Outback Steakhouse — Restaurant in Mesa

Failed miserably. The restaurant was not busy so chaos is not an excuse. I ordered my 9oz filet well-done. I have never had problem having it prepared correctly at this location. In fact, two weeks ago the same order was cooked satisfactorily. The steak arrived, charred on the outside and raw on the inside. My daughter’s “medium” steak was cooked more thoroughly than mine. It took over 10 minutes to get someone’s attention so I could have the issue addressed. The offer was to re-cook the steak or have another prepared. By now another 10 minutes had passed and I thought browning it would be faster. 15 additional minutes later the steak came back and looked like a shrunken piece of leather and it was tough and tasteless.

At this point, my daughter has long finished eating and my baked potato was cold. A person, not sure of his title, came over and grudgingly said he would take my steak off the bill. When the server brought the check my steak was off, yet the server still charged me $4.00 for my soda. When I asked the server about that charge she said the manager refused to take the soda off the bill.

Our dining experience was ruined by the failure of your staff’s ability to cook a steak, which you are in the business of doing. The insult came when your person in charge stuck me $4.00 for a soda that I only drank 1/4th of, while I watched my daughter eat.

I paid for my daughter’s dinner, which in hindsight after this train wreck I should not have been charged for either. We were still out the door at $50 including tip.

Additionally, The potato with her meal came with, at the server’s suggestion, garlic butter. The server failed to disclose there was a charge for the butter and she already had the menus off the table when she brought up the garlic butter in conversation. I assumed it was a free ad-on like bacon bits or regular butter when the server discussed it with my daughter. Speaking about an add-on while asking about free cheese and bacon bits and not mentioning there was a price is blatant deceptive.

At the end, when we had been there way too long already, the server offered a dessert for our trouble. We told her no and then she brought it anyway.

Essentially, through no fault of mine or my daughter, this Outback experience was me watching my daughter eat, getting hit with an unexpected charge and me having to negotiate not getting charged for a steak you failed to cook properly then completely destroyed. I expected better.

The photo is what came on my plate...

It was a quiet evening at Outback Steakhouse, at least, it should have been. The sizzle of steaks and the warm chatter of diners made the air feel safe, familiar. I was halfway through my Bloomin Onion when it happened. From the corner of my eye, I saw him. A man with a hood drawn low, eyes darting like a predator sizing up prey. My prey. His steps were deliberate, too smooth, the kind you only see from someone who’s done this before. My heart began to race, my fork frozen in midair. He got closer, too close. My pulse was a war drum. I could see the glint of something metallic in his hand. Before I could react, the smell of danger seemed to mix with the scent of grilled sirloin. I thought This is it. This is how I go. Then BEN appeared. Ben, the server with the easy smile and a knack for remembering orders without writing them down. But tonight, he wasn’t just Ben the server. Tonight, he was Ben the savior. He didn’t hesitate. He vaulted over a booth in one clean motion, apron flaring behind him like the cape of a hero. In one hand, a perfectly plated ribeye; in the other, an unshakable resolve. “Not in my Outback,” he growled. In a blur, Ben slammed the ribeye onto the table beside me, spun, and intercepted the hooded man mid, lunge. The clash was silent but brutal a flurry of fists, elbows, and a bread knife wielded like Excalibur. Plates rattled, glasses toppled, a couple in the corner screamed. The hooded man staggered, winded and defeated, retreating into the night like a shadow being swallowed by the dark. Ben straightened his apron, smoothed his hair, and without a word, refilled my water. Ben just gave me a small nod, as if to say, You’re safe now. And in that moment, I knew, no matter where life takes me, no matter what dangers await, there will always be...

Some of the worst service, ever. I’ve been in the restaurant industry for over 40 years and I’ve never seen such a complete lack of interest from staff. My friends were celebrating an anniversary and I was, quite frankly, appalled for them. My introduction to our server, Iris, was her fussing because there was already bread on our table? She did have some bread in hand and tried to talk us into taking it and was somewhat put off when we refused. But my friend did request sugar for her tea. Next she took our order (still no sugar, requested it again)and all seemed well until she returned to our table asking which order she forgot because she only had 2 orders for 3 people. We reminded her that my friends were splitting the filet and lobster dish and requested sugar again. She acted as if we were being impatient about the sugar. My salad arrived and was incorrect, I wanted caesar not house with blue cheese dressing. Iris was now quite sure we were just being difficult. Lunch arrived and my friends lobster was no where to be found, Iris acted as if the lobster part of the filet and lobster combo was a complete surprise, which I’m sure it was, because the lobster wasn’t served until lunch was over. Iris said a manager would be delivering said lobster, but a manager was no where to be found…even after my friend asked twice to speak to the manager, one never materialized. I understand that mistakes and oversights happen and we are fairly forgiving guests because it’s also MY job. Things happen. But the complete lack of interest on the part of management is unforgivable. The food was exactly what you’d expect....