Outback Steakhouse, North Strathfield

Outback Steakhouse in North Strathfield is famous for their blooming onion and also their steaks. Mr Weekend Food Escapes has been here before but it's my first time so I am eager to check out what the fuss is all about. 

Outback Steakhouse in North Strathfield is really spacious and has a huge bar area. Then there's booths and a number of tables for groups of people.  I end up sitting at a table near the bar with a group of foodies.

Outback Steakhouse has quite an extensive cocktail menu which I surprised me. I order the Barrier Punch ($15, below right) which has malibu coconut rum, splash of midori melon liquer, orange juice and cranberry juice. Mr Weekend Food Escapes orders a Coral Sea Punch ($16, below left) which is made from stolichnaya vodka, guava nectar, cranberry juice, lime juice and fresh fruit.  The Barrier Punch is refreshing and fruity, it's enjoyable to drink. It tastes quite light in alcohol content. Mr Weekend Food Escapes enjoys his Coral Sea Punch as he generally goes for the vodka based cocktails.

One of our foodie friends orders a huge beer which is served up in a frosty cold glass. We are then treated to a quick demonstration of how the blooming onion is created.  Outback Steak needs to get special giant onions to make the blooming onion. There is this patented machine that creates that beautiful onion pattern. I am fascinated by the machine! It looks beautiful.

Outback Steakhouse has a number of entrees to choose from. The signature of course is the blooming onion. The Blooming Onion ($13.95) is cooked golden brown and is served up with a spicy signature sauce. The blooming onion looks so delicate and delicious. The foodie group quickly starts pulling part onion strands and we dip this into the sauce which is mildly spicy and has a creamy aioli texture. I like the crunchy texture of the blooming onion and enjoy the taste of the onion with the sauce. This is a must order.

There's also the Bruschetta ($10.95), Classic Chicken Wings ($15.95), Crispy Calamari ($16.45) and also crumbed mushrooms (I couldn't find this on the menu so it must be coming soon to their menu). The Classic Chicken Wings seem particularly popular with the foodie group as everyone got their hands dirty. The crumb on the calamari is very similar to the crumb on the mushrooms and also the chicken wings. I like the calamari as well. There's a lot of fried food here so best to eat in moderation and I suggest sharing with friends/family. My favourite picks would be the chicken wings and blooming onion.

There's a giant Tomahawk ($135) on the menu which is 1.6kg. You can also choose 3 sides and 3 sauces. I don't eat this Tomahawk but take a quick photo as i'm impressed by the size.

The foodies and I share a number of steaks. The size of the steaks are quite significant - there's the New York Strip Steak (340g, $29.95), Ribeye (285g, $33.95) or the signature sirloin (250g, $28.95). All the steaks were cooked very well - medium and were very flavoursome. It was hard for me to distinguish between which steak was which as it was all shared on a platter but let's just say I definitely got my injection of protein!

I balance out the steaks with some salad and vegetables. I also go back to the blooming onion for textural and flavour contrast. It's a great mix of food.

The foodies are also enticed by the Volcano Calamari and Prawns ($17.95) which is crispy calamari and prawns tossed in a spicy sriracha aioli sauce. It's also served up with lettuce, chilli, shallot and lemon. This is a really delicious dish and the sauce tastes slightly sweet and spicy which I like. One to re-order me thinks.

Summary: Overall, I really enjoyed my experience at Outback Steakhouse. The highlight has to be that blooming onion along with their range of meat mains. I also really enjoyed the Volcano Calamari and Prawns. It's a nice steakhouse!

Price: Approx $50 pp 

Location: 1/3 George St, North Strathfield

Opening Hours: 
Open Daily 
Monday to Thursday 4pm to 9pm
Friday and Saturday 12pm to 10pm
Sunday 12pm to 9pm


Weekend Food Escapes dined as guests of the venue or their representatives. All photos, opinions and words are my own.