I am an Outback Steakhouse Best Mates Ambassador. Every once in a while, I get to bring you guys specials and insider information on one of my favorite restaurants. All thoughts, as always, are my own. Follow the hashtag #OutbackBestMates on Twitter and Facebook (and here, of course).
I love date night. But I don’t love waiting for an hour with one of those buzzy remote things before I can sit down at a table, look at a menu, and order dinner. Most of the time when we’re heading out for date night, we just run out the door and drive to the restaurant. If it’s a Friday or Saturday night after work, we’re pretty much guaranteed to have to wait to be seated.
Click Thru Seating at Outback Steakhouse
The other night, I was heading back home from picking kids up from after-school activities and remembered Outback’s Click Thru Seating. I had the teen in the passenger seat call home and ask Dad to go online to Outback.com to secure our place in line. Even though the waiting area was packed when we got to Outback, all we had to do was give them our name and we were seated within a few minutes. It was glorious.
How long to you typically wait for a table when you go out to eat on the weekends?
Outback recently did a survey asking consumers about their typical wait time at restaurants across the country and found that, on average, Americans have waited nearly 40 minutes to be seated at a restaurant — which is more time than it takes to cook and eat an entire meal.
When you go to Outback.com/seating before you leave the house - or on your smartphone when you’re on your way to the restaurant - you can view the current wait time at your local Outback and put your name on the wait list (for now or later). That means once you make it to the restaurant, you can sit down - and EAT - even faster.
And if you’re like us, you can get back out the door to make it to your movie on time faster, too.
Our new favorite menu item at Outback
During our latest date night at Outback Steakhouse, not only did we get seated quickly thanks to Click Thru Seating, but we discovered the BEST new item on the menu. We love the Bloomin’ Onion (and the Bloomin’ Sauce) but we can never finish a whole Bloomin’ Onion on our own and I hate wasting food. We are so excited to have discovered the Sips and Snacks menu and the new Bloomin’ Petals. It’s a smaller-serving portion of Bloomin’ Onion, and because of the way it’s served, the “petals” are crispier. We polished off the plate and were totally hooked.
What is your favorite appetizer to order at Outback Steakhouse? Are you a Bloomin’ fan like me?
© 2014, Lolli. All rights reserved.
Now I know I have to visit to try the new Bloomin’ Petals.
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