Outback Steakhouse San Marcos San Marcos Blvd.

I had a delightful lunch today with two friends at this relatively new spot near my home in San Marcos. We arrived shortly after opening, which meant no parking issues, no wait, and we were greeted with prompt, friendly service. Two of us ordered the Prime Rib Sandwich — one with a salad and the other (that’s me!) with the Aussie Fries (which are essentially French Fries, but when in Sydney...). We both thoroughly enjoyed the Prime Rib, and the side dishes were quite generous. I paired mine with a refreshing Seasonal Ale from Stone Brewery; they have a fantastic selection of craft beers if you just ask. Our friend chose one of the burgers, and she liked it as well. The lunch prices were very reasonable considering the quality of the food. We loved our young waitress, but unfortunately, I can’t recall her name — she was wonderful! The only reason I’m rating it a 4 instead of a 5 is the lack of real ambiance. I wasn’t expecting to feel like I was in Crocodile Dundee’s world, but something to make it clear I wasn’t at just any other steakhouse would have been nice.

While the prices are on the higher side, the quality of the food justifies it. I ordered my steak medium well, but unfortunately received it rare. The pumpernickel bread they served was warm and quite delicious, though I did wish for some honey butter to go with it. The menu features a solid selection ranging from steak and chicken to surf and turf, along with some creative dishes and appetizers. Overall, I would recommend this restaurant!

The menu was fantastic, and the service was excellent. Overall, we had a wonderful dining experience. We were seated on the patio, which we absolutely loved.

Stopped in with the kids to introduce them to one of America's favorite past times...The Bloomin' Onion. It has been years since I've been to an Outback and I have to admit, I'm not really a huge fan in general. We had a great time , the place was super clean, tables more than 6ft apart all on the outdoor patio. Each table has a pad loaded with everything from menu offerings to mainstream games to entertain the kids. The Bloomin' Onion was fantastic and fried to perfection. I ordered a ribeye and it was really tough....a bummer and the reason for the missing . I would normally give this a 3 , because there is really no excuse for a cut of beef like this to be anything but tender, but the shrimp that accompanied were great, the service was good and the onion was fantastic.

I visited the restaurant for dinner tonight thanks to a gift card from a friend. My friend ordered the Bloomin Fried Chicken Sandwich, which she said was delicious and spicy. I opted for the Prime Rib dip with a house salad. Unfortunately, the sandwich was disappointing; the meat was overcooked and the roll fell apart. However, the salad was enjoyable and included cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, cheese, and croutons. Our server, Mustaf, was fantastic and very accommodating.