Saturday, March 10, 2007

Steak Chains - MOO


I think the most disappointing type of chain is the mid-level priced Steakhouse chains. I mean none of them are really terrible but none of them really excite me the way other chains do. It might be that steak is really one food that you really have to pay more for to get really good quality. That being said of the three I am about to talk about all three are better than the world famous Peter Luger's (yuck - just an utter disaster). I waited 25 years to go to Luger's, I should have waited another 25. I know so many people love this place and I really wanted to as well but for some reason when I went with my family last fall we all hated it. I hope, I truly do, that it was a fluke thing and that the steak they served my family was just a bad piece.
Sorry, I digress back to the steak chains. So really they are all the same to me. If I closed my eyes and tasted a steak from Outback, Bugaboo Creek and Longhorn I do not think I could tell the difference. Even the honey mustard that I get on my salad tastes alike. Oh and even the breads, all come out on a cute little wood tray thing, scoop of whipped butter on the side and of course they all have some form of the bloomin onion. Come on a little originality please. I guess the point of the mid-level priced Steakhouse chain is a hearty meal and a fair price. You get a steak without having to pay for a $50.00 meal, just keep in mind that the steak will just be average. Of the three restaurants listed above I would say my favorite is Outback. Not that their steak is much better than the other two places, maybe I just like the feeling of being in Australia, seems like a cool laid back fun place. I mean better than the Canadian Rockies with dead moose heads everywhere. Of course if you are willing to pay more or have a special occasion or a corporate card (yippee) I think the higher priced Steakhouse chains are just as good as most of the top ranked steak places in NY, if not better.
Let me know what you think.

5 comments:

sports said...

Outback steakhouse is awful. Longhorn is not much better. I go to Ruth Chris and spend a little more so I am guaranteed a good meal. Outback Steakhouse is only good if you are on a road and it is the only restaurant within 100 miles of your destination.

food snob said...

I like Old Homestead the best. So good! And yeah, it is a chain! hahaha. I don't eat at non-upscale chain steakhouses anymore of course, but when I was young we would eat at the Bonanza in Dallas, PA (now closed). I was in love with that place. But I never ate the steak there, I would just load up at the salad bar.

KATE said...

You know how I feel about Outback.

Rori said...

Kate you worked there
I would appreciate some feedback about what it was like

Anonymous said...

How can you not like Peter Lugers and recommend some tourist crap place like Old Homestead. It is filled with nothing but corporate accounts and Asians. That makes me question your comments on everything but chicken fingers.