! And my mother in law never got her soup! When the meal came, it was relatively decent, except for the fact that my mother in law's steak was way overdone. This was seriously the final straw. The server didn't even bring the food out, so I couldn't say anything to him. Yes, the cooking of the meal was not his fault (for once!), but there were no apologies or asking how things were. The manager tried to do what he could, but how can you remedy bad service?? Unfortunately this isn't the first time this has happened at this Outback. More often than not, there is usually a problem. Sometimes it's the service....sometimes it's the quality of food. Sorry Bloomingdale Outback....if it's up to me, we won't be back :/
(1)
John L.
166 S. Gary Avenue Bloomingdale, IL 60108 Phone number (630) 582-8914 Great services , servers very friendly. As wait times for a table depends on the time. Love the cheese fries.
(4)
Oliver k.
Will not ever set foot in this place again. I am not a fan to begin with. It was for my father in laws birthday and reservations for 10 were made prior to arriving. We waited forever and finally when asked about the seating situation they would not accommodate us and said they only had one area for large groups and it was already occupied. The management was rude about the whole ordeal. We ended up walking out and my father in law left disappointed. This restaurant chain is now on my list of companies to avoid.
(1)
R. Q.
Outback makes a consistently decent meal at a fair price. I always opt for the outback special which comes with 2 sides starting under 10 dollars. This location typically provides outstanding service. I have had a few bad To go experiences with missing items on different occasions. The owner Solomon apologized and is working to resolve the issues.
(4)
Vic M.
It's not hard to mess up a franchise restaurant except if you're the Bloomingdale outback! I have given this particular location over 3 chances...figuring the staff was just having an off few days. Whoever does the training at this location is failing and management must be blind or not care! For starters, when my date and I walked in, the three hosts were in deep gossip, they eyed us over and made us feel like we were in their way! After waiting a minute for them to finish talking, we were seated. No one greeted us at the table for a good six minutes! By the time the server came by we just wanted to put our order in. He seemed irritated that we wanted to order our food with our drinks! The food was fine, standard outback food. It took forever to get our check. No one said goodbye to us as we left. Just overall, awful customer service by a bunch of ill-trained staff who do not want to be there. I will go out of my way to go to the Schaumburg location. Seiously, if you'd like to see what better service looks like, go to the Schaumburg location, it makes all the difference!
(1)
Joshua B.
Don't know why there are any bad reviews. We had to wait a little while, but that is to be expected at a good restaurant. The service was excellent, and the food was amazing. It was our first time there, but it definitely will not be our last.
(5)
Alicia S.
I was able to put us on the wait list online so by the time we walked in, we only had to wait about 3 minutes before we got seated. Our server, Allie, was extremely wonderful. She was very sweet and psychic. I wish more restaurants were run this way, everything was very efficient without feeling rushed. The food was cooked perfectly and I'm a very, very picky person. Highly recommend!
(5)
Kristy R.
I had shrimp on the barbie for an appetizer with this "special" green sauce that the waiter brought us and it was an interesting, garlic butter based sauce. I ordered the California avocado grilled chicken sandwich with NO tomato and despite getting the tomato I loved it, I chose fries as my side and they were ok. We also had the bread they serve when we first sat down and the bread came out warm and it was soft and chewy. The waiter was attentive and had my drinks refilled before I even asked.
(4)
Phyllis H.
We have been regular customers of this location for more than ten years. Up until recently we have been pleased with service and food. Our last two times the service was so bad i dont think we will go back again. Today it took 10 minutes from the time we sat down to the time someone actually acknowledged we were there. Then it was another 10 minutes from ordering (a total of 20 minutes) before we got our drinks. The main course was another 27 minutes from the time we finished our salads. In total we were there an hour and a half. Our previous experience was much the same. What i dont understand is the fact that there seemed to be plenty of staff and servers and the dining room was about 1/3 full. We patronized this restaurant 2 to three times a month but that wont be the case going forward. Too bad it used to be a favorite of ours. :(
(1)
Britt C.
This review is strictly for Christmas Eve @ this particular location. HORRIBLE. NEVER AGAIN. We made reservations days in advance, and they obviously overbooked because even with that my family had to wait just about an hour to get our table. We put in our appetizers immediately, and got them in a fairly decent time. One of the appetizers was bad though, it was the avocado crab dip....I really think that the crab was spoiled or something. I couldn't even eat it. We had to wait an exceptionally long time for our meals to come out, even though the restaurant died down shortly after we had been seated. A manager never even came to our table to apologize for the wait or that the kitchen was backed up. Nothing. The only saving grace was that our waiter was very pleasant and handled everything to the best of his ability. I am exceptionally disappointed that a manager didn't even stop over to apologize to us, when I saw a manager go to several tables near by and even offer dessert to go on the house to other tables.
(1)
Laura W.
Reading other reviews, I can confirm.. it's a management problem. Tonight six of us middle-aged moms got together, as we do every week. Except this week we made the mistake of going to the Bloomingdale OutBack. This is not an error we will EVER repeat. Now again.. there were six of us.. all ordering appetizers, meals and alcohol. If we had painted dollar signs on our foreheads it would have been more subtle. Apparently another table complained that we were too loud for their sleeping infant and demanded a free meal. Now I have never managed a restaurant, but I can do simple math. Annoying the matriarchs of six families and loosing all of their potential future revenue, because you are cheesed off at having to comp a meal is NOT a smart business practice. But that is precisely what Salomon Diaz, the 'Managing Partner' (and ohhh yes I DID take his card) decided to do. The food was just all right and the service was unexceptional. But considering how horrible the management is, I have to think that they were fighting an uphill battle. We didnt let it ruin our evening - we actually laughed all the way home. But if you are looking to have an enjoyable experience, avoid this place like the plague it is until they get new management.
(1)
Trina J.
I found Outback to be easy on the pocket. But more important than affordability is the joy of eating the pumpernickel bread. This is the best brown bread I ever had and it's free!!! To top it off, it is served with lots of butter. Outside of the free bread, I am a loyal fan of their baked potato soup. I rank their potato soup higher than Houston's. When I manage to carry on in the absence of potato soup, I order the creamy onion. I am not a real soup fan but I really enjoy theirs. I have eaten at this location several times. This place is usually pretty packed on the weekends so absent using the call ahead seating option, plan to wait about 15-20 minutes. I enjoy their chicken on a barbie largely because it is well seasoned. I occasionally order the outback special or Alice Springs Chicken. My sides of choice are the steamed veggies or sweet baked potato. Yes, I like potatoes. :-)
(3)
Catherine P.
This is our go-to Outback. We have been here many many times and we have seen it go through some big changes recently. The waiting area has been remodeled and they have done a great job of separating the dining room from the waiting area. They occasionally bring out samples and have some water to sip on while you're waiting. The dining area is pretty much the standard outback look but they have clearly made an attempt at cleaning the place up and making it a little more intimate. The service can be hit or miss. The food is the same. On our past 3 to 4 visits, I would say our food was well prepared about half the time. We are a fan of the char grilled cooking option that gives their steaks a nice flavor. They are conveniently located near Stratford square mall so you can expect to have a wait on the weekends and in the evenings. In all honesty, the only other nearby steak option I'm aware of is Jameson's and it's a matter of whether you want chain rest outback or a more elegant setting in Jamesons across the street. Pricing is reasonable...you can expect to spend about $40 for two people (without alcoholic beverages).
(4)
Anne B.
