Outback Steakhouse Honolulu Ala Moana Blvd.

I recently had dinner at Outback Steakhouse in Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii with my friend Dan O. Even though it seemed far to me due to living on an island with a different concept of distance, Dan convinced me to join him by offering to use some gift cards. I parked for free near the beach and enjoyed a leisurely walk before arriving at the restaurant with its spacious and pleasant decor. Our server, Jennifer, was cheerful and attentive, making my experience even better. I ordered the Ribeye Steak as recommended by my coworker Chris D., along with the Chopped Pecan Salad and Macaroni and Cheese as side dishes. The salad was outstanding with its crispy noodles and blue cheese crumbles, while the steak was tender and juicy with a smoky flavor. Overall, the dinner was much better than I expected and I was grateful to Dan for a wonderful evening. Thank you!

My party was the first to arrive for dinner service at this restaurant. Unfortunately, the place was completely empty during our visit. We were drawn in by the promise of a blooming onion, which did not disappoint in terms of taste, though we regrettably didn't snap a photo. The fruity drinks we ordered turned out to be overly sweet, while the cheesy steak dip was a standout favorite. My sister's loaded mashed potatoes were forgotten and our server had to check in after we had finished our other appetizers to inquire if we still wanted them. The potatoes lacked flavor and due to COVID regulations, there were no condiments on the table. We were going to request some, but our server did not check in on us until after our meal was finished and dishes were piled up. While we may return in the future for the blooming onion, for now, it's unlikely that we will be back.

I understand why this restaurant has a 3-star rating despite its quick service. The location is not ideal, as there is no free parking and the nearby parking lot charges $8 in advance. The website and receipt mention curbside pickup, but I did not see this option when ordering online. The restaurant does not offer premium sides, so it is not worth spending time trying to choose from their limited and boring options, such as steamed veggies. They do have a promotion where you can get 50% off your 4th order if you join and create an account, but the expensive parking situation may deter me from reaching that point. Spending $8 on parking each time I visit is not worth it, considering it is almost the price of an appetizer. Overall, I would not recommend this restaurant due to its low-quality food and lack of premium side options.

I was meeting a friend for lunch and we were discussing places to eat. For some reason, I was craving a blooming onion. I had to have one! So of course, we chose Outback for lunch. I always enjoy coming here. I immediately ordered the Blooming Onion, and we had an ahi salad, French onion soup, grilled chicken for me, and my dining companion had the special, beef shortrib with rice. I tasted her shortrib and it was delicious very tender with lots of beefy flavor and melt in your mouth goodness. I wish I'd ordered that! I've been having grilled chicken every time I go out because I'm trying to lose my Covid weight gain, but Outback is definitely not the place to diet, lol. We enjoyed our meal thoroughly and I took home half of the blooming onion for my son. Too bad because now I want another one, lol. This is a great place for a leisurely lunch!

The restaurant itself is clean and social distancing is in effect inside. (I do see people standing around in close quarters outside, but it 's not hard to move down a ways if you are uncomfortable). The hostess station will actually text you when your table is ready it 's perfect to allow you to wait in your car or even walk down the street a bit to get away from the door crowd . The food itself never disappoints. Same quality as any other Outback I 've been too. Consistency is pretty key for maintaining a chain restaurant so no complaints there. I usually go for the prime rib, but lately have been leaning more pescatarian. Luckily Outback offers some great seafood options. I ordered the *New* Toombawoomba Salmon. It comes with shrimp and a mushroom cream sauce. For the sides I chose veggies and cheese broccoli. It was all great! I would definitely order this again!! And of course we ordered the Bloomin ' Onion. Server was great. Drinks were great. Food was great.