Outback Steakhouse Gives 4-Year Old Free Vodka Slushie

Another chain casual dining establishment is in trouble for accidentally serving alcohol to a child. This time the place is Outback Steakhouse and the child is a 4-year old girl. If the event had been memorialized with a scrapbook photo, the caption would read, “Gracie’s first peach schnapps and vodka.”

The ill-fated imbibing occurred after the family had sat down and a waitress sidled up with a tray full of sample shlushie drinks in tiny containers like those you squirt ketchup into at Burger King.

“My sister asked if there was alcohol in them and she said no and so we all took one and the kids had a couple,” the mother told WXYZ. However, later the group realized that the drinks were alcoholic. “I couldn’t believe it,” she said, “I thought they were serving alcohol-free samples and I called over the manager and before I said anything to him my first question [was] ‘Is there alcohol in these?’ and he said ‘Yes.'”

The manager apologized and comped the entire meal. He also offered to make a donation to the woman’s church but later reneged on the promise and told the family they would have to contact Outback Steakhouse’s legal department.

In a statement, Outback Steakhouse said, “We sincerely regret this mistake and we have terminated the server’s employment.”

Seriously, how the heck do you not know that the drink samples you’re passing around have booze in them? Whiskey, tango, foxtrot, indeed.

Kids given alcoholic drink samples at Ohio Outback restaurant [WEWS5]

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