I blinked and steaks cost 60, 70, 80 bucks and more at fine-dining restaurants. Not that I frequent such places, but I do check a lot of menus for my FFF research. I took note: We’d been priced out.

Not long ago, I was riding shotgun south on 4th Street in St. Pete and spotted an Outback Steakhouse we’d driven by so many times it had become invisible. I wondered: What do steaks cost there? Are they any good?

Finding a competitor was easy. LongHorn Steakhouse’s prices are all but identical to Outback’s.

I opted for ribeye because Bonnie serves filet mignon on the rare occasion she cooks steak at home.

OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE

As we took the short drive to Outback on Monday at 6:30, Bonnie and I tried to remember the last time we’d eaten at the chain, which was founded in Tampa in 1988. We couldn’t recall, but figured it was probably during our son’s brief busboy tenure there. A long time ago.

The restaurant’s vast interior had a drop ceiling and was decorated in various gradients of dark brown. But as a testament to Outback’s longevity, the place was doing solid business for a Monday. We sat at a comfortable booth next to a window.

The menu includes three ribeyes, and after a brief discussion with our server, Ernest, I chose the 20-ounce Bone-In Ribeye (cooked medium), mercifully priced at $36.49. Unlike the a la carte sides at premium steakhouses, this meal included two. I chose a loaded baked potato (sans cheese) and broccoli. Bonnie got the Coconut Shrimp ($15.29).

Appearance

It checked all the boxes for a hearty steak dinner. I appreciated the steak(ish)-shaped cast-iron plate.

Taste and Texture

For starters, the cut was cooked perfectly, and that’s worth noting at a mid-priced steakhouse. It had a peppery sear that accented but didn’t overwhelm the robust flavor of meat, which was chewy in places but not tough. The outer parts were more marbled and thus more tender.

The potato and vegetables were solid accompaniments, although I should have asked for extra sour cream.

Bonnie poked in for a few bites of the steak, and we were left with a chunk that was too big to throw out. (I ate it pre-workout the next day.)

LONGHORN STEAKHOUSE

My dining partner David and I were met with a 10-minute wait at 7:15 on Wednesday at the Tyrone location. Who knew? I’d never been to a LongHorn Steakhouse. The large dining room was packed and hummin’. We sat at a large booth. Our young server, Seth, had that earnest, eager-to-please demeanor and crisp efficiency that you hope for in a waiter in a busy restaurant.

I ordered the 20-ounce Outlaw Ribeye (bone-in) with a loaded baked potato (sans cheese, extra sour cream) and a house salad with ranch dressing ($35.79). David got the 7 Pepper Sirloin Salad ($19.49). Twelve-ounce Bud Light drafts were $3.49 a pop. Whut?! (I had three.)

Appearance

I didn’t bring along my Official FFF Tape Measure™, but this ribeye appeared a little larger and thinner than its Outback’s. And the bone was less prominent.

Texture and Taste

Like its counterpart’s, this ribeye was expertly cooked, with a shade more pink. I sliced off a piece from the outermost edge, and found the beef sublimely tender, with ideal marbling. As I worked my way toward the middle, the beef grew denser but maintained its tenderness. The sear was not peppery, but its salt level enhanced the potent beef flavor.

The baked potato was as advertised, and the salad — a basic lettuce mix with diced tomatoes and cucumbers, slathered with ranch — did the job as a starter.

And the Winner of the Mid-Priced Steakhouse Square-Off Is …

LongHorn Steakhouse.

A close decision. The side dishes evened out, and both places served lovely loaves of bread to kick off the dinners. Longhorn’s steak was consistently more tender throughout, and that’s what tipped the scales in its favor (although I give the nod to Outback’s peppery sear.)

Just FYI: I checked the menu at Ruth’s Chris Steak House for a price comp: 16-ounce (boneless) Ribeye, $74; baked potato, $12; steak house salad, $14. That comes to a tidy $100 — and that’s without drinks. I’ll go out on a limb and wager that you can’t get a Bud Light draft for $3.49.