The Shrimp Appetizer You Should Never Order At Outback Steakhouse

Despite commercials narrated with Australian accents and Outback-themed menu items, a lesser known fact about Outback Steakhouse is that it was originally founded by a group of Floridians. Still, the marketing scheme clearly struck a chord, since the chain is still going strong after several decades in business. While iconic dishes like the Bloomin' Onion and Brown Bread are a large part of the reason customers love Outback Steakhouse, there are other dishes you should avoid ordering altogether. 

One of them is the Grilled Shrimp on the Barbie appetizer, which consists of around eight grilled shrimp served over a piece of garlic toast with a side of remoulade sauce. Not only is the title an affront to Aussies everywhere, but it's also an affront to your tastebuds. We were expecting the smoky char marks and nicely textured exterior that a grill tends to instill, but were instead disappointed by mushy, undercooked shrimp with a weirdly yellow tint. 

We couldn't get past the off-putting texture to appreciate the shrimp's flavor at all either (not that we could taste much with all that garlic burning out tastebuds). The toast was also a smashed disappointment that evidently absorbed all the residual garlic butter the shrimp were doused in because it was incredibly greasy. Plus, logistically, one smashed piece of toast is hard to cut with standard table cutlery and is awkward to pick up and eat like a fancy piece of toast with the tail-on shrimp too.

Customers on an Outback Steakhouse Facebook forum also aired their grievances about both the taste and texture of the shrimp and the toast in the Grilled Shrimp on the Barbie appetizer. One complained, "Last time I got grilled shrimp there they were almost raw." While we thought the mushy texture may have been a result of undercooking, another customer opined, "They were really overcooked so they were impossible to chew." Further, a common complaint seen repeatedly was that the shrimp are really tiny and, more often than not, there are less than eight of them. 

As for the garlic toast, one customer summed it up well by pointing out, "The bread is always hard on the ends and soggy in the middle and doesn't have good flavor. Plus, it's in one piece and hard to share." If you're looking for a tasty seafood appetizer, the Coconut Shrimp is a much safer bet. Since the Bloomin' Onion is one of the most popular menu items at Outback Steakhouse, you could also try the Bloomin' Fried Shrimp. 

Some other, underrated Outback Steakhouse appetizers include the Kookaburra Wings and the French Onion Soup. You could always save seafood for the main course by ordering one of our favorite dishes, the Seared Pepper Ahi, instead of risking the shrimp.