Florida Outback Steakhouse Shut Down After State Inspection

Photo byPeter Hellberg from Stockholm, Sweden, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Floridians who want a good steak from the predictability of a chain restaurant have many excellent options. One of them is Florida-based Outback Steakhouse. Unfortunately, one location, in Lithia, was recently temporarily shut down after a state inspection.

About Outback Steakhouse: Bloomin' Brands, the parent company of Outback Steakhouse, is based in central Florida, but the restaurant Outback Steakhouse is actually Australian-themed and serves up steaks, seafood, and its famous Bloomin Onion.

The chain has not been without difficulties this year. I've written about Florida losing Outback Steakhouse stores in cities like Jupiter, North Miami Beach, Orlando, and Sarasota.

There are still around 95 Outback stores in Florida.

The location in question, at 16547 Fish Hawk Boulevard, has been reviewed over 2,000 times and earns 4.2 out of 5 stars. While many recounted good experiences with food and customer service, one customer did write a review that mentioned cleanliness issues. A reviewer named Chanita wrote, in part:

"This restaurant gave me a drink with mold in it. You can tell that this beverage was sitting unrefrigerated for some time. I can bet my last dollar this is against many food safety practices. My food was cold and inedible - the mashed potatoes also tasted spoiled..."

What Happened At Inspection?: According to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, an inspection occurred on October 21, 2024. At that time, four violations were noted.

Basic violations occurred due to the observation of dead roaches and rusted shelves in the reach-in cooler.

An intermediate violation was noted due to the handwash sink being used for other purposes than handwashing.

And high violations occurred due to the observation of live roaches.

As a result of some of the above, the eatery temporarily shut down.

At a follow-up inspection on October 22, 2024, found one violation, but it was not an immediate threat to the public so the restaurant "met inspection standards" and was able to reopen.

Please note that an inspection is one moment in time and not necessarily how a restaurant conducts itself every day.