I was surprised to see so many bad reviews of this restaurant, so I thought I'd add my two cents. We stopped trying other steak restaurants (for the most part) several years ago because, for the money, we are never disappointed with Bloomingdale Outback. I understand that it's not supposedly as nice to go to franchise places, but I really don't see spending any more for our meal, when we are very pleased with what we get at Outback. We always get a few certain dishes: My family loves the caesar salad and bread (and often get it to go for parties even), we think their prime rib is the best around for the price, we love their baked onion soup, I like the ribs or Outback special steak, and the kids chicken fingers are some of the best I've had. Other reviews have complained about the service, but we go there at least 6 times a year for several years now, and not once did we wait for more than 2 minutes before someone greeted us. Maybe the others came at the busiest times? We try to go before the rush at 5pm or so, and we always sit in the bar tables where it is first come first served rather than waiting for an assigned table. Personally, we are kinda picky at other restaurants and are rarely disappointed at this Outback.
(5)
G. S.
This place is okay if you like to overdose on sodium. Portions are a little small for the price and sometimes the steak is tough. One time we waited almost an hour to be seated before getting up to complain that people coming in after us without a reservation were being seated, it immediately became apparent they forgot about us. The manager freaked and was very apologetic. I'm not saying I would never eat here again but I prefer Longhorn if we're talking chain restaurants.
(2)
Joe T.
Higher prices and way smaller portions. Service is terrible, even during a slow dinner time. I got the chicken and ribs with fries. The 4 ribs were placed on top of the 15 fries next to the 3oz chicken breast on the smallest dinner plate in Illinois. Result - soggy fries, ok ribs and a bite of chicken. The waitress actually admitted the chicken was small (even for a child portion) and went back to the kitchen for another (just as small). Overall - terrible and a waste of money.
(2)
Misty S.
Let's go Outback tonight...we have a birthday to celebrate! Free ice cream dessert for the birthday girl! Thank you, Outback. Even though our waitress couldn't get the other busy staff members together for a song, she sang a solo for us. I have been to Australia and there's nothing Australian about the food. The down under theme is cheesy, but in a fun way. They actually have pretty good steaks (6oz Outback Special steak @ $10). All their sauces are homemade and compliment the meal very well. The shrimp scampi came with a sauce comprising of 3 different types of mustard and other ingredients. The "Kookaburra Wings" were fantastic with its secret spice rub. The $7.50 dirty martini went down smoothly.
(4)
Jessica D.
My family and I have lived in the area for 20 years and have frequently visited this Outback over the years. HOWEVER, tonight was one of the worst experiences I have ever had at this restaurant. We had a very nice waitress named Jessica who was great. After waiting for 30 minutes for 8 people's steaks (which seems like a normal amount of time for that amount of food), Jessica was carrying all of our food on a tray when she was bumped by another server. All 8 of our plates came crashing to the floor and my sister's coat was absolutely destroyed with ketchup splattered everywhere. She was obviously extremely apologetic, and cleaned it up quickly. However, the general manager came over, apologized and said that they would get our food re-prepared right away. We waited about another 25 minutes for our food, received our bill, and were SHOCKED to find out that the meal was STILL 140.00. The manager had not comped any single item on our bill. I don't mean to sound rude or greedy, and I have never worked in the service industry, but I was so shocked that they did not discount not even ONE item on the bill. I thought it was extremely rude and inconsiderate. If I were a general manager, I would have done anything I could to make the customer happy. At the very least, I would have brought out some desserts on the house. We still tipped Jessica very well because it clearly was not her fault. However, I am baffled by the general manager's actions. This would never happen at a high quality restaurant. It's not like one person's food was dropped, but 8 people's steaks and burgers, AND clothing was ruined. This Outback needs to be a lot more concerned with their customer service because this is a situation that should NEVER happen again. I can honestly say that I will not be visiting this Outback anymore. Very disgusted with the management. I hope this doesn't happen to anyone else. If it does, please voice your opinion and let them know that you should be receiving a discount for the inconvenience (something we mistakenly didn't do).
(1)
Roman L.
the appetizers are more filling than the actual food depending on what you order
(3)
Donna W.
Well, we "tried" to have lunch here this past Sunday. We checked in at a nearly empty restaurant, and asked for a table for two. We were told that they didn't have enough servers, and it would "probably" be about 10 minutes or so before they could seat us. Hello?? The restaurant had been open for an hour already, so this didn't make sense, and made even less sense when the same hostess was chatting and laughing with a server at the hostess stand while we were still waiting. What?? When we saw that, we decided enough was enough and headed out the door.....(down the street to Jamison's where we had great service and a good meal). Bye, bye Outback!
(1)
Thomas T.
I hate people that say that steakhouse chains don't cook good steak. They're freaking crazy because Outback is amazing. This one is my go to place for special events. I always have my birthday here as well as my family and I go here for father's/ mother's day. First of all, this one has a big parking lot as it is next to some big stores. Once you go in, you're hit with that aussie vibe that they all have. They hit you up with free and unlimited bread, though i'd advise to stay away from that because I always get way too full too fast whenever I eat that. Bloomin Onion is really good. Outback specialty so I would suggest getting that as an appetizer. As for the steak. on my birthday one year, I got a medium rare 12oz New York strip and it was the best steak I'd ever had. You don't need to shell out extra cash for the filet mignon. I always get the loaded baked potato too but the garlic mashed potatoes are pretty good too. Go for your birthday and not only do you get a song, but you may also get a free brownie. Outback usually has some good specials, like 10$ meals or free bloomin onion coupon. Just got to wait for a good promotion if you're looking to save a few dollars. Love this place. Has not steered me wrong yet.
(5)
Nichole S.
Went here for dinner last night around 9:20PM. When we arrived we realized closing time was 9:30PM. We were still seated and served, but not happily. From the moment we walked in I could feel the disappointment in the air from the hostess to the server. Definitely felt rushed throughout. Wasn't even asked if we wanted dessert. When I asked for a refill on my iced tea, I was offered a to-go cup. When she went to go make it, she was unable to because they had already dumped all of the tea for the night. Very disappointing, especially when paying $3 (estimate) or so for a beverage. I understand they all probably wanted to go home, but we are paying customers and should have the same type of service regardless of what time we come in.
(2)
Samra M.
The bread is good lol the environment is something you wouldnt expect in "australia" so not really feeling an "aussie" kind of atmosphere the wait can be long up to an hour if you go on the weekends and eat around dinner time (5-8pm) but the food is good and the people are nice
(3)
Joy S.
Wow u might want to order more due to the size has really gone down but the cost didn't
(1)
Nabila R.
Went to this Outback for the first time a while back. I don't remember much about the food, which means it wasn't terrible but it also wasn't anything worth remembering. What I do remember is the delicious bread we got before our meal, and then I noticed something was moving on the bread tray and sure enough there was an ant casually strolling around our bread (which we had started eating at this point). We quickly called our waiter over to let him know. His reaction? He smashed the ant with his bare hand ON THE WOODEN BREAD TRAY. Thanks, now his guts are all over the tray, delicious! We then asked for the manager and explained to him what had happened. Instead of offering us a free dessert or something, he asks, "well what would you like me to do for you?" Um, idk, comp me a dessert? Do I really have to say it? We didn't say anything but it turns out he gave us all our steaks for half price which was nice but the whole experience was just odd and quite a turn-off. Haven't been to an Outback since.
(2)
Vivian T.
I will never eat here again. This restaurant did not pass inspection cockroach were found...who wants to eat somewhere that is dirty. They make their servers claim more tips than they actually make so they don't have to pay them the difference...minimum wage!
(1)
Yu H.
