After watching Jurassic World at the Event Cinema in Top Ryde we were craving meat (watching all that dino action had made me really hungry and carnivorous) and as our cinema tickets gave us 25% off a main meal at Outback Jacks Bar and Grill, we thought we might as well check out this steakhouse and save some cash at the same time.
Ideally located by the Event Cinema and Top Ryde shopping centre, Outback Jacks is a casual dining steakhouse restaurant with a great mouth-watering range of steaks. As it was later in the day around 3pm the steakhouse was pretty quiet which suited us as this meant we were more likely to be served faster.
We were shown to a table by the window and passed a counter full of juicy, succulent looking steaks on the way. My stomach was seriously rumbling by this time as we were given the menus to peruse. As we were in a steakhouse, it was only right that I should try out their steaks, so I decided to order the Steak and Pork Ribs Combo which came with salad and chips for $39.95.
The menu consisted of all types of steaks, whether you like a good juicy T-Bone or a scrumptious Porterhouse steak; there are also rump and eye-fillet cuts you can try too. If you’re really hungry you could always try Jack’s Challenge which consists of a 1kg rump steak with potato wedges and steamed vegetables which you need to eat in under 30 minutes to get it for free and a free gift. A word of caution though – this is not for the faint hearted! I would have liked to have given this a go, as my stomach is sometime like a black hole, but I feel that food should not be rushed and should be savoured, rather than shovelled down your throat.
If Jack’s Challenge sounds too much for you then there are always salads, burgers, ribs, combos and grill items to try, with something to suit everyone.
Our main meals took about 15 or so minutes to arrive, but when they did they were nicely presented and were a large portion size. I decided not to have a sauce with my steak as the ribs were coated in bourbon, plus the sauce was another $3 which I didn’t justify paying.
I like my steak medium rare, and this steak was perfectly cooked and still pink right through. The pork ribs though were out of this world and so juicy and tender and the glaze was absolutely delicious. As with the downside of ribs, there’s always more rib than actual meat and I so could have easily eaten another rack of ribs on its own. They were that tasty.
The salad was nicely seasoned and the chips were crunchy. I managed to clear my plate and for once I was not overly full – it was just the right amount of food to satisfy my hunger cravings and to quieten my rumbling tum. Outback Jacks – you’ve done me proud!
We had extra napkins to wipe our sticky fingers, but it would have been great to have some wet wipes to get rid of the grease.
The actual restaurant itself was large in size and as it was past the rush of lunch time, it was nice and clean, although it would be interesting to see what this restaurant is like during peak periods.
All in all, Outback Jacks Bar and Grill serves an excellent steak and pork ribs combo and I would definitely recommend the pork ribs to anyone. The meal was reasonable, especially with the 25% discount, but I would probably still return even without the discount. However, I won’t be returning too soon in fear that I might order the Jack’s Challenge and give myself a heart attack from too much meat!