If you want a great steak and don’t want to cook it yourself, a steakhouse chain like LongHorn or Outback is a great way to take care of that craving without breaking the bank.
(I mean, sure, you can also dine at a fancy steakhouse – here are a few you might like – but be prepared to spend hundreds of dollars.)
But when deciding where to go, it’s important to know the major differences. Here are four between Outback and LongHorn:
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Every menu has tradeoffs – because every item you add means more inventory, more training for the kitchen, just more complexity across the board.
Outback has trended toward more sandwiches (like their prime rib sandwich, two burgers, and the Bloomin’ chicken sandwich) and off-the-wall desserts (like the Tim Tam brownie cake and the chocolate thunder from down under), and as a consequence they have less room for many “traditional” entrees you usually see at a steak house.
By contrast, LongHorn provides more of those entrees – things like grilled lamb chops, chop steak (for the extremely cost-conscious steak eater), parmesan crusted chicken, more entree salads, and grilled corn on the cob. (It also means they don’t have as much in the way of sandwiches – just the one cheeseburger, plus a fried chicken sandwich available for lunch only. But really – who goes to a steakhouse for the burger?)
Neither is inherently better or worse – it’s just about what you want as / with your meal!
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Generally speaking, similar dishes cost a little more at Outback.
Take the chicken tender platter – at my local Outback, it’s chicken, two sides, and a dipping sauce for $18.99. At LongHorn, you get chicken tenders with two sides and dipping sauce…for just $15.79. Heck, you can upgrade to nine chicken tenders and still only pay $17.79.
Or to turn to steaks, consider that Outback’s Melbourne Porterhouse (a massive 22-ounce steak) comes with two sides and costs $37.99.
At LongHorn, you can get the LongHorn Porterhouse (22 ounces as well, also with two sides) for just $35.49.
This plays out across the menu.
And it matters!
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Interestingly – and especially with the price point difference – I’ve generally found the vibe at LongHorn to be a little stuffier.
Not, like, to any unreasonable degree. But it feels like a much more “serious” restaurant than Outback.
Which, again, is weird given that it’s cheaper than Outback too!
So you get a more “fine dining” experience for less money.
Seems like a bit of a win-win?
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Generally speaking, I’ve found Outback servers to be pretty standard chain waitstaff.
Friendly, efficient, pretty good at keeping drinks filled, not too pushy.
LongHorn’s folks have blown me away, however.
They’ve been knowledgeable about steaks to an extent I would not expect outside of the kitchens – suggesting a level of training and preparation I suspect just isn’t there at Outback.
And again – this is based on my experience and that of a few friends, maybe your mileage varies.
But it’s all in keeping with that more “serious” vibe at LongHorn.
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Just to be clear, they also have lots in common!
The food is generally great – I don’t think I’ve had a disappointing meal at either establishment. (Maybe I feel differently when I get the bill, but the food itself is always good.)
They have generally the same dine-in hours (11am-11pm on Fridays and Saturdays, 11am-10pm on weekdays, Outback does 11am-9pm on Sundays while LongHorn does 11am-10pm).
And of course, they offer similar cuts of steak and toppings. So they have a lot in common.
With that in mind, a quick question for you:
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What other major differences have you noticed between LongHorn and Outback?
Anything I missed? Stories to share?
Let us know in the comments!
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• For fun lists, healthy living tips, and bar conversation topics, make sure to follow The Coconut Mama. Click here to access The Coconut Mama’s profile page and be sure to hit the Follow button here or at the top of this article!
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