• February 19, 2009

Outback Steakhouse is this week rolling out a new menu that features 15 meals at under $15, and some as low as $9.95.

The menu includes Outback favorites such as the bloomin' onion, baby back ribs and the chain's "special steak," plus new items such as savory pepper mill steak, sweet glazed roast pork tenderloin and shrimp en fuego.

The new menu has been in the works for a year, since it became clear that rising prices were making the chain less of an "anytime" meal destination, and moving Outback away from its original premise of offering a broad menu of innovative items at pricepoints below those of traditional steakhouses, Tim Gannon, one of the chain's founders, told bloggers during tasting previews of the new menu.

Months of honing operational systems to reduce waste and "re-engineering and re-imagining" food selections enabled a menu that is more affordable but maintains fresh ingredients and quality, Gannon noted to WellFedOnTheTown.net.--Karlene Lukovitz