Why You Should Avoid Ordering The Steamed Lobster Tails At Outback Steakhouse

Outback is known for its flavorful steaks, and that's kind of the point. Steakhouses don't typically make seafood a priority compared to beef dishes, which is why lobster tails are one of the items we'd avoid ordering from Outback. "Surf" is more supplemental to the "turf." Outback Steakhouse also seems to have a tough shell to crack with no officially disclosed information on where it sources its lobster tails from. There's no telling whether the lobster tails are wild-caught or farm-raised, let alone the nitty-gritty of killing and cold storage methods. After all, perhaps the "where" doesn't matter as much as the "how." 

Here's what we do know: The cold water lobster tails are steam-cooked and finished in a butter sauce. This is a solid technique many gourmet restaurants use along with grilling, broiling, baking, and pan-searing. A coastal seafood restaurant with more sourcing transparency will likely have higher-quality lobster tails to enjoy for dinner using the same cooking methods. 

Outback describes its steamed lobster tails as "perfectly steamed for maximum tenderness" and served with two fresh sides on its menu. Note the exact wording, though, because while the side dishes are described as being made fresh, no such descriptor applies to the lobster tails. Steamed and tender they are, but there's some debate over what the restaurant uses to steam them that may leave you second-guessing whether to splurge on lobster tails at Outback Steakhouse.

One TikTok video sparked a world of discussion over the quality of Outback Steakhouse's lobster. User @dirtdawg420 records himself taking out a tray of refrigerated lobster tails and popping them into what he refers to as a microwave with the caption, "Chef Mic lobstas at good ol Outback Steakhouse." Despite the video generating some microwaved lobster allegations in the comment section, there's no definitive proof that's how Outback cooks the tails. The "Chef Mic" scandal might be that it's not anything scandalous at all.

It's also worth noting that TikTok user @dirtdawg420 cooks the lobster tails in what appears to be an Amana RC 1700-3000 half-size microwave steamer, which isn't the standard microwave you'd find in a home kitchen. This appliance is built specifically for steaming food, and several commercial kitchens use these types of microwaves to heat seafood items like cold water lobster tails. But the real question is: Does the cooking method even matter if customers are satisfied with the food they're receiving? If you're not too keen on microwave-steamed lobster tails from an unknown source, though, you can always stick with the Outback classics: a steak and Bloomin' Onion.