The Periphery of the Mind

We went to the Outback Steakhouse in Rogers last Friday. And we're adding it to our "Not Even if You Gave Us a Giftcard" category, up there with Ruby Tuesdays. Basically, the place was crowded, so I have to cut the service some slack. Granted, I don't know how fair that is since our waittress was only present to seat us and bring us the bill. Other tables had waitstaff, so I'm guessing ours saw her shadow and had to go into hiding for the better part of an hour. It's a union thing I'm guessing. Or maybe it had something to do with the complaints from the tables to either side of us (for future reference: if two tables are having problems, you'll likely have them too. And chances are, it isn't worth the chance of a free meal).

We had to flag down other staff to get things like water refills, ketchup for the fries, honey mustard for the Professor's chicken sandwich, silverware, etc. etc. and so forth. We thought about asking about the filling that was supposed to come with said sandwich (bacon, lettuce, tomato, everything but the chicken and the bread really), but why confuse them even more. My sandwich was really good for the first two bites, then okay, then overwhelming, and finally... boring. It did however get more interesting several hours later, as I woke sometime shortly after midnight wondering why my intestines were trying to escape. A year or two back the place was good. Busy and crowded, but good. And the rye bread they bring you is still yummy (although economics mean they cut back on the butter now), but the menu has shrunk, the service is chaotic at best, and the food is literally pain inducing.

Avoid the Outback in Rogers.

On the bright side, we recently broke down and bought some parmesan encrusted tilapia by Treaures of the Sea. Sam's Club sells it in their frozen fish section. The Professor baked it, and it was wonderful. Some of the best frozen fish I've ever had. Usually I have to douse frozen fish in tartar sauce to give it some flavor beyond breading, but this stuff was perfect. Highly, highly recommended, although pricey.

Labels: Monday Morning Munching Meditation