Having said all that, I am a fan of Outback

We have one near our house, and when I want to go and get a nice cold Fosters with a good steak that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, I head to Outback. So when a group from the convention suggested Outback, I was game to be included in the pack.

I always get the Outback sirloin. It's a tasty, nine-ounce sirloin that comes with bread, salad, and a potato. The best part is that the price is only $13.99, one of the best deals around.

We arrived early in the evening and were pleased to get a table right away. My usual experience is a fairly long wait for tables at Outback. The decor is always pretend Australian with kangaroo-crossing signs and boomarangs. It's a tad bit corny, but hey, you gotta have a gimmick!

Our waitress was there in a flash. She was a typical, pretty California blonde who probably spent her days on a surf board or playing beach volleyball. She was very friendly and very chatty (I might even say a bit too chatty). She asked a lot about our convention and what we were doing for fun in Long Beach, saying we should have invited her to sit down and have a beer with us!

What is unique about this Outback is that it's located on Rainbow Harbor. It has some great views of the water and is open. The bar has huge shutters that they open up for a fresh-air feel. They have a large patio. The bar quickly filled up with locals meeting to have a beer. It was a bit of a beach pick-up scene.

The steaks came and were indeed the same high-quality, tender meat I have come to expect from Outback. The waitress kept taking good care of us, and several more times, joined our conversation.

I have since gone back to our local Outback, and it now pales in comparison to this open-aire, on-the-beach Outback. The location and atmosphere make this one unique among this popular chain.