I've been coming here 3-4 times a year. Can't really complain about anything. Service was fast and friendly. If the place was dirty, I definitely couldn't tell due to the dim lighting. If there is one thing outback knows how to do its cook a steak. Probably from the volume of steaks they make, those guys do it perfectly right. When you order a medium, you get a perfect medium. I'm ALWAYS satisfied with the way my steak is cooked. Even though I'm pretty sure this place is the furthest thing from "Australian" fare. (I'm also pretty sure there's no such thing.) This place is still a great place to go for a steak. Creamy onion soup was great too! Keep up the good work Outback.
(4)
Pam F.
It was my nephew's birthday and my sister let him choose the restaurant where we would celebrate. He chose Ouback. She made a 6:30 reservation on a Sunday evening. What they did not tell her when she made the reservation is that the restaurant is made up of mostly booths. With our size group we would need tables and there were limited tables available. There was another group before us that were using the table reserved for our family. That group had no interest in leaving. We waited almost an hour to be seated after the staff finally decided to put other tables together. It was a good thing we did not wait for the other group since they left about 8:00. The food was very good, but we were famished by the time we sat down, so I think at that point they could have put anything in front of us and we would have eaten it. I would highly recommend going except if you have more people than can fit in one booth.
(3)
Stacey W.
The food was good and our server was pretty awesome. Can't remember her name, but she kept us laughing and our drinks full, so we couldn't really ask for more!
(4)
Robert P.
This is consistently the best OutBack Steak House I've ever eaten at. Try the tuna appetizer. The mixed drinks are always full pour.
(4)
B B.
The extra I paid for my salad was not worth it! Plus I paid an addition .99 cent for 7 pieces of aspargus.I agree with the other reviews the staff was nice, but the quality of the food is not there and the pricy portions are small. Outback Steakhouse's Grade: FOOD: D+ SERVICE: A PRICE: C- CLEANLINESS: A OVERALL EXPERIENCE: C-
(2)
John L.
Experience was just ok. Nothing too bad, nothing that great. A little too pricey for what we got.
(2)
Jane H.
My husband loves Outback Steakhouse! I am a vegetarian who eats fish so he happily gets his beef fix while I get the Seared Ahi Tuna or the Shrimp En Fuego Fettuccine. Always good choices. My husband has a steak ordered medium rare fixed to perfection he leaves a happy camper! Last night I tried the new Strawberry Waffle dessert......yummo. Strawberries, creamy center, fresh made waffles topped with fresh whip cream and berries. It's definitely my new favorite dessert. The proprietor Sal Diaz is a great guy who gives back to the community. He hosts a lunch for the Bloomingdale Chamber of Commerce and gives the money back to the Chamber to fund a $1000 scholarship from Outback. We have a breakfast which all donors are invited and hand out the scholarship to their recipient. Sal has been doing this for four years this being his fifth.....again he understands giving back to the community you work in. His wait staff comes in during the day and are NOT paid they help Sal promote a sense of community service.
(5)
Cindy R.
As far as chains go, I've always liked Outback. Their bread is excellent, and the food's always been decent. This location gets very busy, but I found that the wait on a weeknight wasn't intolerable for 2 people. I think we waited 15 minutes. Service was good, and their menu is updated. They've got some good fish choices.
(4)
David G.
If there was a restaurant in Australia called Chicago and it was full of pictures of gangsters and meat packers with missing fingers, it would be kind of like what Outback steakhouse is in the US. There are Australian artifacts and pictures all over the walls and the menu is full of Australian stereotypes. Outback has pretty much become a cliche because of all the commercials and that catchy Of Montreal parody. But who cares about that? What about the food? - Bloomin Onion I used to order this. It's pretty much a large onion sliced into a flower, breaded, deep fried, and served with a creamy dipping sauce. It's tasty, but if you're like me and you're trying ot cut down on fatty foods, this isn't a good idea. I wanna live, dammit! - The bread is good, and if you sweet talk the waitress enough she'll keep bringing more. It looks kind of like chocolate cake, but it's actually brown bread. - The steak is actually pretty good. I've had the prime rib, which wasn't that great. They couldn't get it right one time and I had to keep sending it back. Recently I ordered the New York strip, medium. It was perfectly seared on the outside and juicy on the inside. My dad got a ribeye with a lobster/mushroom sauce on top, which was way too salty. The biggest steak they have is called the Melborne. It's 18 oz. of meaty goodness. Since that's almost 5 whole servings of beef, I decided to take a pass. Not the greatest steak, but pretty good, and pretty reasonable price. The 12oz steak was less than $20, and it came with two sides.
(4)
Tim Y.
So it's nothing near "Australian fare", but when's the last time you woke up and said "mmm crikey mate, I sure am diggin' for some Australian!"? Answer: never. The steaks are consistently cooked the way they should be. I'm always surprised when I order a steak 'medium rare' and get it ... medium rare. Too many places out there cook medium rare on the well done side for some reason, and I'm just afraid to order 'rare' for fear of receiving something entirely uncooked. The manager was nice enough to stop by and make sure everything was okay, and I appreciate that quite a bit. The suggestion from the server to order a dish "light" was also appreciated -- why get twice the butter when it tastes just the same without? So after saying how great it is, why the three stars? Because it's just a consistent chain. Nothing has "wowed" me, there's no surprisingly good special or secret item on the menu, nothing that says "gotta go back!" any more than "I can't decide, might as well go to Outback again." aaaand finally, there's one creepy creepster who has 324,281 pieces of flair on her shirt. Seriously, stop that shit. Or go work at TGI McFriendly's.
(3)
Malea I.
If you look at my reviews you will see that I am partial to small privately owned restaurants. I usually love that personal touch you get from the owner, managers and wait staff. Here is the exception... We were able to order Outback to go last evening. You can pick your items on line. Give special instructions on ANYTHING and pick it up in their parking lot. The food came out perfectly, with sauces in individual containers, and everything was just like we were sitting at the restaurant. Plus at home we did not have to worry about the wait for a table on a Saturday night, and we saved a bundle on the drinks. I would recommend this for anyone who wants the great food, and not have to deal with the crowds or wait.
(4)
Iffy S.
Good...but stay away from the Aha Tuna.....gross.
(3)
Bob M.
Overall, THIS* Outback Steakhouse is OKAY. **Notice how I capitalized "THIS". This is because the review applies to THIS Outback Steakhouse only. Don't assume this review is correct and relevant to other Outback Steakhouses in the area; they could be better or worst than this one.** First, the prices are WAY TOO expensive for their food. I went there with my girlfriend a week ago and the bill for both of us exceeded $20 bucks. For the amount of food we ate, we could be eating much more food and pay much less if we went to McDonald's. I received a piece of steak that was good. Not the best piece of 8 oz. steak, but not the worst either. Nothing special about their steak as far as our visit that day. I ordered the "Aussie Fries" along with the grilled chicken, which included the 8 oz. steak (The same steak I pointed out in the above paragraph). The "Aussie Fries" were, well... The same as any other fries I would order at a Fast Food place! But they were good, so that's pretty much all that matters there. The Grilled Chicken was good. My girlfriend had the grilled shrimp with rice on the bottom. The plate only contained 3 small ity-bitty shrimp. I paid 6 bucks for 3 small shrimp?? Horrible pricing. Next, the lighting in the restaurant is poor. Sometimes I am struggling to find certain items such as my fork and knife on my table because it is so dark inside. Service was good. Polite waiters/waitress. Condition was very good. Clean, spotless tables and chairs. Outback Steakhouse's Grade: FOOD: B- SERVICE: A+ PRICE: C- CLEANLINESS: A+ OVERALL EXPERIENCE: B-
(3)
MeLissa H.
I came here on a Sunday around 12 and it was modestly crowded, making the noise level pretty overwhelming. The food was ok for the price. Nothing really wowed me about the flavors or sauces. We had to come here since our first choice wasn't opened until 2 so this was close by. it wasn't a place I was dying to try out and nothing really prompts me to come back.
