The Ames Fan Club

Restaurants and Food => Current Restaurants => Topic started by: thedisneystore967 on June 26, 2005, 09:12:46 AM

Title: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: thedisneystore967 on June 26, 2005, 09:12:46 AM
i went to one to celebrate my grandmother's &grandfather's 50th Annyvirsyever though my grandma died of lung cancer in december. It was the worst Restaurant i have ever been to..Of course im saying that cuz it nearly put bugaboo creek steak house out of business...
Title: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: Caldor1999 on June 26, 2005, 09:25:52 AM
i first went to one in 1997 and i remeber i got cheese fries and they had the wost ones i have EVER tasted yuck! lol
Title: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: Zayre88 on June 26, 2005, 04:51:25 PM
I first went there in 2003.  I got "chicken on the barbie"  The food was excellent and the service was very good but it's expensive compared to other restaurants. I don't really like the Australian theme that's everywhere in the menu.

Now i know about Outback, It's a nice place but not for me :)
Title: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: jmn3 on June 26, 2005, 07:52:46 PM
i love this place...best chain restaurant in my opinion.
Title: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: d_fife on February 19, 2006, 07:09:32 PM
here is the outback steakhouse in the white plains westchester pavilion

from http://www.siteride.com/srpl/p_snapshot.pl?lm=listing&resbox=1140393834&subNum=10214000763
Title: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: d_fife on August 08, 2006, 05:36:08 PM
outback steakhouse in manchester Ct near babies r us and a hotel, like a lot can be.
Title: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: d_fife on August 08, 2006, 05:36:47 PM
outback newington ct
Title: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: d_fife on August 08, 2006, 05:37:20 PM
outback southington ct
Title: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: d_fife on August 08, 2006, 05:38:13 PM
outback danbury ct near the 84 rt  and near bethel line and up the road from wal-0mart
Title: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: d_fife on November 01, 2006, 06:55:50 PM
in erie pa near millcreek pavilion around the millcreek mall.
Title: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: HoJofan206 on November 03, 2006, 12:46:25 PM
Evansville Indiana
Title: Re: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: McNuggetMan on January 23, 2012, 04:10:11 PM
Lantana/Lake Worth.
Opened in 1996, and has been subsequently repainted and remodeled since this picture was taken.
Title: Re: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: shore72 on January 27, 2012, 11:53:24 PM
We last ate at one about 2 months ago, the one in Frederick, MD. Sure was hard to find that place! We were just passing through but I had sought it out before hand. Disapointing, though. The best thing about it was the bread. The service and the food were just so-so. Most of our dining out is for lunch on Saturday, while most of their locations don't open until later. We tried eating at the Salisbury, MD location one Saturday night this winter and the wait was 45 minutes. We did call ahead seating to one of our favorites, Texas Roadhouse, and got a much better meal/much better value.
Title: Outback Steakhouse in South Portland, ME closes
Post by: retailisking on July 22, 2012, 09:43:08 PM
The location on Western Avenue (an increasingly-competitive area near the Maine Mall) was shuttered today due to underperformance according to a spokesman for the chain. It was the only Outback in the state. Developing...
Title: Re: Outback Steakhouse in South Portland, ME closes
Post by: Zayre88 on July 23, 2012, 06:58:55 AM
Quote from: retailisking on July 22, 2012, 09:43:08 PM
The location on Western Avenue (an increasingly-competitive area near the Maine Mall) was shuttered today due to underperformance according to a spokesman for the chain. It was the only Outback in the state. Developing...

Portsmouth NH also closed not too long ago...  It is a tough market.

This leaves Concord and Bedford only.
Title: Re: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: TRU7536 on July 23, 2012, 05:13:13 PM
These national chain restaurants got hit hard in recent years. It's pretty much all the same, the family own mom and pop ones are during pretty well.

