Why We Always Avoid The Grilled Shrimp At This Popular Steakhouse Chain

Outback Steakhouse is for those who want their big appetites satisfied with an equal serving of food and fun, Aussie-style. Founded in 1988, the casual steakhouse and Australian-themed eatery is well-known in the U.S. chain restaurant scene. With Outback Steakhouse restaurants present in most states in the country (New England natives might feel a little left out), the restaurant became most popular for its flavorsome steaks and Bloomin' Onion appetizer. Even while the steaks and juicy burgers may have found a soft spot in the minds and palates of American diners, there's nothing like an appetizer that is a pleasant and equally delicious break away from the main meal. Unfortunately, the Grilled Shrimp on the Barbie is definitely not that. In fact, when Chowhound's own Emily M Alexander tried and ranked a range of Outback Steakhouse's appetizers, this was the one that caused the least excitement.

The Grilled Shrimp on the Barbie appetizer offers seafood lovers a flame-grilled shrimp seasoned with a mixture of herbs and spices. It comes served with the option of two sides (depending on your location) including Steakhouse Mac & Cheese and garlic toast, alongside a rémoulade sauce. While the sauce is pretty top tier, the grilled shrimp let the team down. The flavors seem promising, but the grilled shrimp order itself is overwhelmingly lackluster compared to other appetizer options. So, these aren't the kind of shrimp you'd be happy to wolf down at the next family barbie.

The reason that the Grilled Shrimp on the Barbie fails to live up to the rest of the menu's standard really comes down to incongruent flavor pairings and (maybe) just not being as big and bold as the other menu items. Shrimp isn't supposed to be forgettable, but it seems that what most people enjoyed about this appetizer is the sauce, which is a spicier and creamier version of a traditional French rémoulade sauce. The Gold Coast Coconut Shrimp on the other hand was well-received and the crispy texture from the hand-dipped batter and the shrimp rolled in coconut appeared to make much more sense flavor-wise (plus little chunks of coconut will always add a touch of irresistibleness).

While some Outback Steakhouse menu items such as the Koala Punch or Tim-Tam Brownie cake are inspired by Aussie culture, the majority is designed to appeal to U.S. culinary preferences. The not-so-secret contest between Outback Steakhouse vs Texas Roadhouse menu items sheds light on how two establishments with similar vibes score up with look-alike menu items. The Texan Roadhouse version of grilled shrimp keeps it simple and makes the most of flavor pairings that are culturally better understood like herbaceous seasonings, lemon, garlic, pepper and butter. Be it a need for simplicity on the seasoning front, or the fact that grilled shrimp isn't the restaurant's forte, the results for this Outback Steakhouse appetizer were decidedly down under.