Tasty Tuesdays: Outback Steakhouse (Gagyeong-dong)

Restaurant:  Outback Steakhouse
Type:          Western-style (pasta, hamburgers, steak, salad)
Prices:         Mains from 11,000

Outback Steakhouse: Down-Under Turned High-Class

This Korean interpretation of the Australian-themed restaurant franchise, ups the ante in terms of both atmosphere and price, offering customers delicious, familiar food in a decidedly classy atmosphere..

American expats here in Cheongju are likely very familiar with Outback Steakhouse, the casual, Australian-themed eatery that boasts delicious bread and bloomin’ onions. Visitors to the Outback Steakhouse in Gagyeong-dong, however, are likely to find a fancier, and more expensive dining experience when compared to American Outback Steakhouse chains.  Indeed, the trademark kitschy Australian-décor has been eschewed in favor of an elegant arrangement of framed photographs, meanwhile light, jazzy music flows through the dining room.

At Outback Steakhouse Gagyeondong you can expect to pay higher prices here than what you are used to at home. A 9oz. steak in America costs about $14.99 whereas the comparable 250g mushroom sirloin steak here costs 29,000 KRW. Pastas and salads also run a bit pricy, as prices start at 18,500 KRW and 19,900 KRW, respectively. There are even some prix-fixe steak sets that will lighten the load in your wallet by over 100,000 KRW.

That said, Outback Korea offers some of the familiar tastes which helped it win favor with American consumers, including the trademark, and complimentary, Outback bread with butter.   Western-style house salads can be complimented with authentic ranch dressing for a deliciously familiar taste.  The Chicken Carbonara and Towoomba Pasta (a cream pasta with shrimp) were both delicious.

After a delightfully-filling dinner of bread, salad and pasta the waiter offered free coffee or tea for dessert followed by a “gift” Outback - a packaged loaf of bread and butter to take home, one per person. No more asking for another loaf of bread, wrapping it in a napkin and trying to conceal it in your purse!

If you’re planning a nice night out and want a little taste of home, go ahead and try the finer side of Outback. And if you don’t want the extra bread, you can give it to me.


-Ashley Gold

1455-5 Gagyeong-dong
Cheongju-si Chungcheongbuk-do
Korea 361-802
8243-232-0961


Naver Map:  http://map.naver.com/local/siteview.nhn?code=11849365

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