Sunday, February 5, 2012

Outback Jacks

I’d like to make something clear to all those out there. We are using this blog to track our own personal experiences at particular venues. The experiences we have may be completely different to someone else’s and in the end I think it all really comes down to personal preference, so even if we don’t like somewhere, I can guarantee someone out there loves it. So ignore our opinions, just use it for ideas for places to go :)

So, Outback Jacks. We’d seen it, heard about it and dined near it, so it was time to make it a date night official venue. Tip number one: if you’re going on a weekend, make sure you book a table early in the week. The place was PACKED. I do love the décor in that place. A couple of giant crocs (one hanging over you while you eat and a half one near the entrance), dim lighting, a very funky bar and raw meat in a glass fridge where you order, the makings of a great theme restaurant really.

Anyway, so I’m not into steak that much, and as I’m sure we’re all aware, I do love a good burger. So the Wagyu Beef Burger it was. The prices at Outback Jacks are pretty reasonable I think, the burgers range from $17 - $26 (the Wagyu was the most expensive) and everything else can range from about the $17 - $50 mark, the most expensive being the steaks they have to offer (which I hear are pretty good). I think Paul got Big Jacks Rack (because as I’m sure we’re all aware, Paul loves his ribs), which were $40 for their famous 8 hour slow cooked ribs with a choice of sauce and chunky chips.

We’re usually pretty hungry before date night, especially Paul who won’t snack between lunch and date night in anticipation of a big meal, so sometimes pre-food we don’t talk a lot because we’re so hungry we can’t really hold a conversation that well (or it’s opposite and we’re so hungry we go bananas cracking terrible jokes and laughing like maniacs)… then we don’t talk when we get our food because we’re so busy stuffing our faces… then post food we’re so full we’re both about to slip into food comas. Don’t get me wrong, we’re not that weird couple that sits at the table looking awkward and not having anything to talk about… we just react the same to hunger.

Now, here came my problem. Having so many cuts of meat, so many ways to have them and being so busy posed a big issue for their ordering system. They don’t have waiters that come to the table, you go up and place your order, which is fine… usually. As I said, it was packed. Their genius way of ordering is telling them your order, them writing down your order, then as your there they get the cut of meat from the previously mentioned fridge, write on a particular popstick how you want it cooked, any gravy etc, put that in the meat then put it on a tray then send it to the chef.
It doesn’t sound time consuming, and it really isn’t if there are only one or two people. But when there’s a massive line of people, and nearly every person is ordering for more than themselves (in the case of the two people in front of me – an entire table) it takes a bloody long time. I waited half an hour in line just to order. It was ridiculous, I was hungry, and I was super dissatisfied. They only had one counter to order at as well, I feel maybe for a really busy weekend night they should consider maybe another person at the counter to improve their customer service.
So I was thinking, after I finally got to order and my stomach was about to jump out of my body and wrap itself around my throat for near starving it, that our entrée shouldn’t take too long – it was only garlic bread. Half an hour for garlic bread I think is too long, but they were really busy. Who knows, maybe they were understaffed that night. By the time the food came out I want to kill and kiss the waiter in the same go, which was a very strange feeling. The burger was average; even considering how hungry I was it just wasn’t worth the wait for me. However, I did get onion rings so that was a BIG plus :)
From what I was told by Paul, the ribs were pretty damn good, and I trust they were considering how fast and messily he ate them :)
In saying all of this, I’ve been there on a week night and it was a lot quicker but I think it’s kind of ruined for me. It’s not somewhere I would choose to go, nor would look forward to going. Paul’s brother and fiancé love the place and rave about it, so don’t let our bad experience stop you from going!

Overall, it’s not a place we would go again for a date night, and if we did it would definitely be on a week night.


Outback Jacks on Urbanspoon

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