Outback & Taco Bell Moving? Crazy Little Chicken Still Crazy!

I eat out a lot so I hear all sorts of rumors. One I'd heard for a while was that Outback Steakhouse was leaving Sheffield. I'd not been able to pin anyone down for some time, but now the rumor seems to have gelled. Outback will move to a new location near Florence Mall.

The Sheffield location featured a patio for smoking. Now smoking is illegal in that city. Did that influence Outback's decision? Oh, you just know it did.

Taco Bell? The North Florence location is convenient on my way home from work. I go there a lot and have given it mixed reviews in the past. Now an employee tells me a new one will be built close to the Cloverdale Road Walmart and the one on Wood Avenue will close.

The Wood Avenue site is not ideal for heavy traffic, but I'm hoping something else will move in there. North Florence has McDonald's, KFC, Southern BBQ, and Wok 'N Roll if you're looking for a drive-thru. Help!

Oh, yes, there's the over priced Crazy Little Chicken if you don't mind getting out of your car. I'd heard they were putting in a window, but apparently that will arrive when they finally build that deck. That would be the 12th of Never.


Cherry Pitts 

Outback Steak House - Sheffield

The area's only Outback Steak House is located on Hatch Boulevard in Sheffield. What can you expect if you visit? Their menu has changed little over the years, but their health department ratings have. Health scores have fallen steadily and are no longer posted prominently by the front entrance. Here's what one recent diner had to say:


We have been going to this Outback since 1999. This Outback has always had some of the friendliest staff of any Outback I have been to; The Shoals area to me has always been above average as far as hospitality. They have always posted their health rating in the foyer on the left hand side when you walk in; This time it was gone, nor was it in the bar area. On my way out I saw the health report with a big 85 posted 1 foot above the floor behind the host/hostess podium where most patrons wouldn't think to look, obviously trying to hide this shameful rating. Why not fix the problem and you won't have to hide it.

This place has a lot of things to work on. The service was slow, and the food wasn't worth the price. We were seated and had to wait 20 minutes to place a drink and appetizer order. That took a while to even get our drinks, and then we had to wait 30 minutes to place our entrée orders. The servers didn't have there stuff together at all, and the bar prices were ridiculous. If you asked for anything special from the bar they seemed lost. The food was terrible other than our appetizer. Food was under seasoned or completely covered in pepper (Barely edible.) Needless to say I don't think I'll be back at this location.

Shoals Diner