Outback Steakhouse Shibuya — Restaurant in Tokyo

Outback Steakhouse in Shibuya offers a familiar dining experience for fans of the chain, but unfortunately, my visit left much to be desired. While I had high hopes for a hearty meal, the food fell short of expectations, lacking the robust flavors that one typically associates with Outback.

The menu featured the usual array of steaks, burgers, and Aussie-inspired dishes, but when the food arrived, I found it to be decent at best. While the presentation was appealing, the flavors didn’t pop as anticipated. The signature seasoning that usually elevates their steaks was noticeably muted, leaving the dishes feeling somewhat bland. Even the sides, which can often be a highlight, were forgettable and didn’t provide the comforting, flavorful accompaniment I had hoped for.

The atmosphere of the restaurant didn’t help either. The vibe felt a bit lackluster, almost as if it were missing the lively energy that often characterizes Outback locations. The lighting was dim, but not in a cozy way; it felt more like an afterthought. The decor, while reminiscent of the Australian theme, lacked the warmth and charm that typically invites you to relax and enjoy a meal. Instead of a buzz of conversation and laughter, the ambiance was eerily quiet, contributing to an overall feeling of emptiness.

Service was adequate but did not stand out. The staff was polite and attentive, but there was a notable absence of the friendly, enthusiastic service that often enhances the dining experience at Outback. It felt as though everyone was going through the motions rather than genuinely engaging with the customers.

In summary, while Outback Steakhouse in Shibuya might have the potential to deliver a satisfying meal, my experience was marred by a lack of flavor in the food and a rather lifeless atmosphere. If you’re craving a taste of the Outback, it may be worth exploring other locations or options that can better capture the essence of what the brand is known for. For now, I would recommend looking elsewhere if you’re seeking a vibrant dining experience filled with...

Mixed feelings. We had dinner ouside on the terras, which was nice. The staf spoke good english and was friendly. It was quiet in the restaurant and we just wanted a relaxed dinner. But while we were still eating our starters, they already came with the mains. As i said we were still eating and there was no place for the new plates, so we had to do something we never had to do before, even though we felt very burdened, and send the plates back. After they cleaned the table from the starter, they asked if they could serve the main. To our surprise they came back within minutes, no time to rest a little, serving the same plates. I expect they kept it warm under some lamps. As you can expect the food was not at its best. The expensive babyback ribs were a little dry and the burger was, except for the top of the bun, plain cold. We should have send it back, but we felt already burdened, from the first time we had to do it. I explaned the matter to our server, that we wanted a relaxed enjoyable dinner and that this was cut short and how we experienced our mains. The staff was very apologetic and they gave us both a small scoop of vanilla icecream as compensation and two discount vouchers of 15% for our next visit at check out. But looking at the bill, for just the two of us, which was very high, even with the current exchange rate, somehow it felt very wrong. We knew the costs, we didn't mind, because we wanted to make it an enjoyable evening. Ofcourse not expecting the experience and the state of the food that we had. They could have given us as at least some kind of compensation. Maybe deduct the 2 drinks or the cold burger, maybe even the 15% of the discount coupon. The small scoop of plain icecream surely...

Mixed feelings around this place. I loved the location: it's in a quiet part near Shibuya station, and they have a nice balcony where you can eat, which is quite rare to find. Family loved to have lunch in the balcony and in those Covid19 time this is a big plus. Service was really good as well: menus are in english, staff speaks a bit of english and they were very attentive to my wife intolerance to gluten (they checked each and every dishes and provided recomendations), another big plus (not easy to find in Japan where intolerance to gluten is not common). Kids menu was good as well, and my kids loved the food (not much healthy options though). The set menu was also a good deal: salad or soup and two sides, this is definitely unusual in Japan, and both sides and salad were good. The house wine was decent as well. Negative note: the meat. Maybe we made the wrong choice, but it was probably the worst we got so far in Japan. We took the cheapest cut, so we did not expected anything great, but it was the opposite of tender and I struggled to even cut it with the knife. Anyway, I want to give the place another try (maybe we were unlucky with the meat) since we really really liked the location, balcony and service. Price: honest I would say, expect between 10k and 12k for lunch for a family of four (two adults and two primary school kids), not the cheapest you can find but not...