Outback Steakhouse in Mentor, Ohio

The Outback Steakhouse in Mentor, Ohio… What can I tell you? The hype is so much more than the reality of the place. Maybe if they stopped their infernal constant advertising, the prices could slide back to decent. We went to the restaurant on Sunday the 27th of August 2006 at approximately 6:45 PM and, shockingly enough, were seated right away. We had attempted to do the “call ahead seating” but that was a farce and we were even told that by whoever picked up the phone. She said that we could go ahead and leave our name, but that it did not guarantee us a table or the time we wanted. May I ask what the use is of even saying you have such a thing? One more way the corporations try to put one over on the consumer. One day corporate America will realize we consumers are not all that stupid. Of course that will have to come when we decide to quit going to places that treat us as if we just fell off the proverbial turnip truck. I, for one, will be hard pressed to return to this particular restaurant

Seven of us went to celebrate a birthday for my mother. The first thing that was disheartening to me was the fact that there is way too much stuff on the table. The table was meant for seven, but had this little menu, and that little menu, and this pamphlet and that pamphlet as well as salt, pepper, sugar, sauces, etc. We ordered two appetizers. Those along with the bread took up all the space we had. This was much before the main courses came out. By the way, that bread is awful for that kind of meals we had. Maybe for a salad, but not for meat and potatoes meals. The Bloomin’ onion was fine though it seemed about 66% the size it was the last time I was there. We also had the deep-fried mushrooms, which were quite good.

Entrees ran the gamut from a shrimp dish to steaks to chicken. I had the 12 ounce Prime Rib. I asked for it medium and it was done correctly. The Alice Springs Chicken ordered by my mother was, according to her, also good. I also had the garlic-mashed potatoes, which, I must admit, were very good and extremely garlicky. Everyone seems afraid to do that. Kudos to you for not taking the wimpy way.

I have to say there was a problem though. First, we should have been seated at a larger table as I have discussed due to all the space taken by extraneous things. Next, our server needs to be much more considerate and conscious of her surroundings. While attempting to hand something to a member of our party at the rear of the table, she inadvertently bumped into the chair next to me (this was before the last two in our party arrived). Something on that chair was sharp enough to have left a scratch on my left leg. It was not bad, but that should never have happened. If there is not enough room to walk around a table it should not be there. She apologized but in a joking way that I found to be slightly offensive. It was really not her place to decide it was humorous, which I found it not. The server was Jessica L and the table was 56.