(3)
Ed L.
I have yet to actually eat here... 1st try "the wait is an hour" no thanks. Second try, we call ahead, and still have to wait. Then they seat us in the back of the restaurant, next to the kitchen and three tables of whining kids (did they not notice there were only TWO of us because we left ours at home?). So we left. Yuck Yuck Yuck.
(2)
McMabes M.
What a disappointment. We decided to go to Outback last night not only because it is generally good, but we had a coupon for one of the million free steak dinners that Outback had promoted. We were seated promptly. The waitress greeted us and took beverage orders, it took a few minutes for my son to find his driver's license. He ordered a beer and I a diet coke. The less than pleasant waitress brought the beer and never the Diet Coke. She assured us that she would be back to take our order and promptly returned to the service area to chit chat. We decided not to waste any more time or money. My son paid for his beer and promptly asked to speak to the manager. The manager/owner couldn't not have been nicer or more apologetic. However, there's no reason to return to this location. A word to the waitress, if you don't like your job, quit. It's a tough industry. My son is in the same business and would have been fired for less. We should have gone to the Wheaton location!!!! Lucky for us, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at a small Italian restaurant instead. Bye bye, Outback!!!!
(1)
Brian K.
I am satisfied with my meal at Outback Steakhouse. Read on to understand why 4 stars instead of 5. When my family and I arrived there was a 45 minute wait time so we left and came back later and there was no wait time. We were seated by our waiter and he was very nice. I don't remember his name though. I ordered a root beer and it came in less than 5 minutes. Also he was on top of refills, didn't even need to ask for them he just saw they were close to empty. I like my drink cold so I was happy when it came loaded with ice. Then we ordered the Blooming Onion appetizer. Our waiter brought us our appetizer in 10 minutes. The Blooming Onion is basically a bunch of cut up onion rings formed in a ring around a plate with a cup of their "special" sauce to dip your onion piece in. I am just going to call them onion pieces because I don't know what else to call them. The onion pieces were very greasy, had a nice crunchy breading, and some sort of spice on adding a little zip to the onion pieces making them the perfect appetizer. I ordered a burger with ketchup, mustard, pickle, and bacon. I also SPECIFICALLY said nothing else. It took about 15 minutes for the food to come, and I was a little upset that when my waiter brought us our food that my burger had tomato, lettuce, and onion. Not the waiters fault by the way he even said that he told them nothing else. That is the reason I took away a star. I was happy with the burger, it was greasy, thick, and the bacon was crispy and greasy. I thought the fries were OK but they could be better. So to sum up the review, the waiter is 5 stars, the appetizer is 4.5 stars, (I didn't like the sauce but it wasn't a big deal) the burger is 5 stars and the chefs are 4 stars. I would rate 5 but they put on things I SPECIFICALLY asked for them to not put on. Other reviews also said that their order was messed up. Overall-4 stars. I will come back and make sure to be clear on what I order. Remember this was for a burger not a steak. It might have been different if I ordered a steak.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Flyin B.
If we could leave a zero, we would... Other than the hostess, no one, not the bartender on our initial wait nor the wait staff we never encountered after asking to be reseated because the child next to us regurgitated his bloomin' whatever.. We left... We might try another location later only because we have a gift card to burn up, but ordering it as a carry out seems to be the most logical choice...
(1)Patricia K.
On my way to Tim's one evening, I had the sudden craving for Outback's chopped bleu cheese and walnut salad. I called them and arranged a "Curbside pickup" and within five minutes (I was just down the street), I had my salad in hand for only $4.24. It is certainly a decent size salad -- enough to serve as my dinner. They also throw in the bread/butter so at $4.24, this deal is a steal!
(4)Nicole L.
I'm sorry, but what are people enjoying about this place that I just don't get? Don't get me wrong, the staff is excellent. Our waiter tonight, Dominick, who looked to me like a cross between Zachery Levi and Jimmy Fallon, was extremely personable and attentive, but that doesn't excuse the lackluster flavorless food. To be fair, I've never cared for Outback but it's been years since eating at one so I got a gift card from my Discover card cash-back bonus and figured we'd give it another shot. No thanks. The thing is, the food wasn't terrible, it just wasn't worth $16 for a bland steak and four shrimp. I didn't care for the artichoke & spinach dip either. My husband's chicken and ribs were just ok. The chicken itself wasn't anything better than I can cook myself and I can't seem to cook a good chicken breast so that tells you something. Had I actually had to pay for this meal out of my own pocket I would be pissed. I think I'll stick to Lone Star, Longhorn, or Texas Roadhouse. There are so many other options out there, why do people keep coming here?
(2)Aaron J.
Bad everything and we will not be visiting this location again. On 1/2/2015 we decided since we were visiting our old neighborhood in Bloomingdale, IL we would have dinner at Outback. Big mistake! When we walked in it was standing room only and that is understandable for a Friday evening. I should have followed my instincts and left but the kids have never been to Outback so we waited. After being seated we were given a menu and it was 15 minutes before we saw our waitress again. When she finally appeared we ordered appetizers, and our meal. Our appetizers arrived in 10 minutes, which was great but after still waiting for 50 minutes for our main course I told the family get your coats, I'm paying for the appetizers and we are out of here. One of the other waitresses heard our conversation and suddenly our waitress appeared. She apologized for long wait and gave us a sad story on how they were "slammed" I told her people who were seated after us have already paid their check and left. She brought over the manager and he apologized and said our meal will be served in 5 minutes. When the meal finally arrived the steaks were tough and flavorless; and the pasta dish was tasteless. We wasted close to 2 hours for this below-par meal. Extremely disappointed.
(1)Angie R.
Last time i was at an Outback was about 10 yrs ago. Now i know why its been so long. This was not my lunch pick, my significant other chose this and I'm very upset. I'm leaving hungry and he spent over 30 on my sucky meal. I'm giving it one star for the decent drink, a blueberry sangria. I ordered the Outback special steak and it was a HUGE disappointment. It was cooked medium rare, how I asked it but it was terrible. Chewy, had no flavor. I ordered the sauteed mushrooms which were whole button mushrooms and they weren't good. Not what I expected. I also ordered the house salad which was just that, very basic. For 30.00 I ate a salad thats comparable to mcds house salad, warm bread with butter and a baked potato. Oh, the potato was good. Now I leave, upset, disappointed and hungry. If you want steak go elsewhere!
(1)Johnny A.
Went here with my family for Father's Day June 21, 2015 - while via word of mouth and also on Yelp, we have heard some negatives about this restaurant over the years - our experience here last night was very good. Arrived about 4pm. We were seated immediately. Within about a half hour though, we noticed the restaurant really pick up with people. Our waiter was excellent. We regret that we forget his name now and we don't have our receipts to verify it, but he was very accommodating, friendly, and overly nice and helpful. 5 stars there and no issues whatsoever. Early 20's guy, short dark hair. Our soups were excellent. We had cream of potato and it was excellent. Our food was excellent all around. I had your basic cheeseburger and fries and it was probably one of the best burgers I have had in a LONG TIME. My family members had steak entrees and they all said the food was excellent. Would I come here again - yes. Would I ever get carry-out from here - yes. My only reason for not giving the place a perfect 5 stars is miniscule - but - the way our dining area was set up it kinda seemed everybody was on top of everybody - kinda confined. Yes, yes, I know - it was a holiday, so I have to be forgiving for that. I will also be straightforward and say the food is a bit on the expensive side, so plan accordingly. We had a coupon and a $25 gift card, so that helped significantly. Also, on our way out, there were roughly 20-25 people waiting/hanging outside/in the parking lot. A few were just leaning against the railings right next to the restaurant and smoking. This is nothing illegal by any means (and at one time, I also had a cigarette or two in my mouth), but the optics of it looked a bit negative. There should possibly be a designated area for this outside. Overall - a very nice experience and the food - as well as our service - was FANTASTIC.
