Perusing the various menus in my company’s break room proved to be a fairly uninspiring experience. That is when I remembered that located nearby, was an Outback Steakhouse restaurant. Having visited this restaurant fairly frequently over the years, I was already acquainted with their reasonable dinner menu, and fabulous, juicy steaks. But lunchtime was something else altogether. Hopping onto their web site, I was reminded that Outback Steakhouse has a curbside take-away service (much like other restaurants in the area.) The concept of sinking my teeth into a succulent burger that I wouldn’t have to order while seated at a table, was quite a novel idea. I’d never ordered food in this manner before. So I figured I would provide a little insight for anyone else who’s entertaining the idea of the curbside meal...
The Process…
First and foremost, there is a very simple process for ordering food online. I was delighted to discover that there is a separate online ordering section. In order to place orders, you might sign up with the web site. But don’t worry. There is no “catch”; all the information requested is for order collecting purposes. Once you have signed up. It’s as easy as clicking on the desired menu items, and placing the order.
One of the great things about ordering online is that there is a section for one to place special notes. This was terrific for me, as I typically remove certain items from my sandwiches in restaurants. I ordered myself a medium well (yes, the site asks how you’d like your burger cooked) Hickory Burger and an order of Aussie chips (fries). After confirming my order, I selected the check-out button and then was done. I received an e-receipt which indicated the exact time that my order would be ready. Now that I really liked.
Several minutes later I found myself pulling up to the side of the Outback Steakhouse restaurant. There were two cars ahead of me, and quite frankly, I was wondering whether this little drive-thru gets backed up during the middle of the lunch rush. However, I watched as the server diligently (and with lightning speed) carried multiple bags, serving all three drivers simultaneously.
She hustled to my car, and called me by name, which I felt was an extremely personal touch. The experience made me feel as if I’d called ahead to Mom’s house for a carry-home plate of her homemade goodies. I will admit that I wondered about the quality of the carryout food. Sometimes when you take restaurant food to go, the freshness suffers. But when I peeked into the bag, not only did I discover a hot fresh loaf of Outback’s famous bread (with butter on the side), I found my order in pristine condition. The burger was cooked to perfection. The toppings were all in place. And with the ingenious foil wrapping along the bottom of the container, my food stayed hot and fresh. A few seconds later, I was on my way down the road, mouth watering.
The Verdict…
For me, a really good lunch experience-especially during a busy work week, is one that involves receiving my food quickly and spending as little money for it as possible. Know that the “drive-thru” experience at Outback Steakhouse will cost more than the average value meal at McDonald’s (duh.) But with lunch entrée prices ranging from $7 to $9, it’s extremely reasonable. In fact, for my burger, fries, and loaf of hot bread, I actually spent less than $9, including the tax.
This service is especially great when you’re ordering for large parties. I loved that I didn’t have to get out of my car at all, even to visit the take-away kiosk on the interior. Also a nice touch is that the servers actually place the food in your car for you. It’s really not that big of a deal, when you think of the concept of ordering ahead and having it brought to your vehicle. But lunchtime is one of the most hectic times of day. So,
