ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, September 4, 1996 TAG: 9609040127
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: On The Menu
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
SOURCE: JOANNE ANDERSON SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
In the Outback Steakhouse at sundown, the sun's rays filter into the dining room through wooden slats, fan blades turn slowly against a dark ceiling, and a stuffed koala bear clings to a vertical beam.
You could be in Australia, if only for a moment - maybe longer as you scan the menu of kookaburra wings, walkabout soup, jackeroo chops and Sydney's sinful sundae. Appetizers are "aussie-tizers" and chicken, shrimp and chops are "down under favorites." Beef entrees are "land rovers."
With boomerangs on the walls, a staff in colorful outback-style shirts and shorts, and general managers who have a financial stake in their restaurant, Outback Steakhouses are leading the industry in revenue and number of restaurants.
General Manager David Clark decided to build an Outback Steakhouse here. He graduated from Blacksburg High School in 1982, and his mother and stepfather, Gretchen and Carl Price, live in town.
"I worked in hotels and restaurants in the New River Valley then, like Outback's founders, worked in Bennigan's restaurants before joining Outback Steakhouse," Clark said.
He said these jobs provided him with the management experience needed for Outback, where each manager is part-owner of the restaurant.
The "bloomin' onion" is the most popular appetizer. If you pass on the onion, there are cheese fries, chicken wings served mild, medium or hot, and gold coast coconut shrimp with marmalade sauce.
Sirloin and filet are the most popular entrees at the Outback. If you're not in the mood for beef, try the pork chops with cinnamon apples, a veggie pasta dish, Brisbane shrimp saute or the chicken and shrimp combo. Their baby-back ribs come from Denmark to be smoked on the premises, and a fish selection is flown in from Florida.
The meat's seasoning is a bit hot so you might want a glass of water with your dinner.
Utensils number two - an oversized, serrated steak knife and a fork. You can use your fingers for things like chips and fries. Of course, you can get a spoon for the asking.
A small loaf of "bushman bread" comes on a cutting board with a knife so you can cut as thick a slice as you want. It's a soft, honey wheat bread whose dark color comes from molasses.
"Our desserts and sauces, like the salad dressings, are made from scratch in our kitchen," Clark said.
And these desserts are built to be shared. The height of cheesecake Olivia and chocolate thunder from down under is measured in inches. But no one says you have to share. I didn't.
Cinnamon oblivion and Sydney's sinful sundae both start with vanilla ice cream. The cinnamon oblivion is covered with cinnamon apples, pecans and caramel sauce, and the sundae is topped with toasted coconut, homemade chocolate sauce and whipped cream.
Like all the servers at Outback, Kelly Nespeco, a Virginia Tech student majoring in food science, tried everything on the menu as part of her one-week training. She can explain the menu and how the cooks interpret rare, medium rare and so on.
Service is super-friendly but professional. When plates for one table are ready in the kitchen, any available server delivers them. "We don't want your food sitting around for even a minute waiting for your server to pick it up," Clark said.
Speaking of sitting around, you might receive a pager if you have to wait for a table. The pager shakes when the hostess is ready to seat you. The waiting list is first-come, first-served, but hostesses might seat older or handicapped patrons sooner.
Outback Steakhouse
Address: 295 Peppers Ferry Road - behind the Marketplace shopping center in Christiansburg
Phone: 382-9596
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 4-10:30 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 4-11:30 p.m.; Sunday, 4-10 p.m.
Specialties: Bloomin' onion, seasoned meats, homemade desserts
Beverages: Full bar
Price range: Entrees: $8.45-17.95
Credit cards: Cash, MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover
Reservations: No
LENGTH: Medium: 83 linesby CNB