8 Outback Steakhouse Menu Hacks You Should Know

Whether you're celebrating a graduation, anniversary, or the birthday of a loved one, steakhouses are a popular choice for many special occasions. Of course, while countless high-end steakhouses offer an impeccable dining experience, such establishments also tend to make a sizable dent in your wallet. Consequently, many Americans prefer to turn to nationwide chains, such as Outback Steakhouse, to satisfy their carnivorous cravings.

The popular Australian-themed restaurant is known for intensely flavorful steaks, along with an expansive menu that caters to virtually anything your palate desires. But Outback's wide array of offerings — including its famous and beloved fried Bloomin' Onion — also allows diners to get creative with their meal choices. In fact, with a little imagination, you can hack your way to any number of additional (and potentially unexpected) flavor combinations — mixing and matching menu items to come up with new Outback dishes on the fly.

To assist you in that process, we've gathered a list of menu tweaks and restaurant requests specific to Outback to potentially inspire your next dining experience. Without further ado, here are eight Outback Steakhouse menu hacks you should know.

The chili burger originated in the 1920s at a Los Angeles restaurant known as Ptomaine Tommy's, and it remains delicious enough to be worth the mess. During the summertime, you might even find yourself craving one (perhaps as a nod to the camp classic sloppy joes). Now, it's always reasonable to expect burgers to be on the menu at a steakhouse, but chili burgers may be a rarer find. Thankfully, there's a clever and fairly easy way to get a yummy off-menu chili cheeseburger from Outback.

First, pick your preferred burger from the restaurant's selections. The Outbacker Burger is a great choice if you want a standard, no-frills base. If you're feeling a little extra, though, you could opt for the Bloomin' Burger, which includes some Bloomin' Onion petals and its famous sauce. Once you've chosen your burger, order a side serving of the steakhouse's bean-free Tasmanian chili.

When the two items arrive, simply take off the burger's top bun and pour over some chili before reassembling. Pro tip: Ask for the dishes to be served at the same time, so everything is hot when you take your first bite. 

Cheese and fried potatoes are a no-brainer combo, so it stands to reason that an appetizer featuring Outback's fries topped with melty cheese, bacon, and ranch dressing would be popular. These fries are undoubtedly delicious on their own as accoutrements to your main dish. But if you're a big enough fan of cheese fries, you may want to beef up the dish with some additional protein to make it an entire meal. You can always pair these loaded fries with chicken or ribs, but we prefer to top them off with one of Outback's more underrated menu items: the Tasmanian chili.

Clearly, the chain's Tasmanian chili is a great way to enhance multiple Outback dishes. More than that, who could resist ad-libbing a plate of chili cheese fries while dining out? To utilize this menu hack, order the Aussie cheese fries along with a bowl of Tasmanian chili. As with the DIY chili cheeseburger, ask for the two to be served at the same time. Once you receive both, simply pour some (or all) of the chili on top of your cheese fries and dig in.

While rice bowls aren't likely to be everyone's top choice when visiting a steakhouse, if you'd like to order one when visiting Outback, you'll be glad to know you can create your own at the restaurant. All it takes is a little creative ordering and assembling. This hack works best by following the practices for making a balanced rice bowl. Start by snagging a few sides in addition to rice (Outback's steamed veggies and asparagus, for instance), then ask for a large plate or bowl on which you'll assemble the dish.

There are numerous protein options at your disposal, as well; an order of chicken, serving of grilled shrimp, or Gold Coast coconut shrimp will each work well in your rice bowl. Furthermore, a pinch of salt and pepper will make this a fine enough dish to eat on its own. However, you can spice things up with a few other additions, as well, such as mixing in some Bloomin' Onion or tangy BBQ sauce.

Some fans of Outback Steakhouse may be loyal to the chain (in part, at least) for its popular baskets of honey wheat bread and whipped butter. The dark, malty loaves are an ideal first course before an indulgent meal. In fact, we wouldn't be surprised if you've gone through the whole basket before the thought of upgrading it even occurs. However, consider taking a walk on the wild side the next time you go to Outback and turn your bread into a finger-licking sweet treat with some raspberry spread.

Since you've already got bread and butter upon arrival, all it takes to create your own covetable raspberry bread at Outback Steakhouse is an order of its raspberry melba sauce. This sauce typically comes with the chain's cheesecake, so be prepared to pay a little extra (few locations are apt to offer the sauce for free). Once it arrives, mix the sauce into your whipped butter and spread it onto the bread for a delightfully sweet twist on your typical starter. You could even save it until the end of your meal to save money on dessert. 

It goes without saying that one of Outback Steakhouse's most popular menu items is the Bloomin' Onion. If you've ever had the appetizer, you know that the sauce that's served with the crispy, flavor-filled onion petals is just as notable. The zesty sauce — likely consisting of mayonnaise, horseradish, ketchup, and other herbs and spices – is delightful when paired with its signature fried starter. It stands to reason, then, that it would pair well with other dishes on the Outback menu, as well.

Fortunately, this Outback Steakhouse menu hack is a relatively simple way to spruce up almost any entree. Simply order a side of Bloomin' Onion sauce with your dish — either in place of the sauce that typically comes with it or as an addition. Outback's chicken tender platter is a great vessel for a heaping side of this sauce. You could also ask for a side of sauce to slather onto your burger, or just use it as dip for a side of french fries instead of standard ketchup.

Whenever you order food from Outback, it's not unreasonable to take leftovers — and potential food waste — into account. After all, given the large amount of food wasted each year in the U.S., every consumer should consider ways to reduce the amount of uneaten food that gets thrown away. Now, this doesn't mean you can't order whatever you please the next time you go to Outback. Rather, you should try hacking your way into a new, cohesive meal the next day, which is possible if you keep any potentially mismatched leftovers in mind when ordering.

Simply consider how you'll want to consume whatever food you're likely to have left after filling up at the restaurant. For some, this may be as simple as reheating leftovers in the microwave and reworking the components. A leftover baked potato, for example, could be topped with steak, shrimp, or any other protein you may have ordered, and then eaten together. Similarly, you could put Bloomin' Onion petals on a sandwich, or even use leftover salmon in a breakfast hash.

We're sure fondue isn't at the top of your mind when you think of a steakhouse. Still, if you can incorporate a chocolate dipping experience into your next Outback excursion, why shouldn't you? Hacking your way to this menu item is delightfully simple: Just order a side of chocolate sauce and use it as a dipping sauce for whatever suits your fancy. You could even drizzle it on top of your dessert of choice to create a more indulgent experience.

If you prefer to keep your fondue simple, you can stick to dipping strips of bread from the basket into chocolate sauce. But there are other savory dippers worth trying with chocolate fondue from Outback. We'd recommend ordering some french fries. The chocolate's sweetness is a nice temper to the salt of the fries, transforming the duo from a simple side into something dessert-like.

If you're anything like us, your favorite part about going out to eat is the free bread that comes before you order your food. Many chains are well-known for this signature bread option, including Olive Garden with its breadsticks and Red Lobster's cheddar biscuits. In that sense, Outback Steakhouse's dark honey wheat bread is no exception. Boasting a more complex, nuttier flavor than white breads, this loaf offers a craveable experience — and with a few simple moves, you can take some of Outback's brown bread home after your meal.

You'll want to plan your next Outback outing carefully to take advantage of this opportunity. In fact, you may want to do some research by calling your local Outback locations ahead of time and asking if they'll sell you a loaf to go. After all, this hack depends on how much bread each location has on hand. We recommend going on a slower weekday to increase your chances of scoring a loaf. Additionally, wait until the end of your meal to ask the server, so you're not tempted to dig in during dinner!