Outback, Binion’s, and the Flavor of Nostalgia

How I accidentally became CNN’s Cajun-seasoning guy

A fun photo of me and my dad from halloween, because I don’t have a photo from when I was at a restaurant with him. This was the last time I would have seen him dressed up for Halloween.

When I was a kid, my dad worked as a waiter at the top of Binion’s—the casino was The Mint before that—and to this day, it’s still one of the best “Classic Vegas” spots around. Fancy but not pretentious, with that old-school personalized service you can’t fake. My dad would bring home leftovers from the restaurant, so that was normal food to me. I grew up thinking restaurant-quality meals were the baseline.

So when I started cooking for myself, that was the standard I chased.

Most restaurants couldn’t measure up. But then came Outback Steakhouse. I think it was around 1994. I went in with low expectations—mostly because I loved Crocodile Dundee and thought “Sure, let’s do the fake Australia thing”—but I left genuinely impressed.

The vibe was fun, the waiters crouched down like they were your buddy asking what you wanted at a barbecue, and the food actually had flavor. Cajun-style seasoning wasn’t something I’d ever had before, but it hit me like a revelation. I didn’t know chain restaurants could taste like this.

Outback became my go-to.
Graduation dinner? Outback.
New job? Outback.
Birthday? Either Binion’s or Outback.

Not hungry enough for an appetizer and a main dish? Just ask them to make your fries cheesy fries and get the seasoned ranch!

Eventually I learned the little menu hacks—like getting cheesy bacon fries with a side of spicy ranch. Sure, lots of places have cheese and bacon fries. But most taste like… nothing. Outback had seasoning. And that mattered to me.

I’ve always loved going to New Orleans for the food. I gravitate toward Asian or Latin cuisine if I’m eating out these days, but when I’m craving that classic American steakhouse vibe with bold flavor? I want something like Outback used to be.

Lately, though? It’s been a letdown.

They dropped the lamb chops (which, by the way, were better than most steakhouse versions—especially with the cabernet sauce). The green beans and carrots—both gone. And when you order them elsewhere, it’s just a pile of bland mush. High end steakhouses? They often have carrots and/or green beans, but for whatever reason, most American budget restaurants don’t, probably because few people like the sad freezer vegetables most serve. Not Outback’s. They were legit.

Now there are three times as many sides on the menu… and most of them are "meh." The steaks are thinner. The cooks don’t hit temps like they used to. Servers don’t give that “we really do medium rare” disclaimer anymore. I stopped sending steaks back because, honestly, what’s the point?

I still go sometimes, but only when the nostalgia hits really hard.

And somehow—somehow—this turned into me getting quoted in CNN:
📰 https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/28/business/outback-steak-texas-roadhouse-longhorn/index.html

My new friend Nathanial wrote an article about Outback’s rebranding effort. They want to stage a comeback, maybe the way Chili’s did.

Will they revive the things that made them great in the 90s? Or just become another generically decent chain with budget-friendly entrees?

I don’t know yet. But I’d love to see them bring back the heart. The seasoning. The flavor. The carrots. Because when I go now, I’m not just ordering dinner—I’m chasing a memory of a high school graduation, of my now past dad sitting with me at the table, not standing beside it in a waiter’s uniform.

And that’s worth a comeback.