I hadn't been to an Outback Steakhouse in a long time and, with its convenient location where Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage seem to converge, I decided to have lunch here when last staying in Palm Desert. It might have a side on or near CA-111, but it doesn't exactly jump out at you. Its front door is placed on the opposite side and accessed from a shopping center's parking lot. My first impressions were good. You go inside and it's spacious, bright, and clean. There is a raised seating area in the middle that is closest to the bar. I opted for a table closer to the perimeter. I looked at Outback's lunch menu and, as I would have guessed, most of it was not up my alley, but I still knew there would be something I'd like. There was. I opted for a chicken breast platter and coffee. The chicken had some name with an Australian theme, as can be expected. However, the preparation was very good. I could have eaten another one. My hat is off to them for their pumpernickel bread. I did ask for another of these small loaves. (Go eat your spicy Thai food while I'll keep on munching on IKEA vegetable medallions and this pumpernickel bread.) This chicken platter was one of the better values on the menu. However, I chose it because poultry is supposedly better for you than beef. The service was very good. I was playing around with some 4 word combinations for the 4 stars I'm about to give, and I can only think of a few: "Outback restaurants and wagons" "Paul Hogan irritates me" I once read some article about the least nutritious and most caloric things you can order at chain restaurants and I recall their "Blooming Onion" being high on that list. I believe it's meant to be shared, given its appearance. The other thing is that I shut down when things from Australia, New Zealand, and the UK are really hammed up in North America for their commercial "value." There was or is a major radio station in Atlanta that had an Australian deejay and I would always think, 'Why don't Americans get over their obsession with some of these grating accents?' I'm glad I did return because now my opinion of Outback Restaurants is more favorable and I'll just mentally set aside their kitsch themes. So, while not stratospheric, this Palm Desert Outback has what it takes: pleasing food, fair pricing, responsive service, and a clean and inviting interior. I would definitely return, which happens to be another 4 word phrase.

Amazing service by BOYD .. he was so professional and super friendly. He is a great asset for your company! The wedge salad was delicious and the ribeye so juicy with an excellent loaded potatoes. A relaxing place with very good Ambiance with good food and good music and excellent service

For those that follow me you're probably thinking, 'Why did he go to Outback Steakhouse?' I hate chains, avoid red meat and not the type to frequent family style joints. Truth is we had a $50 gift card. We figured if it was bad we could just leave with no loss. So, we show up today (Sunday) at 115 PM. Lots of big families as expected. Hostess was extremely nice and sat us at a big comfortable booth. The place was immaculate, subtle background music. Joselyn R., our waitress, was wonderful. She was both kind and attentive. Not sure why other Yelpers are complaining about service here. Service and decor here were a solid 5-stars. RITA X, DOUBLE SHOT 11.50 A regular margarita is 9.00. Extra shot is 2.50. For 11.50 I got a killer cocktail with premium Sauza tequila, flawlessly executed. In fact, it was one of the best margaritas to be had in Palm Desert. We may return, hang at the bar, just drink these killer margaritas. My partner can be quite critical with tequila drinks and even he agreed it was exceptional. ENTREE CROCK FRENCH ONION SOUP 9.99 Hard to believe but I got a wonderful crock of hot bubbly French onion soup here. The beef broth was textbook perfect. I expected 3-to-4-star soup. What came from the kitchen was 5 stars, as good as any local French restaurant. I finished every drop of this ample portion. Absolutely shall return for this soup. The warm pumpernickel bread and butter included was delicious. Was better than I get in most restaurants. My partner had a delicious cheeseburger dripping with cheddar. I tried his French fries which were perfect. Joselyn took amazing care of us. This was a wonderful lunch experience. I never expected to write a 5-star review for Outback. However, what we just experienced was solid 5-stars by Yelp standards. We will be back soon!

I'm used to high end steakhouses, but thought I'd check out a mid-range place. I was seated promptly, and the waitress came quickly. I ordered a medium-well steak and fixens. The food plus some scrumptious bread came quickly and was nicely presented. The steak was definitely medium, with a red center, not slightly pink like the waitress read back. But it was all delicious. The ambience was typical family friendly with mostly booths, bright lighting, cool air conditioning, and loud pop music. The waitress checked in on me several times.

This review is about to get Dumb & (then) Dumber... Lloyd Christmas: "That's a lovely accent you have, New Jersey?" Girl at bus stop: "Austria" Lloyd Christmas: "Austria? Well then..." "G'day Mate! Let's put another shrimp on the Barbie" Girl at bus stop: "Let's Not" ------Que funky Reggae song------ Well unlike Lloyds bad luck with his new potential lady friend... I happened to take my lady (my beautiful wife) to a little place known as the Outback where going down under is not only the key to her heart, but also to her stomach. Here's how it went down... Down under... At Outback Steakhouse Palm Desert. While vacationing at the end of May, we saw an Outback earlier in the day and we knew exactly where we were coming to eat that night! And although I didn't throw any shrimp on the Barbie... We did indulge in a Victoria's Filet, a loaded baked potato, seared pepper ahi tuna, a baked potato soup, 2 house salads and of course their signature complimentary bread & butter... And of course a red for me & a white wine for the Mrs. All that was missing besides a Wallaby-Darned... Was their famous Bloomin' Onion appetizer! Hey, a girls gotta watch her figure, and I'm not talking about my wife ;) What I LOVE about the Outback... Besides their delicious Thousand Island dressing... Or their homemade yummy croutons... And even more than an ice cold 22oz. Fosters beer... Is their consistency and unparalleled familiarity of stepping into any Outback Steakhouse restaurant and getting exactly what you expect; a great, memorable, and delicious meal. Yes, even for a chain restaurant, I feel that the Outback is a leader in both quality & consistent food standards and our personal expectations are always met or exceeded. So whether you are from New Jersey... Or Austria... Or Australia... Or Aspen... ("SAMSONITE! I was way off, I knew it started with an S though") Or Providence, Rhode Island... (the home of Lloyd Christmas) Make sure to visit your local Outback Steakhouse and come see what it's like to come down under. Until then... G'Day Mate! Cheers!!

Outback Steakhouse is located off CA-111 in the Waring Plaza shopping mall. Parking shouldn't be an issue, there's plenty of parking spots available and close. When I walked in I was immediately greeted with a hello and after informing the host we'd need seating for a party of 3, we were given a wait time of about 10-15 minutes. It was about 6pm on a Wednesday night when we stopped in and the restaurant wasn't full but it wasn't empty either. We were seated after waiting for maybe 5 minutes. It appeared our server had the whole left side of the restaurant, which had about a third of the tables occupied, but he didn't seemed overwhelmed or stressed. I wish I got his name because he was hustling! He was moving from table to table with a smile, making sure to chat for a bit, but still jumping from table to table. Great job! We ended up ordering a Bloomin' Onion as an appetizer, a virgin strawberry daiquiri, a fountain drink, and a Bloomin' Blonde Ale. For dinner we order a couple Ribeye's, medium, with a Caesar side salad, baked potato soup, and a couple baked potatoes. All our food came our fairly quickly and was cooked perfectly! For my visit, I have nothing but good things to say about this Outback Steakhouse location and would eat here again in the future. What should I try the next time?