Outback has a gluten-free menu, but it’s not a gluten-free kitchen — cross-contact can occur.
Sometimes. Outback Steakhouse publishes a gluten-free menu of items made without gluten ingredients — certain steaks, grilled proteins, and sides. But Outback states it is not a gluten-free kitchen: shared fryers and prep surfaces mean cross-contact can occur, and the complimentary bread, croutons, and breaded appetizers are wheat. It’s a useful menu for careful ordering, not a guaranteed-celiac-safe environment.
Outback Steakhouse has a real gluten-free menu — and a real shared kitchen. So the honest answer is “sometimes, with careful ordering.” The steaks and grilled items on the GF menu are made without gluten ingredients; the bread basket and shared fryers are the risk.
What Outback’s Gluten-Free Menu Means
Outback publishes a gluten-free menu identifying items made without gluten-containing ingredients — certain steaks, grilled chicken, seafood preparations, and some sides. Per FDA labeling rules, the gluten grains are wheat, barley, rye, and hybrids. Outback states it is not a gluten-free kitchen — items are prepared with shared equipment and fryers, and cross-contact can occur.
Cross-Contamination Risk
Manufacturing
Low
- Not applicable — restaurant-prepared.
- GF menu items made without gluten ingredients.
Restaurant
High
- Shared fryers (Bloomin’ Onion, breaded items, fries).
- Complimentary brown bread and croutons are wheat.
- Not a dedicated GF kitchen; GF menu is not a guarantee.
Home
Low
- Not applicable — restaurant menu.
Outback Items — GF Status
- Plain grilled steaks / proteins on the GF menu — made without gluten ingredients (shared kitchen caveat)
- GF-menu sides (verify, no shared fryer) — made without gluten ingredients
- Complimentary brown bread / croutons — NOT gluten-free (wheat)
- Bloomin’ Onion / breaded appetizers — NOT gluten-free (wheat, shared fryer)
- Many sauces and seasoned/breaded items — verify; often wheat
What to Look For — Or Avoid
- Order from Outback’s gluten-free menu
- Plain grilled steak/protein; request clean grill/prep
- Tell the server/manager you have celiac disease
- Complimentary brown bread and croutons (wheat)
- Bloomin’ Onion and breaded/fried items (shared fryer)
- Treating the GF menu as a guaranteed gluten-free kitchen
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Outback Steakhouse gluten-free?
Sometimes. Outback has a gluten-free menu of items made without gluten ingredients (certain steaks, grilled proteins, sides), but it is not a gluten-free kitchen. Shared fryers and prep surfaces mean cross-contact can occur, so order carefully and inform staff.
Does Outback have a gluten-free menu?
Yes. Outback publishes a gluten-free menu identifying items prepared without gluten-containing ingredients. It is informational guidance, not a guarantee of celiac safety, because the kitchen is shared.
Is the Bloomin’ Onion gluten-free?
No. The Bloomin’ Onion is battered with wheat and fried in shared oil. It is not gluten-free, and the shared fryer also makes other fried items a cross-contact risk.
Is the Outback bread gluten-free?
No. The complimentary brown bread is wheat-based and not gluten-free. Ask the server not to bring the bread to your table to reduce direct cross-contact at your seat.
Can someone with celiac disease eat at Outback?
Many do by ordering from the gluten-free menu — a plain grilled steak or protein, no croutons, no shared-fryer sides — and informing the manager/server. Because it is a shared kitchen, you must request careful preparation and weigh the cross-contact risk.
What should I order at Outback to avoid gluten?
Choose a plain grilled steak or grilled protein from the gluten-free menu with a GF-listed side that is not fried, skip the bread and croutons, and ask for clean grill and prep surfaces. Confirm sauces and seasonings are gluten-free.