Editor’s Note:
Wes Hennings never met a meal he walked away from and is an opinionated eater! Each Thursday he shares the results of a business lunch he’s had with a colleague as a way to advise our business community on the good, bad, and tasty across the CSRA. He doesn’t let ABD or the restaurant know where he is going and his opinions are his own. He grades the restaurants he visits on a 1-5 scale with “5” being outstanding. We call this our “Real Business Lunch Review”.
Food Quality: 5
Service: 3
Business Meeting: 5
Value: 4
Average Score: 4.25 of 5
Loyal readers in this space will know that I’m a fan of chain steakhouses. Longhorn received one of the best scores to date, so I decided to move up the road a little closer to that famous golf course as we get a little closer to the golfers arriving.
The Outback Steakhouse on Washington Road can be very hit or miss in my experience. This visit was both. The food was a hit – likely one of the best meals I’ve had at this location. The service on the other hand, as usual, was a miss.
We arrived just before noon at a pretty empty restaurant, which got my hopes up that our dining experience wouldn’t be too long. Our server greeted us promptly and brought our drinks and bread quickly.
I ordered a lunch steak with soup instead of fries as the side. The soup came out as an appetizer, and then the steak was all alone on a plate as the entree. I’d have preferred they both come out together.
My dining date ordered a chicken sandwich, and it came out without a bun, meaning it was no longer a sandwich. I rudely decided to eat my steak while she was waiting for the bread and finished my meal before she had started. I will say, upon realizing how long the correction took, they brought an entirely fresh chicken sandwich and fresh fries.
Despite the little debacle, the potato soup was hot and creamy and the steak cooked perfectly to order. The Bloomin’ chicken sandwich was well seasoned and crispy, and the fries had a delicious side. It was basically two completely different dining experiences between the food and the service.
A few tables down from us were a group of guys having a nice, fun business lunch, and the atmosphere was perfect for that. I just hope they weren’t in a hurry because as per usual, you could almost go to the outback with the time it takes to get your delicious meal at Outback.
Outback Steakhouse
2949 Washington Road
outback.com
