5 Outback Steakhouse Steaks, Ranked Worst To Best

When that steak craving hits, there are several steakhouses you could head to. Since Outback Steakhouse is cheaper than other options and offers a unique "down under" feel, it's a pretty popular choice. Although, fun fact, the chain's origins are American, not Australian, much to many people's surprise. Regardless, one look at the menu shows you there are many steak cuts you can choose from, ranging from a rich, highly-marbled ribeye to a lean yet incredibly tender filet mignon. Which is the best option Outback Steakhouse has to offer?

That's the question I'm here to answer today. Daily Meal previously created an ultimate ranking of Texas Roadhouse steaks and today, I'm ranking five Outback Steakhouse options from worst to best. I'm uniquely suited to the task thanks to more than fifteen years in the food industry, and decades of crafting steaks at home for my family. To create the ranking, I considered each steak's taste, texture, smell, and price versus quality. Ready to learn which Outback Steakhouse steaks are most worth your hard-earned money? Let's get into it.

The 6-ounce center-cut sirloin is one of the smallest and cheapest varieties on Outback's menu. Prices can vary by location, but this offering was only $16.99 at my location. Those six ounces of sirloin provide 340 calories, two grams of fiber, and 35 grams of protein, which is a decent calorie-to-protein ratio for those focusing on being health conscious. However, there are also 21 grams of fat and 1,280 milligrams of sodium, which is something to be aware of.

When I sat down to eat this steak, it had a light charred grill smell with heavier notes of Outback's signature 17-spice blend — that blend offers a complex smell and taste I love, with notes of sweet, spicy, and salty all rolled into one. There was a good sear on this cut, but a long piece of grizzly fat running through the middle made it challenging to eat — and that grizzle paired with a mild toughness gave it a rougher texture I don't care for in my steaks.

Overall, this center-cut sirloin may be the lowest-ranking option, but it isn't bad. If you want to dine on steak for a budget, it could be a good option. However, I'd recommend opting for a higher-ranking steak if you can, because there's a stark difference between the sirloin and higher-priced cuts — but then, the difference between Outback's most expensive steak and their cheapest was bound to be fairly significant.

The 16-ounce bone-in New York Strip from Outback Steakhouse comes in at 850 calories with one gram of fiber and a whopping 107 grams of protein — this is fantastic since protein helps you stay fuller longer, and is also essential for healthy muscles. To counteract this a little, there are 2,070 milligrams of sodium and 43 grams of fat. If you're on a sodium-restricted diet, you may want to skip this option — better yet, you could ask for your steak to come without Outback's signature seasoning blend, although this could alter the taste of the final product quite a bit. At $28.99, this strip offers a comparatively average price tag.

This steak had a light charred smell with surprising, mild, sweet notes and the Outback Steakhouse signature seasoning blend smell layered over top. These notes translated to the taste, adding to a hearty umami profile with a distinct peppery undertone. Although incredibly juicy, the meat was a little chewier than other options, with a mildly grainy mouthfeel. The portion size was filling and overall, this was an enjoyable, well-cooked steak, despite there being options I prefer more.

The 22-ounce Melbourne porterhouse offers a generous serving of steak with a relatively low amount of calories — coming in at 980 calories, it actually has a little less than the ribeye, which is a much smaller portion. There's also one gram of fiber and 102 grams of protein with 2,150 milligrams of sodium and 60 grams of fat. For me, the best part of this giant steak serving is that it's easily two meals. If you want to stretch your budget, ask for a to-go box in the beginning and divide your porterhouse, along with your sides (if desired). Although the porterhouse is more expensive at $34.99, this tip allows you to spend $17.49 per serving instead.

While a porterhouse steak looks similar to a T-bone, it's not really the same thing. However, if you enjoy a double-cut steak like the T-bone, this could be your next go-to menu item at Outback Steakhouse. The smell was a strong signature seasoning with a heavier char scent than other options on this list, layered over a deep umami flavor profile. Every bite was evenly cooked and juicy, with the outer layer of fat being soft rather than chewy — which is something I often run into when ordering steak from a restaurant. The steak was tender and thick, which really helped amp up the textural experience. Although it's not the top-ranking steak, the Melbourne porterhouse was delicious and I can definitely recommend it.

The 13-ounce ribeye costs $27.99 at my local Outback Steakhouse, which is average for this list. Compared to other options, this one has the highest calories, at 950, and the highest fat content, at 78 grams. It offers 57 grams of protein per serving and 2,010 milligrams of sodium. That being said, the higher fat content is also one of the reasons this is such a delicious steak, as fat directly contributes to how flavorful and juicy a steak is.

Ribeyes are my personal favorite cut, and the one from Outback Steakhouse definitely lived up to my standards. The smell was mouth-watering, featuring a well-seasoned, nicely charred scent with a rich umami flavor profile. Each bite was tender and almost buttery, with the outer layer of fat remaining soft with a light crisp along the edges instead of being too chewy. Although this was seasoned with Outback's signature seasoning, the salt and pepper specifically came through strongly. If you prefer a well-marbled, fattier steak cut, this should be your new go-to — and I'll definitely be ordering it again.

If we're looking at price alone, this 6-ounce Victoria's filet mignon falls in the middle of the menu's price spectrum. However, if we compare the price per ounce, it's definitely the most expensive, coming in at $27.49 total or around $4.50 an ounce. For comparison, the most expensive option in price alone is the porterhouse, but you're only paying about $1.50 an ounce thanks to the larger portion size. This steak is also one of the healthiest menu items at Outback Steakhouse, with 480 calories, 47 grams of protein, 31 grams of fat, and 1,250 milligrams of sodium.

Filet mignons are lean pieces of meat with an unrivaled buttery soft tenderness, and this one from Outback Steakhouse definitely lived up to cut standards. Mine was perfectly cooked, with a great sear, which lent itself to both the taste and smell. Although it was well seasoned, it was a little less heavy-handed on the filet mignon versus the other cuts on this list, which I think works best for such a delicate steak. The taste was primarily a delicate umami with buttery notes throughout, over top which was layered the classic smoky char and seasoning. Hands down, this is the best steak Outback Steakhouse has to offer and I highly recommend you try it to find out why.

Various Outback Steakhouse steaks were chosen to provide a well-rounded example of the chain's signature steak offerings, with a few options left out because they were too similar to others. Each steak was judged based on smell, texture, and flavor. The price of each cut versus the quality was also taken into consideration when creating these rankings. When making my determinations, I tried to compare each steak to high-quality similar cuts I've eaten or prepared over the years.

To make my assessments, I relied on more than fifteen years of experience in the food industry, during which time I cooked countless steaks in commercial kitchens, and decades of cooking steaks for my own family at home. Although my personal preferences played into my decisions, I aimed to remain as unbiased as possible when creating this ranking.