Outback Aussie Fries Review: Ultimate Potato Indulgence

With around 670 locations in the United States alone, Outback Steakhouse currently stands as one of the major sit down restaurant chains in the world, competing against the likes of Red Robin and Lazy Dog in the niche of a more catered experience as a restaurant rather than just a fast-food joint. Even though their primary cuisine is "steak", they do have fries nonetheless. They boast their famous Aussie Fries, loaded with cheese and bacon, which is what will be Outback’s fighting chance in this arena.

Outback Steakhouse at The Great Mall, Milpitas CA.

Now mind you, Outback's Aussie Fries are supposedly famous because they unapologetically indulge you with the quantity of potatoes, cheese and bacon. At almost 3,000 calories per serving (compare that to McDonald's Large Fries clocking in at a mere 800 calories), this should be the ultimate nirvana for fries lovers. And yes, we came prepared with high expectations. Here is our review of Outback Steakhouse's Aussie Fries.

Texture (7/10)

The fries itself were crispy and well done, with the cheese being soft while not being to the point of becoming over-gooey, and the bacon adding a great crunch to the dish. This crunchiness, which was thankfully common due to the generous quantity of bacon bits on the fries, compensates for the mushiness of the thick fries, espeically with the cheese which was lobbed on top. Essentially the combined thick mass of potato and cheese, which somewhat weakens the base crispiness, was saved by the plentiful bacon bits. We have reviewed fries where the "sauce on top" has ruined texture (remember BK's poutine?). But Outback pulled this off quite well; it was an ingenious move to go for the ultimate indulgence - really thick cheese and meaningful amounts of bacon - to deliver a great texture.

The sticks are thick and long. Yet, they hold up really well even doused in cheese. The original crisp is definitely palpable but those crunchy bacon bits just takes it to the next level.

Flavor (7/10)

If judging this dish solely by their base fries, we do not think the flavor would be up to par as our benchmark fast-food chains, being dry and bland with no seasoning themselves. However, they were never meant to be eaten by themselves. The toppings added with the fries actually did most of the heavy lifting, with the cheese being salty and flavorful, and the bacon also contributing to elevate what would have been plain and mediocre potatoes. With sprinkled parsley adding to the scent, these were really tasty fries. Our only wish was if they had used higher quality cheese and ingredients as we couldn't help but notice a whiff of frozen / instant food.

Shape (6/10)

The fries were upscaled in proportion (think of giant fries) compared to the average fry, being both thicker and longer, and this would have proved to be the contributor to an overly mushy interior, yet would not have been a good shaped fries. But once again since these Aussie Fries were not a conventional fast food side, the thickness was actually necessary. The thickness of the fries helped in being able to hold the cheese and bacon that was sprinkled over the fries. In fact, because of this more robust shape, it was able to provide a good pairing with the toppings as it was able to hold its weight and what was on top of it. There would simply be no way the sticks would have maintained their shape had it not been as thick.

Presentation (6/10)

Since this was indeed a restaurant and not a fast-food joint, Outback did not have a normal takeout cardboard or plastic carton to hold their fries. These beauties instead were served in a regular plate. The plate was standard of a restaurant’s crockery and nothing too special. Despite this, the large heap of that filled the entire surface of the place was overwhelming at first site. And when this massive concoction is put in front of you, there definitely is a sense of it being "too messy". Yet, the color of the cheese and bacon, and the parsley sprinkles somehow hold the visuals together breaking it from a monotonous monstrosity. We do appreciate the large plate size as our team from both sides of the table had no issues grabbing the fries.

The plate is massive with pure indulgence on top. It can come across a bit messy though.

Experience (8/10)

The experience was great, with the food itself being good and at a price point of around $15, which is fair for how much quantity was provided and for the fact that the chain is a sit-down steakhouse. The fries also paired surprisingly well with the house made ranch dressing. As with all Outback experiences, the warm brown bread with butter sets the tone and the Aussie Fries quickly followed as the appetizer. And just with these two, and our drinks, we felt extremely satisfied and happy. We appreciate the gourmet fries experience that is difficult to find, especially in fast-food chains.

The sweet warm brown honey-wheat bread is Outback Steakhouse signature. It defines the beginning of the experience and without it, Outback wouldn't be complete.

Texture	7
Flavor	7
Shape	6
Presentation	6
Experience	8
Overall	6.8 / 10

All Outbacks have this wooden cabin interior. Kudos for being consistent.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Outback’s Aussie Fries succeeded on becoming the chain’s signature version of the enjoyable side, tranforming it into a gourmet dish worthy of standing alone. These are not just "better" fries per se, but rather specifically engineered to induldge one's appetite, preserving the shape, texture, and flavor from what would normally be bad standards for any other attempt. Outback Steakhouse has carved a niche for its fries by making them their own, catering it to their type of brand (affordable upscale), and landing a famouse dish that had the simple origins of fried potato sticks.

The steak on their menu looked so good, we had to take a picture. This only raised our expectations for their fries as well. We simply wouldn't be satisfied with regular fries after seeing this picture.