The Menu Overhaul
Outback Steakhouse is overhauling its core steak lineup under a program called Best Steaks Ever, introducing updated cut specifications, hand-trimming techniques and revised seasoning standards across its casual-dining locations. The initiative adds at least one new menu item — a New York Strip — and reconfigures existing cuts including a thicker-cut ribeye called the Down Under Delmonico.
The announcement is notable for the broader foodservice channel because Outback, operated by Dine Brands competitor Bloomin' Brands, sits in the segment most directly competitive with better-burger and elevated fast-casual steak concepts that have pressured full-service traffic for several years. Sharpening protein quality at the plate level is a recurring lever for full-service chains trying to defend average check against fast-casual steak options.
The Five Cuts
The revised lineup spans five items targeting distinct preference profiles. The Down Under Delmonico Ribeye is described as a thick-cut with deep marbling and char. The New York Strip is a new addition to Outback's menu, positioned around a balance of tenderness and full-bodied flavor. Victoria's Barrel-Cut Filet Mignon is hand-trimmed and shaped before searing. The Center-Cut Sirloin is the leaner, more accessible price-point option finished with Outback's signature seasoning. The Rockhampton Ribeye rounds out the lineup with a marbling profile aimed at a buttery finish.
Outback cited internal research finding that only 41% of Americans feel confident distinguishing between steak cuts — a consumer education gap the brand is leaning into as a marketing platform rather than purely a product story.
Operator and Channel Context
To anchor the quality narrative, Outback named Chef Efrem Cutler its Chief Steak Officer, a title that functions as both an internal culinary authority role and an external spokesperson position. Cutler brings more than 45 years of culinary experience and will represent the brand on steak selection, marbling, and preparation standards.
"A great steak comes down to the details," said Chef Efrem Cutler, Chief Steak Officer at Outback Steakhouse. "The cut matters, but so do the marbling, trimming, seasoning and how you cook it."
On the marketing side, Outback is deploying a format called Spokesbooth — a branded restaurant booth installed at select locations where guests record first-bite reactions on camera. The footage feeds into social and campaign content, a user-generated-content strategy that sidesteps traditional paid media for product launches.
For c-store operators and foodservice-at-retail buyers tracking full-service casual dining, Outback's move signals continued investment in steak as a traffic driver even as beef input costs remain elevated. The foodservice program investment at the back-of-house level — tighter trim specs, standardized seasoning, hands-on preparation protocols — mirrors the kitchen discipline conversation happening across restaurant-adjacent retail formats that have added made-to-order protein programs in recent years.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
