Outback Steakhouse, Anna-good American steak

Ann Arbor’s Steakhouse Win – Perfect Sear, No Bitter Burn (Worth the Drive!) I’ve had way too many American steaks at other spots with burnt, bitter crusts—so this steakhouse was a nice surprise! Their steaks have the perfect seared layer (no gross bitterness) and are totally worth trying. Here’s the full lowdown 🥩! 🥖 Appetizers: Warm Bread Steals the Show Fresh-Baked Dark Bread: Obsessed! It’s sweet, fluffy, and still warm when it hits the table. Slather on a little butter, and it’s so good we almost filled up before the main course—total comfort in a slice 😋. Smoked Tuna: The outer layer is heavily seasoned with black pepper and salt (way too salty on its own!), but pairing it with the side mayo sauce balances it out. It’s decent, but the bread is the real app star here. 🍖 Steaks: Bone-In Ribeye Shines, NY Strip Falls Flat Heads up: We went late (late lunch, before 4 PM) and lots of steak cuts were sold out—so plan accordingly! We ended up with two options, and they were totally different: Bone-In Ribeye: 10/10, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Cooked to medium (my ideal doneness), the meat is tender, (fine-textured), and has a subtle creamy, beefy flavor. The only tiny flaw? It’s a little salty—but the natural meat taste still shines through. This is why you come here. NY Strip: Disappointing. Even ordered medium rare, the meat was tough and chewy—not juicy or tender like a good NY strip should be. Skip this one and stick to the ribeye if it’s available. 🥔 Sides: Hits & Misses The sides were a mixed bag—some good, some way too much: Sweet Potato: Way too sweet. It’s loaded with sugar and cinnamon (basically a dessert), which is overwhelming with savory steak. Hard pass. Asparagus: Tasty, but cold—weird for a hot steak meal. Still, the asparagus itself is fresh and crisp, so if you don’t mind room temp veggies, it’s fine. Creamy Spinach: Creamy, but bland. It’s heavy on the cream (so after a few bites) and has almost no seasoning—they sprinkled some nuts on top for crunch, which helps, but not enough to save it. 🤝 Service: Friendly & Fixes Mistakes Service was great! Our first steak came out too rare (way undercooked), so we mentioned it—and they immediately took it back to reheat it. The second time, the doneness was perfect—no attitude, just quick to fix the issue. That’s how you handle mistakes! 📍 Location: A Little Far, But Occasional Visits Are Worth It It’s a bit of a drive from campus, so it’s not a “regular” spot—but for that bone-in ribeye (and fresh bread!), I’ll make the trip every once in a while. #UniversityOfMichiganAnnArbor #AnnArborFood #AnnArbor #Steak #Steakhouse #AnnArborEats #MichiganFood