Outback, or Carrabba's?

[Jbird]

The dealership where I bought my car sent me two $25 gift cards, can be used at Outback, Bonefish Grill, Carrabba's, Roy's, or Flemings.

Since the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek area only has an Outback and a Carrabba's, I guess those are my two options

I'll take my mom, if I can get her to go. She's always cooking meals for me and others.

 

[GilmourD]

The wife and I are going to Outback tomorrow night because I got a gift cert for Christmas. She's excited for steak.

 

[jaxn slim]

Carrabba's. I never got into Outback. It's fine, but if we're going mid-level chain steaks, I'd go Saltgrass or Longhorn.

 

[Tig]

Carrabba's by a mile. (Outback hasn't been very good for the last 12 years, IMO)
Just the tomato bisque soup is worth it. We have the usual chain Carrabba's nearby and the original restaurants up in town that still have their original menus. Well worth the drive.

Cioppino:

Hell, now I'm getting hungry!

 

[Chicken Man]

I've never been to a Carrabas. I like the Outback because they were early adopters of adding a gluten-free menu and they are very supportive on the corporate and local levels of supporting special education community experiences--I took two entire classrooms there for lunch, and they opened the place early and fed us for free. The food is on a par with any of their competitors, but the business seems like a force for good.

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

Can you give it back?

 

[335clone]

My one and only Outback experience was atrocious, so Carrabba's by default

 

[Pine Apple Slim]

Both or ok for what they are.
Half decent chain steaks or Olive Garden clone Italian?
Let your Mom decide.

 

[OGG]

Both of those chains (at least, in this area) are fine. Never had a bad experience at either. I would choose Outback mostly because they are consistently good, have a good atmosphere, and as already mentioned, are supportive of their local communities.

Carraba's is fine, but we have quite a few local privately owned Italian places that are more authentic and reasonably priced.

 

[Alex W]

We don't have a carabbas but the outback here is kind of meh.

 

[Lerxst]

I don't have much experience with either but both were OK when I last went.

 

[Jbird]

We ended up going to Carrabba's.

My mom got the chicken marsala and she loved it.

I tried the new lobster mac n' cheese. It wasn't all that cheesy, and would have been better if it had more cheese. It was ok though, I can't complain seeing as it was a gift card-dinner

 

[BlockInlay]

Let your mom pick.


edit: just saw you already went. damnit