Outback Steakhouse
$$ • Restaurant, Steakhouse
Most Recent Reviews
Perhaps the best San Diego Outback location? Fries here are gf (some locations fries aren’t) and staff is accommodating and knowledgeable.
Make sure if you get the Chocolate Thunder from Down Under to omit the whip cream
I have Celiac Disease and am very sensitive to gluten and did not get sick. We had an amazing server, ask for Gage F if you dine here. He went above and beyond to answer questions and took care of all our gluten/cross contact concerns. He was just an overall delight. I ordered steak with a side of Cesar salad (no croutons) and fries on the side. The fries are GF and cooked in their own fryer. Gage found out that brussels sprouts are the only other thing cooked in that fryer and the brussels sprouts are gluten free as well so no cross contamination there. I was super excited to be able to eat fries! They were SO good. For dessert, we had the gluten free Thunder From Down Under with whipped cream on the side (for the non-Celiac family members). I recently found out that the whipped cream recipe was changed to add in wheat starch as a stabilizer (and our gluten detector did confirm this) so skip the whipped cream! Our server Gage checked the whipped cream ingredients and there is nothing listed on their whipped cream containers. ALSO, if you’re Celiac and get super sick with even the gluten free oats like me, there are NO oats in this dessert! Overall, it was a great experience with yummy food, and I was very happy to not get sick.
I’ve eaten here safely several times but thankfully know how to order safely, ask about ingredients and how they prepare the food. They do have a gf menu but will still bring bread to the table automatically even when you have the menus. I ALWAYS double check my food that they’ve given me the correct plate. It’s happened to me often enough that they try to give me the wrong food or a salad with croutons. They really need to work on training the staff & kitchen on celiac/allergen safety. Compared to other chains, they’ve a long way to go here.
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I have a severe gluten allergy, and I’m thankful that Outback offers a gluten-free menu. I've dined here several times when Andy was the owner and never had any issues. However, since he left, the restaurant’s quality has significantly declined. On October 19th, my friends and I visited for lunch. I requested a gluten-free menu from the host, and when we were seated, I immediately informed our waitress about my severe gluten allergy. She assured me there would be no issues.
I ordered strictly from the gluten-free menu: grilled shrimp (no seasoning), a Caesar salad (no croutons), and a sweet potato. When the Caesar salad arrived, I noticed crouton pieces in it—this is a major issue for someone with a severe gluten allergy. Thankfully, I hadn’t eaten any yet, but our waitress didn’t return for a long time, so I had to watch my friends eat their appetizers and salads while I waited.
When the waitress finally returned, she didn’t seem to treat the issue seriously at all. Then, the shrimp arrived—ice cold and mushy. It was unpleasant. I had to ask the manager for a discount due to the nearly gluten-contaminated salad and the cold, unappetizing shrimp. Needless to say, I won’t be returning. If I could give zero stars, I would.
Successfully ate gluten free.
I had a disappointing experience at Outback Steakhouse, particularly as someone with celiac disease who relies on restaurants to handle dietary restrictions carefully. Outback even offers a gluten-free menu, so you’d think they would be extra cautious—but that wasn’t the case.
I ordered a gluten-free salad, only to find croutons mixed in after I had already taken a bite. This kind of oversight is unacceptable and could cause serious health issues and potentially painful outcomes later tonight for me. Having a gluten-free menu means nothing if staff aren’t diligent about cross-contamination.
On top of that, my steak, ordered medium rare, arrived rare and barely cooked. It was also excessively peppery, which overpowered the flavor.
While the staff did check in with me when I raised my concerns, their response left me feeling frustrated. They seemed unsure why I was so upset and asked questions that didn’t help address the situation. It felt like there was a lack of understanding about the seriousness of gluten intolerance and celiac disease.
Outback’s lack of attention to food safety, even with a dedicated gluten-free menu, and the overall handling of my concerns made this visit a disappointment. I hope they can take steps to improve because this experience did not meet expectations.
Before arriving at the restaurant I called and spoke to the manager Matt he let me know what options I had for my allergies. He told me to let him know when I arrived. He personally managed my food and I had a great experience
Two of our party of 12 are diagnosed celiacs and one is suspected celiac. One of us got glutenned. The waiter did not correctly put in our allergy order and salads came out with croutons. We sent offending salads back and they allegedly remade them. The person bringing the food was different than the waiter, had no idea about the three allergy orders, and did not announce the stats of the food being brought. This restaurant needs a big overhaul of training. There was unsafe food being placed down at the seating of the celiacs place.
