The 3 Most Hilarious Outback Steakhouse Reviews On The Internet

giggsy25/Shutterstock

It seems Outback Steakhouse has been a bit of a meme since its debut. Founded in 1988 by four friends in Tampa, Florida, the restaurant concept was apparently inspired by "Crocodile Dundee" and the fervor for all things Australian the movie elicited upon its release. Years later, the restaurant is still alive and kicking, though decreasing foot traffic and sudden closures could indicate that Outback is currently struggling. Reviews of the establishment also paint a picture of a business in trouble. Based on Yelp reviews of a local Outback, customers have experienced issues ranging from poor service ("They could not handle a large party... they were very, very rude") to foodborne illness ("Both me and my husband got sick").

Not all reviews were so dire, however. Some made light of the challenges faced by Outback in distinctly humorous ways. We compiled a few of our favorites for your reading pleasure. One diner was unhappy about the restaurant's lack of authenticity, while another poked fun at the slow service and badly cooked food. In the interest of fair reporting, we also included some Outback customer reps who tried (and failed) to respond to customer complaints in a manner befitting the restaurant.

It's been well-established that Outback Steakhouse is not actually Australian. Though the menu features themed dishes, including Fried Mozzarella Bloomerangs and Gold Coast Coconut Shrimp, Outback offers your basic steakhouse fare. The chain has no connection to actual Australian foods, such as Vegemite, meat pies, and Moreton Bay Bugs (a type of crustacean with similarities to lobsters). That didn't stop one diner from complaining about the lack of Australian flare during their visit.

A self-proclaimed Outback employee on Reddit shared a customer comment card received at the restaurant. The diner was satisfied in all areas, except where dialect was concerned. According to the survey, the person was disappointed that "Nobody spoke Australian" at the restaurant. Commenters in the thread were fully in on the joke, though a person admitted, "To be fair, I would like Outback more if everyone spoke Australian." Restaurant employees are thankfully spared from putting on a fake Australian accent at Outback, so diners should refrain from whinging if the bloke serving them sounds like a Yank.

Now is an excellent time to address the elephant in the room: Outback Steakhouse isn't that great of a restaurant. Outback made our list of steakhouse chains that reviewers warn against, alongside embattled establishments such as Logan's Roadhouse and Quaker Steak & Lube. Based on our research, it's easy to see why: Diners all over the country experience similar issues with poor food quality and bad service. For one customer on Reddit, these multiple bad experiences led to an outpouring of frustration on the social media platform.

"Nobody — nobody else in the restaurant?" the commenter began, "the waiter's going to take two hours to get to your table." As for the food, forget about getting your steak cooked to your liking. "Medium-rare? You meant a defrosted puddle of blood. Meal is undercooked? Let's shove it back in the microwave for 10 minutes until it's nothing but soup."

According to the Outback website, the chain accommodates all doneness requests, from rare to well-done. However, the restaurant reportedly uses clamshell grills to cook its steaks, and these grills work to cook food faster by heating both sides at the same time. While these devices cut time in the kitchen, they're far less effective at achieving the desired doneness as compared to pan-frying or grilling.

Based on the volume of negative feedback the restaurant receives, Outback Steakhouse's online representatives definitely have their work cut out for them. Though we feel for anyone who has to soothe disgruntled consumers, we found some of the responses from Outback reps unintentionally hilarious. In one case, a Tripadvisor review titled "Is this the end of Outback Steakhouse? Bad service and bad food" detailed a variety of issues, including careless service and unpalatable food. When replying to the customer, the guest relations manager began their response with "G'Day," a practice we noticed in a few reviews on Yelp as well.

While the authentic Aussie greeting might not seem like a major problem on its own, one can't help but imagine how infuriating it would be for the dissatisfied patron. You're communicating a seemingly endless list of gripes, only to be hit with a casual "G'Day." No, I will not have a good day; I've been subjected to dry, chewy meat, slow service, and burned bread. For what it's worth, unhappy diners are instructed to complete a contact form to officially lodge their complaint. However, based on what we've seen, these comments aren't having a meaningful effect on the chain as a whole.