Aussie Grill is an off-shoot brand from the Outback Steakhouse folks. The flavor profiles are very similar, along with some dishes that made the jump from the mothership restaurant.
The main difference isn’t even the food but two things, it’s quick service, which means you order at the counter and take a seat awaiting your grub. And for those of you like me, who sometimes don’t want to sit inside a restaurant, there’s a drive-thru.
I had no idea this brand existed until I watched the endorsement‘s vlog about the crispy cajun shrimp. As luck would have it, the last stop in our month-long road trip slash burger popup was in Lutz, Florida.
The Aussie Grill in Lutz is one of the seven physical restaurants open. However, you will find virtual restaurants in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico.
I was tempted to pick up some food through the drive-thru, but Marcela convinced me to sit down and enjoy our last meal in town before heading back to Miami.
Chicken Sandwich Talk
The crispy Sriracha chicken sandwich is hand-breaded with a honey Sriracha sauce drizzled on top and a smokey mayo schmear on the bottom bun. I could have used a little more sauce on top and zero lettuce, but hey, that’s me!
The sandwich comes solo, but you can add a side for a few more bucks. We chose the sweet heat fries with aioli sauce, honey Sriracha sauce, and Cajun seasoning.
Again, just a tad bit more sauce, and we’re in the promised land.
More Cajun Please
The crispy Cajun shrimp brought us to Aussie Grill, so we needed to try them. Marcela commandeered this dish, meaning I was allowed to sneak one lonely shrimp.
Man, oh, man, was this good. There’s something about Outback and, in this case, Aussie Grill’s breading that I love. The Cajun sauce ties the dish together.
I’m thinking these would be great in a sandwich. Just kidding, there’s a crispy shrimp po’boy on the menu, and if I could do it over, we would have gone that route.
It’s no slight to the crispy Cajun shrimp cause I’m a sandwich person.
What About Me?
Now on to what I chose, the bacon bomb burger with a side order of kettle chips. The housemade kettle potato chips were tasty & perfect for the smokey mayo dipping sauce.
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room, the giant pickled jalapeño causing structural damage to the top bun. I love jalapeños, but I don’t like cold items touching my warm sandwich.
The bacon bomb burger has bacon onion jam, bacon, cheddar cheese, pickles, and more of that great smoky mayo. As the knight in the Last Crusade so famously said, I chose wisely.
This fella was named Best Burger in Tampa by Tampa Magazine and I totally get it. But next, I’ll try for a double even though I didn’t see that option.
The only problem is I have no idea when I’ll find myself in the area but driving four hours for food…well, that’s one of my specialties.
I almost forgot, Not Yo’ Mama’s Lemonade brought some heat and it was fantastic.
Aussie Grill
25340 Sierra Center Boulevard
Lutz, FL
(813) 261-0140
Website – https://www.aussiegrill.com
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/aussiegrillbyoutback
Monday 11:00 am – 11:00 pm
Tuesday 11:00 am – 11:00 pm
Wednesday 11:00 am – 11:00 pm
Thursday 11:00 am – 11:00 pm
Friday 11:00 am – 11:00 pm
Saturday 11:00 am – 11:00 pm
Sunday 11:00 am – 11:00 pm