(4)Hohan H.
I won't be going back. The little mistakes I usually overlook, but this restaurant just messes up too much. I ordered prime rib mr- came well done, charged me for a side that asked could replace the sweet potato that they didn't have, stale bread..... Small things that keep happening. What has happened here? Bummer because we ordered 1-2 times a month....
(1)Aj K.
People go to restaurants for good food, environment and a memorable experience. Unfortunately, none of them are offered at outback steakhouse in Bloomingdale. A steak house that doesn't know how to cook steaks! At first entering into the restaurant the hostess is not welcoming, They look at guests as an intrusion of their time. Maybe, its more important to gossip and laugh about while customers decide if they went to the right place. After taking our name, It takes half an hour to be seated. We observed several tables were empty, so after inquiring if we can get the one those empty tables, the response is: "oh we don't have servers for that table" What!!! That goes to show that management is unable to utilize their staff or don't have enough help to cater guests. As a customer, you want to be treated well and feel welcomed, you really don't care if they have available servers or not, if management had a good sense of customer service they would make it happen immediately. There used to be a time when restaurants earned your business, treated you with respect and made sure that your experience is such that you would talk about it with your friends and family. Over here, i just felt like a head count, another 50-60 bucks and thats it. Our server was nice, on time and attentive. Their timing on bringing in appetizers was within 5-10 mins (not too bad) and in the meanwhile our drinks were filled as soon as they were half empty. The french onion soup is one of the better ones I have had compared to others however, the steak is a different story. Poor cuts of meat and loads of liquid smoke is used to make your wood fire grill. The meat was dry and tough and had lots of fat on it. This is by far one of the worst steaks I have ever had. After our complaints; The Manager was apologetic and offered another round of steaks or free desert. Sorry, we don't really want more bad food. We respectfully, declined to both. Also don't give an expired appetizer card expect customers to return. Its a gesture at least you can BE NICE!. Sorry, Management is ineffective and needs some training in customer service. If i was an investor at this location, I would seriously consider pulling my money out. Number one rule in restaurant industry is food quality and customer service which they don't have so i wonder how long they would be open. This location needs to revise their business strategy and just call it: Don't comeback Which is exactly what we will do. I will take my business down the street to Jameson and pay for better quality and service than to waste my time and money here.
(1)Frank B.
Yesterday, I was there with my wife and three adult kids and we all ordered steaks. I order the porterhouse. Maybe it was my fault that I didn't complain. But, my porterhouse was all gristle, fat, and bone. I ate almost none of it. Next time I will order stick with my old favorites, the New York Strip, or the Fillet. Still like most food here.
(3)Rob H.
Outback lived up to their 5 star rating last night. We had forgotten our coupon and the manager was kind enough to give us the discount anyways. The filet was cooked perfectly and was very tasty. It was well complimented with grilled asparagus, a loaded baked potato & two glasses of Sam's seasonal which made for a perfect meal! We all so had top notch service provided by Melissa which made our meal that much more enjoyable!
(5)Melissa C.
Honestly, it takes a lot for me to rate a restaurant at a one star. Actually, if I could, I would have given them no stars. It all started when we arrived for our call-ahead reservation. We came with my inlaws and fam to celebrate Father's Day....so there were 7 of us (including the kiddo). Now I understand the concept of call ahead, and that's it's a range of time. We did have to wait 20 minutes, however, when my mother in law called about noon to make the call-ahead, she asked for a specific booth/area because my two-yr-old toddler does well if she has a choice between a booth and a chair (ya...toddlers are special that way!). The person on the phone told her it was not a problem. Well when we got there, they were told that not only did we have to wait about 25 minutes, but that the seat that we had wanted was given away about 10 minutes prior to us arriving! So yes, irritating, but not deal breaking. We finally were sat, and one of my biggest pet peeves is when the waiter/waitress doesn't acknowledge our table within 10 to 15 minutes of sitting. I'm not talking about taking a drink order, just a hi...I'm you're servier...I'll be with you in just a few minutes. We didn't get acknowledge for over TWENTY minutes of sitting down! And than it took another ten minutes to get our drinks! By this time, we realized that if we were going to order our usual appetizers prior to dinner, we wouldn't eat for at least another hour, so we skipped the appetizers and ordered our meals. Myself and my mother in law got a salad/soup, so you figure that would come a few minutes after our order since it's like an appetizer. AGAIN with the 20 minutes for a simple salad! And my mother in law never got her soup! When the meal came, it was relatively decent, except for the fact that my mother in law's steak was way overdone. This was seriously the final straw. The server didn't even bring the food out, so I couldn't say anything to him. Yes, the cooking of the meal was not his fault (for once!), but there were no apologies or asking how things were. The manager tried to do what he could, but how can you remedy bad service?? Unfortunately this isn't the first time this has happened at this Outback. More often than not, there is usually a problem. Sometimes it's the service....sometimes it's the quality of food. Sorry Bloomingdale Outback....if it's up to me, we won't be back :/
(1)John L.
166 S. Gary Avenue Bloomingdale, IL 60108 Phone number (630) 582-8914 Great services , servers very friendly. As wait times for a table depends on the time. Love the cheese fries.
(4)Oliver k.
Will not ever set foot in this place again. I am not a fan to begin with. It was for my father in laws birthday and reservations for 10 were made prior to arriving. We waited forever and finally when asked about the seating situation they would not accommodate us and said they only had one area for large groups and it was already occupied. The management was rude about the whole ordeal. We ended up walking out and my father in law left disappointed. This restaurant chain is now on my list of companies to avoid.
(1)R. Q.
Outback makes a consistently decent meal at a fair price. I always opt for the outback special which comes with 2 sides starting under 10 dollars. This location typically provides outstanding service. I have had a few bad To go experiences with missing items on different occasions. The owner Solomon apologized and is working to resolve the issues.
(4)Vic M.
It's not hard to mess up a franchise restaurant except if you're the Bloomingdale outback! I have given this particular location over 3 chances...figuring the staff was just having an off few days. Whoever does the training at this location is failing and management must be blind or not care! For starters, when my date and I walked in, the three hosts were in deep gossip, they eyed us over and made us feel like we were in their way! After waiting a minute for them to finish talking, we were seated. No one greeted us at the table for a good six minutes! By the time the server came by we just wanted to put our order in. He seemed irritated that we wanted to order our food with our drinks! The food was fine, standard outback food. It took forever to get our check. No one said goodbye to us as we left. Just overall, awful customer service by a bunch of ill-trained staff who do not want to be there. I will go out of my way to go to the Schaumburg location. Seiously, if you'd like to see what better service looks like, go to the Schaumburg location, it makes all the difference!
(1)Joshua B.
Don't know why there are any bad reviews. We had to wait a little while, but that is to be expected at a good restaurant. The service was excellent, and the food was amazing. It was our first time there, but it definitely will not be our last.
(5)Alicia S.
I was able to put us on the wait list online so by the time we walked in, we only had to wait about 3 minutes before we got seated. Our server, Allie, was extremely wonderful. She was very sweet and psychic. I wish more restaurants were run this way, everything was very efficient without feeling rushed. The food was cooked perfectly and I'm a very, very picky person. Highly recommend!
(5)Kristy R.
