--- title: "How Outback Steakhouse created its 'Best Steaks Ever'" url: https://burnaze.com/article/0d15b8f8-1f9b-48ee-ae4f-52e90861eed6 source: "Restaurant Business" original_url: https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/food/how-outback-steakhouse-created-its-best-steaks-ever category: "Casual dining" industry: "Restaurants" segment: "Casual dining" published: 2026-10-22T12:41:14.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T14:43:38.505Z image: https://cdn.informaconnect.com/platform/files/public/2026-10/background/outback-sign.jpg?VersionId=Kn0Rn630cmcn8fLat2XDi8zBgIOWqqsj --- # How Outback Steakhouse created its 'Best Steaks Ever' **TL;DR:** Outback Steakhouse has invested $75 million in improvements, including $25 million in steak upgrades, as part of its ongoing turnaround campaign. The chain has introduced new steaks, improved cooking methods, and enhanced staff training to provide a better experience for customers. *originally published in Restaurant Business on 2026-10-22. [Read the original](https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/food/how-outback-steakhouse-created-its-best-steaks-ever).* ## Key facts - Outback invested $25 million in steak upgrades - Two new steaks added: New York Strip and Down Under Delmonico Ribeye - Staff training includes new certification for cooks ## Story Since the early days of Outback Steakhouse’s ongoing turnaround campaign, the chain’s signature menu item has been front and center. On his first earnings call as CEO of Outback parent Bloomin’ Brands in November 2024, Mike Spanos told analysts that the new-look Outback would be “a focused steak and seafood experience” with an “Aussie spirit.” A year later, Bloomin’ said it was investing $75 million into Outback improvements, including about $25 million for steak and a menu redesign. ## Steak upgrades Nearly 12 months removed from that announcement, the chain is pulling back the curtain on those upgrades with a bold promise: It’s now serving its “Best Steaks Ever.” “We want everyone to know, ‘Hey, it’s been a minute. You should come in, because there are some changes that have taken place,’” said Becky Boyd, Bloomin’s senior director of food and beverage innovation. The changes span different parts of Outback’s operation, from the steaks it serves, to the way they are prepared, and how servers talk about them to customers. “It’s this all-encompassing experience the guest is going to get,” said Boyd, who has been part of Outback for 30 years, starting as a hostess at its Oklahoma City location. “But we know we have to stay true to what our guests expect from us, and that’s steak.” Outback’s steak lineup includes the center-cut sirloin (the steak that made the brand famous, Boyd said), a Rockhampton Ribeye, and Boyd's personal favorite, Victoria’s Barrel-Cut Filet. As part of its effort to raise the bar, Outback has added two new steaks, a New York Strip and a premium Down Under Delmonico Ribeye — “arguably the highest quality, most desirable ribeye that you can get,” Boyd said. It took that opportunity to reassess how it prepares those cuts, particularly the heavily marbled Delmonico. Rather than cook it on the chain’s typical flat-top grill, Boyd said, the team decided to switch to the char-grill (or barbie, in Outback’s terminology), using the open flame to better melt the fat and produce a juicier bite. Outback also developed a new seasoning specifically for the Delmonico. It has since applied the same process to its bone-in ribeye. Leaner cuts are still cooked on the flat-top, though the brand has installed clamshells to improve consistency, another key element of the Best Steaks Ever campaign. “We’re saying … ‘The way you want your stay cooked is the way you're gonna get it,’” Boyd said. ## Staff training The chain has also boosted staff training around steak. Cooks must earn a new certification proving that they can cook steak to Outback’s new standards. And servers are being coached to better guide customers through the menu, based on company research showing that only 41% of Americans feel very confident in their steak knowledge. “If you walk in and say, ‘I don't really know the difference between these cuts,’ we want to make that a very easy experience for our guests,” Boyd said. For that training, servers try Outback’s various steaks themselves so they can accurately describe the difference between the cuts. In an effort to drive trial of the new and improved steaks, Outback has added its 6-ounce center-cut sirloin as an entree option in its Aussie 3-Course meal. Customers can get the steak, soup or salad, and cheesecake for $15.99. Outback says these changes are more than just talk. Boyd pointed to data shared on the chain’s second quarter earnings call in August showing higher satisfaction scores for Outback’s food (+4 points year over year), intent to return (+5), value (+6), service (+7), and brand trust (+2). During the quarter, which ended June 28, same-store sales rose 1.4%, their highest mark since the first quarter of 2023. “What you heard on the earnings call is exactly what we’re seeing,” Boyd said. “Obviously we wouldn't be in a place where we wanted to shout from the rooftop, ‘We have the best steaks ever,’ without feeling very confident in that.” *Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.* ## Entities - QSR (sector) - Restaurant Business (publication) - Bloomin' Brands (company) - Outback Steakhouse (company) - staff training (topic) - menu redesign (topic) - Mike Spanos (person) - Becky Boyd (person) - steak upgrades (topic) - turnaround campaign (topic) --- Originally reported by Restaurant Business (https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/food/how-outback-steakhouse-created-its-best-steaks-ever). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/0d15b8f8-1f9b-48ee-ae4f-52e90861eed6).