Outback Steakhouse — Restaurant in Altamonte Springs

Went here last night and wished we hadn’t. It was a Wednesday and the place was not busy. We got seated immediately. The server came and took our drink order. About 15 minutes later the food runner brought our drinks and bread. About 10 minutes later the server came and took our orders. While we waited for the food we sat and watched as several other tables that came in way after us ordered and got their food and were done eating as we were still waiting on our food? The server, Jennifer, finally came back by our table and said the food was being walked out. Another 15 minutes go by and no server let alone any food. Now we are both starting to get a little frustrated and don’t even want the food now. My husband goes to the hostess stand and asks for the manager. This is the same manager that we watched go to other tables in the dining room talking to them and seeing how everything is. The same manager that stopped by the table right next to us but never stopped by our table. My husband is told the manager will come over. In the mean time our food is finally brought out by the food runner. The server comes literally running over to see if everything is ok and I ask for bread, butter and drinks as ours are all empty. As she is gone to get these items we finally get to take a look at our food. I can immediately tell my husbands steak is burnt to a crisp. They cooked it fast as we had been waiting so long and burnt the steak, it was blackened. My chicken had been cooked so fast the outside was tough and it tasted so bad I had to spit it out. We waited almost an hour for food that wasn’t even edible! By now the manager has arrived. Come to find out this manager is the owner. Why if the owner is here working did he never come to our table like he did the others? Why if the owner is there working did it take right at an hour to get our food? Why if the owner is there working after waiting an hour to get our food it was not edible? Why? This is a steakhouse! They specialize in steak! If nothing else my husbands steak should have at least been right! Needless to say the owner was apologetic but that didn’t fill our hungry stomachs. Never, ever again will I got to Outback! Never! If you want to eat food that is edible without waiting an hour for it then don’t go here! This was a total embarrassment for this establishment and for Outback...

The experiences I’ve have been having here have been on a downward spiral but today really solidified my choice to not return to this restaurant or franchise because of a server. My husband and I walked in about 1:20pm and were seated relatively quickly, no issue there. The issue comes in when our server doesn’t address us AT ALL. She’s walking around, serving her other tables without so much as a greeting from her. No big deal. I’ve been a server before and sometimes your hands are full even when there’s no tray or plates in it. The restaurant opened at 11am and it definitely wasn’t busy as I’ve seen it can get. But to not even make eye contact, to rush past us, not even offer drinks for over 10 minutes is beyond accidental; it’s intentional. It was like she was going out of her way to avoid my husband and I. By 1:35pm and no drinks or greetings (STILL), we left. I’m not going to spend my money somewhere and I can’t even be acknowledged by the person who is supposed to be helping me. While I can’t really rate food that I never received, I can rate the lack of service, friendliness, and hospitality the lowest that Google will allow me to.

UPDATE So my husband and I came back after a talk with the GM who had invited us back to try again. Let me say, that was probably the best experience I had with Outback. Our server was absolutely amazing! It was a much better experience around. I even got a chance to speak with her, as the incident that happened was discussed with some of the staff (which I’m assuming because she mentioned hearing about the review). To the server that day who I thought ignored my husband and I on that day, my deepest apologies. To the actual server who never bothered to greet or assist people in his assigned section…well, I’ll leave it alone. As a manager myself, the goal is retention and great experience. Without those (in my opinion), there can be no restaurant. My husband and I throughly enjoyed ourselves this time around and plan to come back in the near future! Thank you to the GM who invited us back; the steps taken to ensure that my experience was heard and not just thrown away is the reason why my rating has changed from one star...

We stopped going to the former Outback Steakhouse, but we were curious enough to try the new Altamonte Springs location. I'm so glad that I chose it for my birthday. For a Friday night, the wait was brief, but I did call ahead, The atmosphere was pleasant, though as seniors, we would have preferred the music to be less overwhelming.

Nevertheless, other positive elements overshadowed the music volume. Customer service was professional, yet friendly. The preparation, presentation, and flavors of the food were enticing. The loaf of black bread was fresh and hot enough to easily melt the butter. My husband was so enamored with his salad wedge that he had to finish every morsel even after the entrees arrived. Timing was ideal for me, because I had just eaten my last bite of a good Caesar salad, generously prepared with dressing and fresh parmesan without too many croutons.

Our combos arrived hot and cooked to perfection. My ribs were tender, meaty, and flavorful. However, the extra barbecue sauce was a welcome addition, because it was s-o-o good. The baked potatoes were well done without being too crusty on the outside and garnished with everything (except sour cream, which I had requested to be omitted on mine). My husband enjoyed his coconut shrimp, and both steaks were tender, not overly seasoned, and cooked to the requested medium.

We saved most of our steaks, while I added a rib and part of half of my baked potato for lunch the next day. Given my choice for my birthday dessert, I listened to the recommendation of our exceptional server and appreciated the generosity of the manager. A group joined our server in song and presented the chocolate tower cake, which was nothing short of magnificent! Enough dessert for a small group, we'll continue to savor every leftover bite.

We definitely will be returning. As a retired teacher, I would not hesitate to give this restaurant and remarkable crew a well-deserved A+. Thanks for providing us with such a fine dining experience and birthday celebration! You all made my day...