I had shrimp on the barbie for an appetizer with this "special" green sauce that the waiter brought us and it was an interesting, garlic butter based sauce. I ordered the California avocado grilled chicken sandwich with NO tomato and despite getting the tomato I loved it, I chose fries as my side and they were ok. We also had the bread they serve when we first sat down and the bread came out warm and it was soft and chewy. The waiter was attentive and had my drinks refilled before I even asked.
(4)Phyllis H.
We have been regular customers of this location for more than ten years. Up until recently we have been pleased with service and food. Our last two times the service was so bad i dont think we will go back again. Today it took 10 minutes from the time we sat down to the time someone actually acknowledged we were there. Then it was another 10 minutes from ordering (a total of 20 minutes) before we got our drinks. The main course was another 27 minutes from the time we finished our salads. In total we were there an hour and a half. Our previous experience was much the same. What i dont understand is the fact that there seemed to be plenty of staff and servers and the dining room was about 1/3 full. We patronized this restaurant 2 to three times a month but that wont be the case going forward. Too bad it used to be a favorite of ours. :(
(1)Britt C.
This review is strictly for Christmas Eve @ this particular location. HORRIBLE. NEVER AGAIN. We made reservations days in advance, and they obviously overbooked because even with that my family had to wait just about an hour to get our table. We put in our appetizers immediately, and got them in a fairly decent time. One of the appetizers was bad though, it was the avocado crab dip....I really think that the crab was spoiled or something. I couldn't even eat it. We had to wait an exceptionally long time for our meals to come out, even though the restaurant died down shortly after we had been seated. A manager never even came to our table to apologize for the wait or that the kitchen was backed up. Nothing. The only saving grace was that our waiter was very pleasant and handled everything to the best of his ability. I am exceptionally disappointed that a manager didn't even stop over to apologize to us, when I saw a manager go to several tables near by and even offer dessert to go on the house to other tables.
(1)Laura W.
Reading other reviews, I can confirm.. it's a management problem. Tonight six of us middle-aged moms got together, as we do every week. Except this week we made the mistake of going to the Bloomingdale OutBack. This is not an error we will EVER repeat. Now again.. there were six of us.. all ordering appetizers, meals and alcohol. If we had painted dollar signs on our foreheads it would have been more subtle. Apparently another table complained that we were too loud for their sleeping infant and demanded a free meal. Now I have never managed a restaurant, but I can do simple math. Annoying the matriarchs of six families and loosing all of their potential future revenue, because you are cheesed off at having to comp a meal is NOT a smart business practice. But that is precisely what Salomon Diaz, the 'Managing Partner' (and ohhh yes I DID take his card) decided to do. The food was just all right and the service was unexceptional. But considering how horrible the management is, I have to think that they were fighting an uphill battle. We didnt let it ruin our evening - we actually laughed all the way home. But if you are looking to have an enjoyable experience, avoid this place like the plague it is until they get new management.
(1)Trina J.
I found Outback to be easy on the pocket. But more important than affordability is the joy of eating the pumpernickel bread. This is the best brown bread I ever had and it's free!!! To top it off, it is served with lots of butter. Outside of the free bread, I am a loyal fan of their baked potato soup. I rank their potato soup higher than Houston's. When I manage to carry on in the absence of potato soup, I order the creamy onion. I am not a real soup fan but I really enjoy theirs. I have eaten at this location several times. This place is usually pretty packed on the weekends so absent using the call ahead seating option, plan to wait about 15-20 minutes. I enjoy their chicken on a barbie largely because it is well seasoned. I occasionally order the outback special or Alice Springs Chicken. My sides of choice are the steamed veggies or sweet baked potato. Yes, I like potatoes. :-)
(3)Catherine P.
This is our go-to Outback. We have been here many many times and we have seen it go through some big changes recently. The waiting area has been remodeled and they have done a great job of separating the dining room from the waiting area. They occasionally bring out samples and have some water to sip on while you're waiting. The dining area is pretty much the standard outback look but they have clearly made an attempt at cleaning the place up and making it a little more intimate. The service can be hit or miss. The food is the same. On our past 3 to 4 visits, I would say our food was well prepared about half the time. We are a fan of the char grilled cooking option that gives their steaks a nice flavor. They are conveniently located near Stratford square mall so you can expect to have a wait on the weekends and in the evenings. In all honesty, the only other nearby steak option I'm aware of is Jameson's and it's a matter of whether you want chain rest outback or a more elegant setting in Jamesons across the street. Pricing is reasonable...you can expect to spend about $40 for two people (without alcoholic beverages).
(4)Anne B.
I was surprised to see so many bad reviews of this restaurant, so I thought I'd add my two cents. We stopped trying other steak restaurants (for the most part) several years ago because, for the money, we are never disappointed with Bloomingdale Outback. I understand that it's not supposedly as nice to go to franchise places, but I really don't see spending any more for our meal, when we are very pleased with what we get at Outback. We always get a few certain dishes: My family loves the caesar salad and bread (and often get it to go for parties even), we think their prime rib is the best around for the price, we love their baked onion soup, I like the ribs or Outback special steak, and the kids chicken fingers are some of the best I've had. Other reviews have complained about the service, but we go there at least 6 times a year for several years now, and not once did we wait for more than 2 minutes before someone greeted us. Maybe the others came at the busiest times? We try to go before the rush at 5pm or so, and we always sit in the bar tables where it is first come first served rather than waiting for an assigned table. Personally, we are kinda picky at other restaurants and are rarely disappointed at this Outback.
(5)G. S.
This place is okay if you like to overdose on sodium. Portions are a little small for the price and sometimes the steak is tough. One time we waited almost an hour to be seated before getting up to complain that people coming in after us without a reservation were being seated, it immediately became apparent they forgot about us. The manager freaked and was very apologetic. I'm not saying I would never eat here again but I prefer Longhorn if we're talking chain restaurants.
(2)Joe T.
Higher prices and way smaller portions. Service is terrible, even during a slow dinner time. I got the chicken and ribs with fries. The 4 ribs were placed on top of the 15 fries next to the 3oz chicken breast on the smallest dinner plate in Illinois. Result - soggy fries, ok ribs and a bite of chicken. The waitress actually admitted the chicken was small (even for a child portion) and went back to the kitchen for another (just as small). Overall - terrible and a waste of money.
(2)Misty S.
Let's go Outback tonight...we have a birthday to celebrate! Free ice cream dessert for the birthday girl! Thank you, Outback. Even though our waitress couldn't get the other busy staff members together for a song, she sang a solo for us. I have been to Australia and there's nothing Australian about the food. The down under theme is cheesy, but in a fun way. They actually have pretty good steaks (6oz Outback Special steak @ $10). All their sauces are homemade and compliment the meal very well. The shrimp scampi came with a sauce comprising of 3 different types of mustard and other ingredients. The "Kookaburra Wings" were fantastic with its secret spice rub. The $7.50 dirty martini went down smoothly.
(4)Jessica D.
My family and I have lived in the area for 20 years and have frequently visited this Outback over the years. HOWEVER, tonight was one of the worst experiences I have ever had at this restaurant. We had a very nice waitress named Jessica who was great. After waiting for 30 minutes for 8 people's steaks (which seems like a normal amount of time for that amount of food), Jessica was carrying all of our food on a tray when she was bumped by another server. All 8 of our plates came crashing to the floor and my sister's coat was absolutely destroyed with ketchup splattered everywhere. She was obviously extremely apologetic, and cleaned it up quickly. However, the general manager came over, apologized and said that they would get our food re-prepared right away. We waited about another 25 minutes for our food, received our bill, and were SHOCKED to find out that the meal was STILL 140.00. The manager had not comped any single item on our bill. I don't mean to sound rude or greedy, and I have never worked in the service industry, but I was so shocked that they did not discount not even ONE item on the bill. I thought it was extremely rude and inconsiderate. If I were a general manager, I would have done anything I could to make the customer happy. At the very least, I would have brought out some desserts on the house. We still tipped Jessica very well because it clearly was not her fault. However, I am baffled by the general manager's actions. This would never happen at a high quality restaurant. It's not like one person's food was dropped, but 8 people's steaks and burgers, AND clothing was ruined. This Outback needs to be a lot more concerned with their customer service because this is a situation that should NEVER happen again. I can honestly say that I will not be visiting this Outback anymore. Very disgusted with the management. I hope this doesn't happen to anyone else. If it does, please voice your opinion and let them know that you should be receiving a discount for the inconvenience (something we mistakenly didn't do).
