Dinner for the Main Man

It's father's day! If you're following Mary's tip number 4, any idea where to take your dads for dinner tonight? The Pink Tarha has a suggestion! Food photo number 5 on our Taste Bud Tease post is the dessert trio of Outback, the newest steakhouse to land in Riyadh. Doesn't "outback" elicit visions of rugged wilderness and horse-riding cowboys? Very manly. Very like the main man of our homes.

Outback Steakhouse is an American casual dining restaurant with an Australian-inspired ambiance. Here in Riyadh, it's located in Localizer Mall, a mall which we Pink Tarhas consider as a "men's mall" because most of the shops in there are for men. (You can also drop by here if you're still hunting for a father's day gift.) The Outback Steakhouse in Riyadh is the largest branch to date anywhere in the world. Whew!

Frankly, it's the usual steak place in the city. Of course there's a difference here and there but more or less, the menu has the same cornucopia of great dishes from appetizers to steaks to pastas to desserts, the ambiance is man-nish, and the waiters are still friendly and helpful. Your father will love this place if he wants to indulge on food made served in generous portions. Prices are the same as say Applebee's, TGIF, Chili's, Steaky, Steakhouse, and Tony Roma's.

Treat your dads to these:

Among the free starter bread of steakhouses I've tried in Riyadh, Outback's black Australian bread is the best! That's only one piece but I asked for another (and the waiters obliged happily). Busog na ako sa bread pa lang! I even forgot to take a picture because I ate them immediately! (See how many exclamation points I used to describe this?!)

Ceasar's Salad
(comes as a free side dish)

Combination Appetizer
Sharing portions of three of our bestsellers worldwide! Gold Coast coconut shrimps, a half order of wings, and
Aussie Cheese fries SR45

Alice Springs Chicken Quesadilla
Grilled chicken breast, beef bacon, honey mustard sauce, sauteed mushrooms, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese in a flour tortilla, frilled to crispy perfection. Served with honey mustard for dipping SR30 (small)

I looove the coconut shrimps. The grated coconut provides a very nice crunch to the juicy butterflied shrimps. The chicken wings are very tasty too. The quesadillas look plain but contain loads of meat and gooey cheese.

The main courses:

Pasta
(sorry, forgot the name)

Prime Rib
Aged, traditional prime rib, hand-carved and served with roasted garlic, masked potatoes, fresh seasonal veggies, and mouth-watering au jus. Slow-roasted, seasoned, or seared 227g SR65

Ribeye
A well-marbled and tender ribeye. Carefully hand-cut and aged just right. 340g SR85

Atlantic Salmon
Fillet of salmon, lightly seasoned and grilled with fresh seasonal veggies SR65

Their portions are good for sharing, and knowing us Filipinos, we like to have a taste of what our family/friends ordered too. The prime rib is very flavorful. I dunno how slow they roasted this but it's oh-so-good. The jus helped in enhacing the flavor of the beef but I can do away with it. I thought it was just water with swimming fat when it was served.:P The ribeye and salmon are okay. There's nothing that distinguish them from the ribeyes and salmon of other restos.

This one is a favorite side dish:

Mashed potatoes

Although Outback's mashed potato can represent all the other side dishes of the resto, I wish they provide more freshly made sides on their Riyadh menu. There's only four or five to choose from and three of them are made of potatoes!

Here's three of their signature drinks:

(L-R) Great Barrier Cooler (mango, pineapple, Curacao) SR22 | Australian fruit punch (pineapple, cranberry, orange with cherry) SR22 | Mango fruit chiller SR20

They're fruity alright and uh, super sweet. These drinks became refreshing when we placed lots of ice. We ordered colas and water after because these mocktails alone cannot quench our thirst.

And to end a meal, a dessert is always welcome, doncha think? Well, except of course if your dad is diabetic. :P

Sweet Adventure Sampler Trio
Carrot Cake with coconut and pecans, Classic Cheesecake, Thunder from Down Under with pecan brownie

I don't like carrot cakes but this one from the Outback made me eat my words of not finishing a slice of carrot cake ever! I, surprisingly, loved this! I finished half of this... or okay, maybe the whole slice of it! The chocolate cakes and cheesecakes are creamy and delicious.

So... whether it be in the Outback, or any other restaurant in the city, your father (or you, if you're already a father) deserves a special treat on this very special day.

Happy father's day!

§undrenched