Co-founders, Tim Gannon, Bob Basham, and Chris Sullivan once said, “God if we had our own [restaurant], we would do it a little bit different.” Their dream came true as Outback Steakhouse is a chain restaurant that has a successful menu, atmosphere, and over all experience.

 I recently went to Outback Steakhouse on 191 Berdan Avenue Wayne, NJ 07470. Throughout the restaurant, I felt like I was in Australia. There are pictures of Australia on the walls and boomerangs at every corner. The tables are made of dark wood and are used to continue the Australian theme.

Basham told F&B magazine, “Most Australians are fun-loving and gregarious people, and very casual people. We thought that’s exactly the kind of friendliness and atmosphere we want to have in our restaurants.”

However, one must wait for a while to enjoy the Outback experience. Because I went on a Tuesday night, the waiting time was about 5 minutes. But when visiting Outback on the weekend, expect to wait for up to 30 minutes. For some people, like me, this is not a bad thing because waiting is part of the experience.

The menu is based on Australian dishes that range from $8 to $21. Meat is the main dish on the menu. I ordered the new, grilled 12- ounce steak with a side of French-fries. It was cooked well and was filling. I also enjoyed the thin and crispy fries. I also tried the grilled shrimp which I found delicious. The shrimp were covered with remoulade sauce and seasonings.

Outback Steakhouse is great for a large group of friends, families, and couples. The atmosphere and food make you feel like you are in Australia. Although I have not been to the more than 5,000 Outbacks around the world, I know I had a wonderful experience at the Outback Steakhouse in Wayne, NJ.