Hungry after dinner.

I must agree with the letter writer. While I understand businesses
need to downsize portions to save costs because of the bad economy,
the Outback is ridiculously expensive for the portions they give. I
think its crazy to pay 8 bucks for 4 pieces of coconut shrimp, or 20
bucks for a tiny steak. At TGI Fridays, the same steak would be 12.99
or so, and Fridays is one of the most expensive restaurants there is.
Outback is very skimpy, this letter writer isn't alone on that
opinion.

All restaurants seem to be following suit. As life costs more, food
business have no choice.

I went to Outback one time and never went back...just did not care for
the food.

When the fist opened they were wonderful, unique and comparatively
priced for a family to go out and enjoy a nice meal without it costing
an arm and leg.
Now their prices have gone skyhigh, the portions and most say quality
also have gone downhill.

I don't think this is any different that food manufacturers (the food
you buy in grocery stores) reducing the size/volume of their product
but keeping the price the same. Costs go up. People just don't seem
to remember this (or be willing to remember it).

I appreciate the brevity of your letter, but I'm curious about the
portion sizes. The steaks sizes are listed on the menu, so if you
steak was too small this would be an issue with the particular
restaraunt. Are you speaking of portion sizes of the side dishes,
their non-steak entrees, appetizers, salads..? I'm also curious if
they still include salad and bread with the meal because most (chain)
restaurants do not include a salad in the meal price anymore.

I've said this before on other Outback letters, but mine must be run
by good management because it has been consistently good for the past
couple of years. I haven't eaten there in a couple of months because
we are eating out less often, so I hope they haven't made any dramatic
changes.

I remember when OutBack was a treat. My dh and I would go there as
apecial dinner with our son. Now it's no better then AppleBees.

It's been a few years since I was in an Outback, but I've never cared
for them. I've always found the prices to be outrageous (although I
see that they do have promotions quite often), particularly for a
casual place and for the food quality. I've never found portions to
be terribly small, but I can see how this would be a valid complaint.

I will say, however, that I've found that the opinion of the value
differs depending on where you are. In some locations, Outback is one
of the better restaurants. Or it might be the only nicer place to go
where you can also take the kids. In other locations, such as where I
live, we have thousands of restaurants, so it's easy to find a place
that's less expensive, has better food, bigger portions, etc. In
other words, opinions differ depending on what your other choices are
and what you like.

The other thing with Outback, at least to ones I've been to, is that
they are always plenty busy. Waits are typically 20-40 minutes, or
more. With that, I'm thinking that they don't much mind you or I not
eating there. Of course, consistent with my above point, there may be
locations where they die for customers. If that's the case, I wonder
if there's a way to speak to local management about your concerns. A
local manager may not be able to go against company rules on portions
or prices, but they might have other ways to attract customers, given
your feedback (e.g., offering coupons or free salads).

I've been saying this on practically every Outback letter on PFB for a
while: Outback has severely gone downhill over the past several
years. The prices have gone up, and the portions of become smaller.
Additionally, the quality of the food is much less than it was, say,
10-15 years ago.

There was a time when Outback was really a treat. It was one of the
more expensive chain restaurants back then, but you NEVER left the
restaurant hungry. In fact, more often than not, you needed a doggie
bag. I too, have had my last meal at Outback. The nearest Charlie
Brown's to me is about 50 miles to the north, in York, PA. I pass it
every time I go to Lancaster, PA to visit family, as it's visible
right off the highway. One day I'll check them out while passing
through. I have checked out their menu online, and it certainly does
look appetizing.

I stopped eating at Outback years ago. They would serve steaks that
had more fat then my behind...and I have a fat behind! I used to love
them. Now, I just dont even bother. Try Longhorns if you have one or
Logans. I prefer either one to Outback.

The firmest message is the one you send with your wallet.

Good job in finding another restaurant.

We went to Outback recently and the sizes of the steaks are clearly
stated on the menu. The smallest ws around 6 ounces and larger ones
were over 20 ounces.

Short and sweet, indeed! Right to the point in as few words as
possible. Good job!

We've never been to Outback, but this would never do for my family.
The men are big eaters and don't like to leave hungry. That's why we
choose a place called Charlie Browns (also a steakhouse). It's a
small chain and there might not be one near you, but it's worth
checking into.

Perhaps you should try buffet restaurants.


Good Day