On the pike, is a good example. Many of the national chains that have closed, were replaced by local places that do very well.
Title: Re: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: giantsfan2016 on September 13, 2018, 07:28:50 PM
I don't know if the one in Southington, CT closed or is remodeling. There is a dumpster on the side of their building and today they took the sign off the building today. There were still some cars in their parking lot. Will try and find out.
Title: Re: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: deerwrecker2017 on September 14, 2018, 01:16:18 PM
Their one location around Upper St. Clair is one that I know of that closed down but the reason was due to some heavy flooding that happened back in late June. The location is still listed on their website and it's listed as being closed for repairs and it also says that they hope to reopen soon.

I did actually visit that location only once last September.
Title: Re: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: TheFugitive on September 14, 2018, 03:04:52 PM
That is surprising.  That Upper St. Clair location sustained very heavy damage.
It sort of lies down in a bowl where it is sure to flood again.  I had the feeling
it was closed for good.
Title: Re: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: giantsfan2016 on September 16, 2018, 04:34:26 PM
Quote from: Brammy on September 13, 2018, 07:28:50 PM
I don't know if the one in Southington, CT closed or is remodeling. There is a dumpster on the side of their building and today they took the sign off the building today. There were still some cars in their parking lot. Will try and find out.

There are signs on the door that say "Pardon our Appearance As We get a Face Lift"
Title: Re: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: TheFugitive on April 11, 2019, 01:29:07 PM
Quote from: TheFugitive on September 14, 2018, 03:04:52 PM
That is surprising.  That Upper St. Clair location sustained very heavy damage.
It sort of lies down in a bowl where it is sure to flood again.  I had the feeling
it was closed for good.

This location has been demolished.  It sustained very heavy damage during flooding
that occurred last Spring.  Apparently it was beyond repair.  No word on whether
Outback will reopen in a new location.
Title: Re: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: shore72 on April 12, 2019, 09:42:16 PM
Maybe just a coincidence, but...twice in the last year someone has tried using my credit card number for a fraudulent purchase. Both times my credit card company caught it in a flash (Discover really impresses me!) Both times, it happened within a day of using the card at an Outback. Different locations.
Title: Re: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: TRU7536 on January 10, 2020, 07:10:31 PM
Outback in Manchester is closing at the end of the month.

https://patch.com/connecticut/manchester/manchester-outback-close-new-business-coming-same-plaza
Title: Re: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: AmesNewington on January 12, 2020, 08:52:59 AM
Quote from: TRU7536 on January 10, 2020, 07:10:31 PM
Outback in Manchester is closing at the end of the month.

https://patch.com/connecticut/manchester/manchester-outback-close-new-business-coming-same-plaza

I never went to that location, but I'm not surprised with Longhorn and Texas Roadhouse within the same area. Too much overlap in Manchester with many restaurants and stores.
Title: Re: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: Bdubs on January 17, 2020, 10:58:54 PM
Quote from: AmesNewington on January 12, 2020, 08:52:59 AM
Quote from: TRU7536 on January 10, 2020, 07:10:31 PM
Outback in Manchester is closing at the end of the month.

https://patch.com/connecticut/manchester/manchester-outback-close-new-business-coming-same-plaza

I never went to that location, but I'm not surprised with Longhorn and Texas Roadhouse within the same area. Too much overlap in Manchester with many restaurants and stores.
So many chains in that area it’s crazy. The former VP of Darden Restaurants had a goal of placing a Longhorn within only a couple of miles of every Outback to steal some of their business, and that model definitely put a hurting on some of those Outbacks.
Title: Re: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: TheFugitive on August 14, 2023, 04:43:03 PM
The Outback location in Robinson Township, PA west of Pittsburgh is in a very strange location.

It's away from the beaten path of Robinson Town Center where most of the chain restaurants are located.  It is up on top of a hill all by itself.  When it opened this location was in the parking lot of a Super Kmart store that filled the entire hilltop and could be easily seen as you were driving to the airport.

Kmart then hit the iceberg and began closing stores.  At the same time the shale fracking boom was taking off in Pennsylvania and turning the state into an energy dynamo.  Chevron negotiated a deal with Kmart to buy that location, demolish it and build a regional headquarters on the site.

This transaction occurred and the relatively new Kmart was torn down. This left Outback all by itself at the edge of a huge empty lot.  Before Chevron was able to get going on construction of this new HQ there was a political change (i.e. Pennsylvania elected a Governor who wanted to hike taxes on the fracking industry).  Chevron did not like this so they canceled their plans to build that facility and left the state.

