Does Outback Steakhouse Use Fresh Or Frozen Steaks?

Although ubiquitous across American cityscapes, casual dining chains' sales keep struggling. And even the dependably warm and cheerful Outback Steakhouse is part of the down and out. Food Republic ranked it the worst American steakhouse chain, and many others share the sentiment that its quality has dropped.

So with served meats (and iconic Bloomin' Onion) comprising the chain's most quintessential offerings, there's more intrigue than ever in the quality of its beef. And a relevant point of interest is whether its steaks are fresh or frozen. 

It's the Standard Meat Company that distributes beef to Outback Steakhouse locations, according to a Texas Tech document.  As noted on its website, the business has worked with chain-dining establishments for decades, maintaining a strong relationship with the Aussie-themed restaurant since 1994. 

A central tenet of its butchering process comes down to maintaining a cool, yet not frozen, facility, followed by briskly vacuum-sealing the meat. At no point does the meat get frozen, thus signaling Outback Steakhouse only sizzles up fresh meat in its kitchen.

Keep in mind that a frozen steak isn't the end-all, be-all of meat quality. Sure, professional chefs have beef with frozen meat, due to issues with the thawing process and the potential for freezer burn to impact texture. However, if the beef goes through an ideal flash-freezing and thawing process, then its quality won't be too compromised. In fact, some even advocate for cooking steaks directly from frozen.

Nevertheless, mess up the thawing process, and the results aren't so savory. And with the massive scale of most chain restaurants, the potential risk posed by frozen steaks and the thawing process is understandable. Because of this, most notable steakhouse chains use fresh meat. Longhorn Steakhouse told Food Republic its steaks are fresh, and some suggest that only the porterhouse comes frozen to Texas Roadhouse, since its bone presents tricky butchering.

So, when compared to its competitors, Outback Steakhouse's use of fresh meat doesn't set it apart. Instead, diners feel disappointed by its low-grade beef, inconsistent seasoning, and generally poor price performance. It's a competitive realm of dining — and many of Outback's decisions translate to the final culinary experience.