(1)Roman L.
the appetizers are more filling than the actual food depending on what you order
(3)Donna W.
Well, we "tried" to have lunch here this past Sunday. We checked in at a nearly empty restaurant, and asked for a table for two. We were told that they didn't have enough servers, and it would "probably" be about 10 minutes or so before they could seat us. Hello?? The restaurant had been open for an hour already, so this didn't make sense, and made even less sense when the same hostess was chatting and laughing with a server at the hostess stand while we were still waiting. What?? When we saw that, we decided enough was enough and headed out the door.....(down the street to Jamison's where we had great service and a good meal). Bye, bye Outback!
(1)Thomas T.
I hate people that say that steakhouse chains don't cook good steak. They're freaking crazy because Outback is amazing. This one is my go to place for special events. I always have my birthday here as well as my family and I go here for father's/ mother's day. First of all, this one has a big parking lot as it is next to some big stores. Once you go in, you're hit with that aussie vibe that they all have. They hit you up with free and unlimited bread, though i'd advise to stay away from that because I always get way too full too fast whenever I eat that. Bloomin Onion is really good. Outback specialty so I would suggest getting that as an appetizer. As for the steak. on my birthday one year, I got a medium rare 12oz New York strip and it was the best steak I'd ever had. You don't need to shell out extra cash for the filet mignon. I always get the loaded baked potato too but the garlic mashed potatoes are pretty good too. Go for your birthday and not only do you get a song, but you may also get a free brownie. Outback usually has some good specials, like 10$ meals or free bloomin onion coupon. Just got to wait for a good promotion if you're looking to save a few dollars. Love this place. Has not steered me wrong yet.
(5)Nichole S.
Went here for dinner last night around 9:20PM. When we arrived we realized closing time was 9:30PM. We were still seated and served, but not happily. From the moment we walked in I could feel the disappointment in the air from the hostess to the server. Definitely felt rushed throughout. Wasn't even asked if we wanted dessert. When I asked for a refill on my iced tea, I was offered a to-go cup. When she went to go make it, she was unable to because they had already dumped all of the tea for the night. Very disappointing, especially when paying $3 (estimate) or so for a beverage. I understand they all probably wanted to go home, but we are paying customers and should have the same type of service regardless of what time we come in.
(2)Samra M.
The bread is good lol the environment is something you wouldnt expect in "australia" so not really feeling an "aussie" kind of atmosphere the wait can be long up to an hour if you go on the weekends and eat around dinner time (5-8pm) but the food is good and the people are nice
(3)Joy S.
Wow u might want to order more due to the size has really gone down but the cost didn't
(1)Nabila R.
Went to this Outback for the first time a while back. I don't remember much about the food, which means it wasn't terrible but it also wasn't anything worth remembering. What I do remember is the delicious bread we got before our meal, and then I noticed something was moving on the bread tray and sure enough there was an ant casually strolling around our bread (which we had started eating at this point). We quickly called our waiter over to let him know. His reaction? He smashed the ant with his bare hand ON THE WOODEN BREAD TRAY. Thanks, now his guts are all over the tray, delicious! We then asked for the manager and explained to him what had happened. Instead of offering us a free dessert or something, he asks, "well what would you like me to do for you?" Um, idk, comp me a dessert? Do I really have to say it? We didn't say anything but it turns out he gave us all our steaks for half price which was nice but the whole experience was just odd and quite a turn-off. Haven't been to an Outback since.
(2)Vivian T.
I will never eat here again. This restaurant did not pass inspection cockroach were found...who wants to eat somewhere that is dirty. They make their servers claim more tips than they actually make so they don't have to pay them the difference...minimum wage!
(1)Yu H.
I've been coming here 3-4 times a year. Can't really complain about anything. Service was fast and friendly. If the place was dirty, I definitely couldn't tell due to the dim lighting. If there is one thing outback knows how to do its cook a steak. Probably from the volume of steaks they make, those guys do it perfectly right. When you order a medium, you get a perfect medium. I'm ALWAYS satisfied with the way my steak is cooked. Even though I'm pretty sure this place is the furthest thing from "Australian" fare. (I'm also pretty sure there's no such thing.) This place is still a great place to go for a steak. Creamy onion soup was great too! Keep up the good work Outback.
(4)Pam F.
It was my nephew's birthday and my sister let him choose the restaurant where we would celebrate. He chose Ouback. She made a 6:30 reservation on a Sunday evening. What they did not tell her when she made the reservation is that the restaurant is made up of mostly booths. With our size group we would need tables and there were limited tables available. There was another group before us that were using the table reserved for our family. That group had no interest in leaving. We waited almost an hour to be seated after the staff finally decided to put other tables together. It was a good thing we did not wait for the other group since they left about 8:00. The food was very good, but we were famished by the time we sat down, so I think at that point they could have put anything in front of us and we would have eaten it. I would highly recommend going except if you have more people than can fit in one booth.
(3)Stacey W.
The food was good and our server was pretty awesome. Can't remember her name, but she kept us laughing and our drinks full, so we couldn't really ask for more!
(4)Robert P.
This is consistently the best OutBack Steak House I've ever eaten at. Try the tuna appetizer. The mixed drinks are always full pour.
(4)B B.
The extra I paid for my salad was not worth it! Plus I paid an addition .99 cent for 7 pieces of aspargus.I agree with the other reviews the staff was nice, but the quality of the food is not there and the pricy portions are small. Outback Steakhouse's Grade: FOOD: D+ SERVICE: A PRICE: C- CLEANLINESS: A OVERALL EXPERIENCE: C-
(2)John L.
Experience was just ok. Nothing too bad, nothing that great. A little too pricey for what we got.
(2)Jane H.
My husband loves Outback Steakhouse! I am a vegetarian who eats fish so he happily gets his beef fix while I get the Seared Ahi Tuna or the Shrimp En Fuego Fettuccine. Always good choices. My husband has a steak ordered medium rare fixed to perfection he leaves a happy camper! Last night I tried the new Strawberry Waffle dessert......yummo. Strawberries, creamy center, fresh made waffles topped with fresh whip cream and berries. It's definitely my new favorite dessert. The proprietor Sal Diaz is a great guy who gives back to the community. He hosts a lunch for the Bloomingdale Chamber of Commerce and gives the money back to the Chamber to fund a $1000 scholarship from Outback. We have a breakfast which all donors are invited and hand out the scholarship to their recipient. Sal has been doing this for four years this being his fifth.....again he understands giving back to the community you work in. His wait staff comes in during the day and are NOT paid they help Sal promote a sense of community service.
(5)Cindy R.
As far as chains go, I've always liked Outback. Their bread is excellent, and the food's always been decent. This location gets very busy, but I found that the wait on a weeknight wasn't intolerable for 2 people. I think we waited 15 minutes. Service was good, and their menu is updated. They've got some good fish choices.
(4)David G.
