For a restaurant themed around the Australian outback, Outback Steakhouse has become a decidedly American institution. With more than 1,000 locations around the world, the chain built an empire on giant steaks, deep-fried appetizers, loaded potatoes, and desserts large enough to require a recovery nap afterward.
And because walking into Outback Steakhouse for the first time can feel like a bit of a sensory overload, here are a couple of starter-pack menu picks that loyal fans recommend again and again.
Bloomin’ Onion
The biggest hint that Outback Steakhouse has very little to do with actual Australian cuisine might be the fact that its most popular appetizer is one of America’s all-time favorite comfort foods.
The Bloomin’ Onion is one of the chain’s most ordered menu items, with more than 8 million sold every year. But there’s a simple reason why a steakhouse’s signature dish is a vegetarian appetizer. According to pretty much everyone who’s tried it, it absolutely slaps.
The appetizer consists of a giant onion cut into petals, smothered in seasoned breading, then fried in beef tallow until it’s perfectly crisp — and ready to clog your arteries. It’s served with a spicy, mayo-esque bloom sauce and is highly recommended for sharing.
“If you’re not ordering a bloomin onion at outback, why are you even there ?” asked one user on Reddit. Truth.
Kookaburra Wings
Another appetizer that’s far from the reason you walked into a steakhouse in the first place — but still completely worth ordering — is the Kookaburra Wings. The crispy chicken wings are tossed in Outback’s secret spice blend and come in mild, medium, or hot sauce, then served with blue cheese dressing and celery on the side.
Calling them an appetizer is also a stretch, considering the dish has the caloric equivalent of two full meals. But calm down, it comes with a celery stick on the side to ease the guilt trip a little.
“Love me some kookaburra wings,”wrote one Outback patron on Reddit.
“They are way way better than I expected. I don’t go to Outback for wings but I love when someone wants to order them to split,” added another.
Bloomin’ Fried Shrimp
In case you were wondering what happens to all the leftover Bloomin’ Onion seasoning and breading, please know that it doesn’t go to waste. Instead, it’s reincarnated as the crustacean cousin of the iconic appetizer.
Bloomin’ Shrimp can basically be described as the protein version of the famous appetizer, with shrimp coated in the same seasoned breading and deep-fried until crispy. Taste testers say the shrimp somehow manages to resist its natural tendency to dry out in the fryer and stays perfectly juicy and tender.
The fried morsels come with the signature bloom sauce, and according to many, you’ll quickly forget why you walked into a steakhouse in the first place.
Seared Pepper Ahi
A decidedly lighter option on the app menu is not one that you should sleep on, per se. The Black Pepper Seared Ahi Tuna has quietly built a cult following among Outback Steakhouse regulars, despite sounding like the last thing you’d order at a place best known for oversized steaks and deep-fried onions.
The tuna is served rare with a peppery garlic seasoning crust, and comes with a creamy soy dipping sauce and wasabi for an extra kick.
Fans of the dish say the contrast between the crisp seasoned exterior and the buttery, tender fish is what makes it stand out from the heavier appetizers crowding the menu. In fact, some reviewers insist it’s not just one of the best appetizers at Outback, but one of the best things on the menu altogether.
Victoria’s Filet Mignon
Now that you’re fully covered on the appetizer front, you probably want to know where the actual beef is — and at Outback Steakhouse, it’s usually sitting right next to a lobster tail.
Among all the cuts on the menu, regulars and taste testers alike seem to keep circling back to Victoria’s Filet Mignon, a thick, center-cut steak seasoned with the chain’s signature spice blend and cooked to your preferred level of doneness. The filet has built a reputation for being especially tender and buttery, particularly when ordered medium rare. And because Outback fully embraces the “treat yourself” mentality, many diners pair it with a lobster tail for the full surf-and-turf experience.
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Classic Prime Rib
If you are one of those people who immediately sends back steak the second you spot any pink in it, then ordering the prime rib at Outback Steakhouse might initially test your nerves a little.
Unlike the chain’s grilled steaks, the prime rib is slow-roasted in the oven for hours, which gives it that signature rosy center while still keeping the meat fully cooked and tender.
The cut is heavily marbled, rich, and carved to order, usually served with au jus and the kind of oversized steakhouse sides that make you need a nap afterward.
Bloomin’ Burger
By now you’re probably convinced that Outback is not your regular steakhouse where only the steak is worth ordering. So after having tuna as an appetizer, why not continue the identity crisis with something that also carries the “Bloomin’” name — only this time as a full-blown burger.
The Bloomin’ Burger borrows everything people love about the famous onion appetizer and stacks it on top of a beef patty, complete with crispy Bloomin’ Onion petals, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and the signature bloom sauce dripping all over the place. It’s served with Aussie fries on the side.
Lodaded Jacket Potato
If a side dish has people constantly searching for copycat recipes online, that’s usually a pretty solid sign it’s doing something right. And with the Loaded Baked Potato at Outback Steakhouse, the margin for error is honestly pretty small to begin with. It’s a giant baked potato rubbed in oil and salt, wrapped in foil, then loaded up with butter, sour cream, melted cheddar, bacon bits, and chives. Somehow, Outback manages to make it a little more indulgent than the version you throw together at home.
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Aussie Cheese Fries
If a plate of fries needs to be served on its own appetizer-sized tray, chances are you’re no longer dealing with a simple side dish.
The Aussie Cheese Fries at Outback Steakhouse are essentially a full commitment to excess: crispy fries buried under a blanket of melted cheese and bacon, then served with a side of ranch dressing — because apparently the first layer of indulgence was not enough.
Chocolate Thunder From Down Under
While devouring a pound of juicy steak always makes for a memorable meal, eventually your body starts craving something sweet to balance out all the butter, beef, and fried appetizers. And the Chocolate Thunder From Down Under can be a proper way to end the experience.
The dessert is a full sugar overload in the best possible way. A giant pecan brownie comes topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, then drowned in chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and chocolate shavings. Moderation was never part of the Outback business model, anyways.