So the Outback just trundled along all by its lonesome up on top of that hill until the property was sold and rezoned residential.  So there is a new neighborhood of newly constructed houses going up all around this Outback Steakhouse, the only commercial property in the vicinity. 

Walk out the door of Outback and find yourself in a residential neighborhood.  Weird.
Title: Re: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: Retail Regents on August 14, 2023, 09:34:39 PM
Quote from: TheFugitive on August 14, 2023, 04:43:03 PMWalk out the door of Outback and find yourself in a residential neighborhood.  Weird.

And not a particularly attractive neighborhood either - just a bunch of big, ugly grey residential buildings.
Title: Re: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: TheFugitive on August 15, 2023, 07:46:40 AM
Absolutely true.  That seems to be the hot trend around here for some reason.  My wife and I have driven around looking at new developments and saying "More gray houses?  Really??"
Title: Re: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: BillyGr on August 15, 2023, 01:35:16 PM
Quote from: TheFugitive on August 14, 2023, 04:43:03 PMSo, the Outback just trundled along all by its lonesome up on top of that hill until the property was sold and rezoned residential.  So, there is a new neighborhood of newly constructed houses going up all around this Outback Steakhouse, the only commercial property in the vicinity. 

Walk out the door of Outback and find yourself in a residential neighborhood.  Weird.

Though if they do a decent job (which they must if they have stayed around this long), they should get a boost in business - not too many people outside of true city blocks have a restaurant in potential walking distance from their homes :)
Title: Re: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: Retail Regents on August 15, 2023, 07:36:53 PM
And alas, it is a "luxury" development that is just as drab and grey on the inside as it is on the outside. Also Outback doesn't strike me as a high-end restaurant chain.
Title: Re: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: TheFugitive on August 16, 2023, 09:10:19 AM
Quote from: BillyGr on August 15, 2023, 01:35:16 PMThough if they do a decent job (which they must if they have stayed around this long), they should get a boost in business - not too many people outside of true city blocks have a restaurant in potential walking distance from their homes :)

You're right, they deserve a lot of credit for hanging in there all alone in an empty lot for all those years. One thing that may have helped them is that the next-closest Outback location was destroyed by a flood. I would actually be quite happy if an Outback Steakhouse was within walking distance of my house.
Title: Re: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: jconsolmagno on August 23, 2023, 07:28:42 PM
Quote from: TheFugitive on August 14, 2023, 04:43:03 PMThe Outback location in Robinson Township, PA west of Pittsburgh is in a very strange location.

It's away from the beaten path of Robinson Town Center where most of the chain restaurants are located.  It is up on top of a hill all by itself.  When it opened this location was in the parking lot of a Super Kmart store that filled the entire hilltop and could be easily seen as you were driving to the airport.

Kmart then hit the iceberg and began closing stores.  At the same time the shale fracking boom was taking off in Pennsylvania and turning the state into an energy dynamo.  Chevron negotiated a deal with Kmart to buy that location, demolish it and build a regional headquarters on the site.

This transaction occurred and the relatively new Kmart was torn down. This left Outback all by itself at the edge of a huge empty lot.  Before Chevron was able to get going on construction of this new HQ there was a political change (i.e. Pennsylvania elected a Governor who wanted to hike taxes on the fracking industry).  Chevron did not like this so they canceled their plans to build that facility and left the state.

So the Outback just trundled along all by its lonesome up on top of that hill until the property was sold and rezoned residential.  So there is a new neighborhood of newly constructed houses going up all around this Outback Steakhouse, the only commercial property in the vicinity. 

Walk out the door of Outback and find yourself in a residential neighborhood.  Weird.

Always wondered about this location, thanks for the backstory.
Title: Re: Outback Steakhouse
Post by: TheFugitive on October 23, 2023, 08:01:43 AM
A former colleague of mine from Hills had been one of the managers at this hilltop Super Kmart location.  He told me that once he had to call the cops on Christmas Eve because last-minute shoppers refused to leave the store at closing time.