If there was a restaurant in Australia called Chicago and it was full of pictures of gangsters and meat packers with missing fingers, it would be kind of like what Outback steakhouse is in the US. There are Australian artifacts and pictures all over the walls and the menu is full of Australian stereotypes. Outback has pretty much become a cliche because of all the commercials and that catchy Of Montreal parody. But who cares about that? What about the food? - Bloomin Onion I used to order this. It's pretty much a large onion sliced into a flower, breaded, deep fried, and served with a creamy dipping sauce. It's tasty, but if you're like me and you're trying ot cut down on fatty foods, this isn't a good idea. I wanna live, dammit! - The bread is good, and if you sweet talk the waitress enough she'll keep bringing more. It looks kind of like chocolate cake, but it's actually brown bread. - The steak is actually pretty good. I've had the prime rib, which wasn't that great. They couldn't get it right one time and I had to keep sending it back. Recently I ordered the New York strip, medium. It was perfectly seared on the outside and juicy on the inside. My dad got a ribeye with a lobster/mushroom sauce on top, which was way too salty. The biggest steak they have is called the Melborne. It's 18 oz. of meaty goodness. Since that's almost 5 whole servings of beef, I decided to take a pass. Not the greatest steak, but pretty good, and pretty reasonable price. The 12oz steak was less than $20, and it came with two sides.
(4)Tim Y.
So it's nothing near "Australian fare", but when's the last time you woke up and said "mmm crikey mate, I sure am diggin' for some Australian!"? Answer: never. The steaks are consistently cooked the way they should be. I'm always surprised when I order a steak 'medium rare' and get it ... medium rare. Too many places out there cook medium rare on the well done side for some reason, and I'm just afraid to order 'rare' for fear of receiving something entirely uncooked. The manager was nice enough to stop by and make sure everything was okay, and I appreciate that quite a bit. The suggestion from the server to order a dish "light" was also appreciated -- why get twice the butter when it tastes just the same without? So after saying how great it is, why the three stars? Because it's just a consistent chain. Nothing has "wowed" me, there's no surprisingly good special or secret item on the menu, nothing that says "gotta go back!" any more than "I can't decide, might as well go to Outback again." aaaand finally, there's one creepy creepster who has 324,281 pieces of flair on her shirt. Seriously, stop that shit. Or go work at TGI McFriendly's.
(3)Malea I.
If you look at my reviews you will see that I am partial to small privately owned restaurants. I usually love that personal touch you get from the owner, managers and wait staff. Here is the exception... We were able to order Outback to go last evening. You can pick your items on line. Give special instructions on ANYTHING and pick it up in their parking lot. The food came out perfectly, with sauces in individual containers, and everything was just like we were sitting at the restaurant. Plus at home we did not have to worry about the wait for a table on a Saturday night, and we saved a bundle on the drinks. I would recommend this for anyone who wants the great food, and not have to deal with the crowds or wait.
(4)Iffy S.
Good...but stay away from the Aha Tuna.....gross.
(3)Bob M.
Overall, THIS* Outback Steakhouse is OKAY. **Notice how I capitalized "THIS". This is because the review applies to THIS Outback Steakhouse only. Don't assume this review is correct and relevant to other Outback Steakhouses in the area; they could be better or worst than this one.** First, the prices are WAY TOO expensive for their food. I went there with my girlfriend a week ago and the bill for both of us exceeded $20 bucks. For the amount of food we ate, we could be eating much more food and pay much less if we went to McDonald's. I received a piece of steak that was good. Not the best piece of 8 oz. steak, but not the worst either. Nothing special about their steak as far as our visit that day. I ordered the "Aussie Fries" along with the grilled chicken, which included the 8 oz. steak (The same steak I pointed out in the above paragraph). The "Aussie Fries" were, well... The same as any other fries I would order at a Fast Food place! But they were good, so that's pretty much all that matters there. The Grilled Chicken was good. My girlfriend had the grilled shrimp with rice on the bottom. The plate only contained 3 small ity-bitty shrimp. I paid 6 bucks for 3 small shrimp?? Horrible pricing. Next, the lighting in the restaurant is poor. Sometimes I am struggling to find certain items such as my fork and knife on my table because it is so dark inside. Service was good. Polite waiters/waitress. Condition was very good. Clean, spotless tables and chairs. Outback Steakhouse's Grade: FOOD: B- SERVICE: A+ PRICE: C- CLEANLINESS: A+ OVERALL EXPERIENCE: B-
(3)MeLissa H.
I came here on a Sunday around 12 and it was modestly crowded, making the noise level pretty overwhelming. The food was ok for the price. Nothing really wowed me about the flavors or sauces. We had to come here since our first choice wasn't opened until 2 so this was close by. it wasn't a place I was dying to try out and nothing really prompts me to come back.
(3)Ed L.
I have yet to actually eat here... 1st try "the wait is an hour" no thanks. Second try, we call ahead, and still have to wait. Then they seat us in the back of the restaurant, next to the kitchen and three tables of whining kids (did they not notice there were only TWO of us because we left ours at home?). So we left. Yuck Yuck Yuck.
(2)McMabes M.
What a disappointment. We decided to go to Outback last night not only because it is generally good, but we had a coupon for one of the million free steak dinners that Outback had promoted. We were seated promptly. The waitress greeted us and took beverage orders, it took a few minutes for my son to find his driver's license. He ordered a beer and I a diet coke. The less than pleasant waitress brought the beer and never the Diet Coke. She assured us that she would be back to take our order and promptly returned to the service area to chit chat. We decided not to waste any more time or money. My son paid for his beer and promptly asked to speak to the manager. The manager/owner couldn't not have been nicer or more apologetic. However, there's no reason to return to this location. A word to the waitress, if you don't like your job, quit. It's a tough industry. My son is in the same business and would have been fired for less. We should have gone to the Wheaton location!!!! Lucky for us, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at a small Italian restaurant instead. Bye bye, Outback!!!!
(1)Brian K.
I am satisfied with my meal at Outback Steakhouse. Read on to understand why 4 stars instead of 5. When my family and I arrived there was a 45 minute wait time so we left and came back later and there was no wait time. We were seated by our waiter and he was very nice. I don't remember his name though. I ordered a root beer and it came in less than 5 minutes. Also he was on top of refills, didn't even need to ask for them he just saw they were close to empty. I like my drink cold so I was happy when it came loaded with ice. Then we ordered the Blooming Onion appetizer. Our waiter brought us our appetizer in 10 minutes. The Blooming Onion is basically a bunch of cut up onion rings formed in a ring around a plate with a cup of their "special" sauce to dip your onion piece in. I am just going to call them onion pieces because I don't know what else to call them. The onion pieces were very greasy, had a nice crunchy breading, and some sort of spice on adding a little zip to the onion pieces making them the perfect appetizer. I ordered a burger with ketchup, mustard, pickle, and bacon. I also SPECIFICALLY said nothing else. It took about 15 minutes for the food to come, and I was a little upset that when my waiter brought us our food that my burger had tomato, lettuce, and onion. Not the waiters fault by the way he even said that he told them nothing else. That is the reason I took away a star. I was happy with the burger, it was greasy, thick, and the bacon was crispy and greasy. I thought the fries were OK but they could be better. So to sum up the review, the waiter is 5 stars, the appetizer is 4.5 stars, (I didn't like the sauce but it wasn't a big deal) the burger is 5 stars and the chefs are 4 stars. I would rate 5 but they put on things I SPECIFICALLY asked for them to not put on. Other reviews also said that their order was messed up. Overall-4 stars. I will come back and make sure to be clear on what I order. Remember this was for a burger not a steak. It might have been different if I ordered a steak.
(4)