Recently dined at this Outback Steakhouse in the Shopping Nova America with my husband and our host…read morein Rio, who lives in the nearby Piedade neighborhood. Outback has been a phenomenal success in Rio and Brazil, and it's a great place to experience traditional American-style food and service in Brazil (the Australian theme is very superficial, there's not actually very much Australian about Outback). For the most part the cuts of meat served here are similar (but not identical) to American cuts, which are quite different from typical Brazilian cuts. I ordered the ribeye, my husband the strip steak, accompanied by a salad and a loaded baked potato. All very American and un-Brazilian, which is undoubtedly part of Outback's gigantic appeal for the Brazilian dining public!
We were very satisfied with our food -- the salads were nice, the baked potatoes generous and loaded (although perhaps not quite as much as Stateside) and our steaks were very generous cuts (larger, I think, than at Outbacks in the U.S.) and very tender and tasty, cooked exactly as we had ordered them. We left absolutely stuffed and very happy campers!
The restaurant was packed, even though it was a weeknight and Brazil is in the midst of one of its periodic economic downturns. There would have been a very long wait but for the fact that I'm now a "senior" citizen and Brazil is VERY good about facilitating things for us old codgers! At Outback that meant that there was a special, priority waiting list for seating for "idosos," and that speeded everything up, even though my husband and our friend are both far from being seniors! Even with the priority list there was still a fairly long wait, but the restaurant has an outdoor patio-style waiting area where you can order drinks and appetizers while waiting for your table, which makes the wait much more pleasant! Service once we were seated was a bit scattered, but not excessively so. Overall we enjoyed our food and had a very nice evening and we'd certainly go back! Outback is also a great place to introduce your Brazilian friends to American-style food and eating customs, if they haven't experienced them before! But given the number of Outback outlets that now exist in Brazil, and certainly in Rio, and their enormous popularity, I suspect there's hardly anybody in town who hasn't eaten here already!
Português: Mais um Outback, este no Shopping Nova América. Muito concorrido! Jantei aqui recentemente com o meu marido e o nosso anfitrião no Rio, que mora perto na Piedade. Ficamos muito satisfeitos. Apesar de ser dia de semana e durante mais uma crise econômica, o restaurante estava lotado e com grande liste de espera. Descobrimos que tem uma lista prioritária para idosos, etc., e como já passei dos 60 fomos colocado nela, o que diminuiu um pouco o tempo de espera para uma mesa. Para amenizar, o restaurante tem uma boa area de espera externa onde servem bebidas e aperitivos enquanto a gente aguarda ser chamado.
A comida é muito boa e ficamos muito satisfeitos. Lamento desiludir aos fregueses brasileiros, mas o Outback tem pouco de australiano -- é uma rede americana e a comida e os cortes de carne são essencialmente americanos e não australianos. A comida é muito parecida aos Outback nos EUA e eu diria que os cortes de carne nos Outback brasileiros são maiores e mais macios que nos restaurantes nos EUA! E os preços razoáveis, até em termos brasileiros. A carne chegou à mesa exatamente nos pontos que pedimos, que não sempre acontece nos EUA! O serviço foi um pouco desleixado, mas não extremadamente, e saímos mais que satisfeitos e felizes. Com certeza voltaríamos! Viva o Outback!
