8 Outback Steakhouse Menu Items You May Regret Ordering

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Outback Steakhouse has built its reputation on hearty plates, bold seasonings, big portions, and that familiar casual steakhouse comfort Americans know well. It is the kind of place where people go for sizzling steaks, loaded potatoes, fried appetizers, and meals that do not pretend to be delicate. Still, not every item on the menu gives you the best value for your money, appetite, or expectations.

Some dishes sound exciting on paper but fall flat once they hit the table. Others are simply too heavy, too sweet, too salty, or too ordinary for a restaurant known for steakhouse-style indulgence. Inspired by Chowhound’s breakdown of Outback items worth skipping, here are eight menu choices that may leave you wishing you had ordered something else.

Blue Cheese Pecan Chopped Salad

A salad at a steakhouse should be crisp, refreshing, and substantial enough to stand up to a rich main course. The Blue Cheese Pecan Chopped Salad tries to do too much at once. It mixes greens, carrots, cabbage, green onions, cinnamon pecans, crunchy toppings, blue cheese vinaigrette, and blue cheese crumbles, which sounds bold but can feel messy in practice.

The problem is balance. Blue cheese already has a sharp, salty personality, and the sweet pecans pull the salad in a completely different direction. Add fried crunchy bits and a heavy vinaigrette, and the whole thing can feel less like a clean starter and more like a confused side dish. If you want a salad before your steak, a Caesar or wedge is the smarter bet.

Steakhouse Mac & Cheese Bites

Mac and cheese is already rich, creamy, and comforting. Turning it into fried bites sounds fun, but this is one of those ideas that can quickly get out of hand. Outback describes these as golden bites filled with macaroni, Asiago, mozzarella, and Parmesan, served with ranch dressing.

That combination promises a lot, yet fried pasta balls can easily turn gummy instead of satisfying. The outside may be crisp, but the inside can become dense and gluey, especially as the cheese cools. There is also the bigger question: why deep-fry something that was already indulgent enough? If you are craving mac and cheese, the regular side will probably give you a better version of what you actually wanted.

Steamed Lobster Tails

Lobster at a steakhouse always sounds like a treat, especially for anyone ordering surf and turf. The issue is that Outback is first and foremost a casual steakhouse, not a seafood restaurant. Chowhound notes that diners have complained about the lobster tails being small for the price, even when the texture is tender.

That matters because lobster is expensive, and disappointment feels sharper when the portion is tiny. A small tail can make the whole plate feel more like a garnish than a main event. If seafood is the reason you are going out, you may be better served at a place that specializes in it. At Outback, the steaks and classic sides are usually the safer lane.

Tasmanian Chili

Chili should feel hearty, deep, and satisfying, especially at a place that serves steak. Outback’s Tasmanian Chili is described as an “all steak, no beans” option, which should make it sound like a meat lover’s dream.

The trouble is that a chili built around steak has to deliver visible, tender, and flavorful beef. If the bowl relies too heavily on sauce and doesn’t bring enough meat, it loses the very thing that makes it appealing. A sweet or thin tomato base can make it feel more like a warmed-up side than a bold starter. For the same hunger, a baked potato or steakhouse side may feel far more rewarding.

Kingsland Pasta

Pasta can be comforting, but at a steakhouse, it has to work harder to justify itself. The Kingsland Pasta features fettuccine Alfredo with options like grilled steak, chicken, shrimp, or a combination of proteins. On paper, it sounds generous. On the plate, it can feel heavy without being memorable.

Alfredo needs richness, sharpness, and a smooth texture to shine. If the sauce tastes flat, the whole dish becomes a pile of noodles carrying expensive toppings. Steak pieces can also dry out quickly when mixed into pasta, especially if they are cut small and cooked aggressively. At a steakhouse, ordering pasta instead of a proper steak dinner can feel like skipping the main show for a lukewarm side act.

The Outbacker Burger

The Outbacker Burger is not necessarily bad. That is exactly why it is frustrating. It is a basic burger with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and mustard, which makes it familiar but not especially exciting.

At a chain known for bold flavors, this burger feels too safe. You can find a similar burger almost anywhere, from casual restaurants to fast-food counters. If you are choosing a burger at Outback, it should feel connected to the brand. The Bloomin’ Burger, with Bloomin’ Onion pieces and signature sauce, makes more sense because it actually tastes like something tied to Outback’s identity.

Salted Caramel Cookie Skillet

A warm cookie skillet with ice cream should be an easy win. Outback’s Salted Caramel Cookie Skillet features white chocolate, almond toffee, pretzels, and vanilla ice cream, making it built for dessert lovers who want sweet, salty, crunchy, and creamy all at once.

The danger is overload. Too much salt can turn a fun dessert into a battle between the cookie and the ice cream. The sweetness from caramel and white chocolate already needs balancing, but pretzels and other salty elements can push the flavor too far. Chowhound also notes that the dessert has more than 900 calories, which makes the payoff feel questionable if the flavor doesn’t fully land.

Aussie Cheese Fries

Loaded fries are supposed to be messy, fun, and deeply satisfying. Outback’s Aussie Cheese Fries are topped with Monterey Jack, cheddar, chopped bacon, and ranch dressing. That sounds like classic comfort food, but this appetizer can become a heavy, greasy mountain fast.

The biggest problem is texture. Once fries are buried under melted cheese, bacon, and sauce, they can lose their crispness quickly. Instead of getting golden fries with bold toppings, you may end up with soft potatoes trapped under a blanket of dairy and salt. Chowhound reports the full dish comes in at about 2,600 calories, which is a lot for an appetizer before steak, bread, drinks, and dessert.

Conclusion

Outback Steakhouse can still be a solid choice when you order from its strengths. The best move is to lean into what the restaurant does well: steaks, classic sides, baked potatoes, grilled options, and signature items that feel worth the trip. The dishes above are not automatic disasters, but they are easier to regret because they either overpromise, feel too heavy, or lack the spark that makes a restaurant meal satisfying.

A good Outback order should feel bold, filling, and worth the bill. Skip the menu items that sound busy for the sake of being busy, and choose the plates that play to the steakhouse’s real strengths. That is how you leave full, happy, and much less likely to stare at your plate thinking, “I should have ordered the steak.”