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Categories: Seafood, American (Traditional) [Edit]
5343 Almaden Expy3 Courses, 2 People, $20. Juicy Burgers & Tender Ribs. You Choose!
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I'm giving Red Lobster 5 stars not for their food, but for their Service!! We held our 5th Annual Shrimpocolypse at this location (as we have since it started) and our waitress Amy was FANTASTIC! We told her ahead of time what we were doing and that this was an annual thing. Our waiter two years ago, Stephen, even came by to say hi =o)
Anyhow, if anyone cares, Mike took it home this year with 160 pcs and in total the 5 competitors polished off 720 pcs of shrimp. We were there for about 3 hours.
So Thank You Red Lobster for dealing with us and being so attentive!
Mediocre.....everything. I've been here twice in a matter of....eternity. Once I had really nasty… Read more »
Why is it that chain restaurants that start out with OK food start to go down hill after about 10 years. Remember the salad bar at Sizzler back in the late 80's. It was a destination of choice for lunch.
Several years back about once every two months I used to take my son to Barnes and Noble where we would pick out a few books and then head over to Red Lobster for lunch.
The prices were very reasonable and the food was OK. We would sit and tell each other about the books we each picked up and go through them and look at the pictures and read some of the captions. At that time most everything he choose was from the kids section so his books had to have really neat pictures. As we skimmed through the books we would slowly eat our lunch.
Over this last weekend he asked if we could go back because he missed going there so after Barnes and Noble we headed over to Red Lobster at lunch time.
The first thing that I noticed was it was half empty. That was a first. Granted, the economy has something to do with it but still...
We sat at our favorite place at the bar and pulled out our books.
The service was wonderful. The bartender was very friendly and attentive and fixed a special Roy Rogers for my son. He looked to me first when my son wanted a refill. As a parent I appreciated that.
When I looked at the menu I was shocked to see that the prices had gone up almost 30%. Ouch!!!!!! For old times sake we ordered our usual. My son had the popcorn shrimp and I had the stuffed sole.
When our food arrived I thought they brought us appetizers. The sole was about the size of a deck of cards and half as thin with a baked potato that was smaller than lime. Nothing else on the plate. The popcorn shrimp was a decent portion.
Both tasted like they had severe freezer burn. Yuck! It was so bad that we only had a few bites. Normally we top our lunch off there with the Chocolate Avalanche but neither of us had the stomach for it. My son passing up desert?? That should say it all.
It could have just been a bad day for the kitchen but unfortunately it happened to a Yelper. Now the half empty restaurant in the middle of lunch, that used to have waiting lines, makes more sense.
Some traditions are hard to stop but next time it will only be for desert.
The great service is the only thing that kept me from giving it a 1 star.
People thought this was:
For the price the food is good not great. Sunday lunchtime, I had a special, tilapia with Shrimp salsa and it was very good.
My only complaint is that we never got drink refills and our waitress only had three tables. My sis had to take empty glasses to the bar to get noticed.
The three or four staff spent most of their time socializing at the hostess stand. Kind of tacky since they were in full view of all of us.
People thought this was:
Good food,and on this day great service.Its only the first time that I've been to this particular location,but I will definitely return.Today is the first time that I didnt really have to ask for anything..the waitress was on top of it the entire time we were there.Usually you'll have to ask for more biscuits or soda refills,but she brought them as we were running low.Definitely will return.
My mouth use to water watching the Red Lobster commercials and I remembered them to be very good when I was in college.
Made a recent visit and I was upset with the quality of the lobster. The reviews are true, they are very salty and the service was slow.
I felt the price was slightly high for the quantity/quality given, but keep in mind they always have coupons and deals with certain credit cards
That said, I'd go to somewhere else for seafood.
People thought this was:
Decent food, however expensive for the quality. I recommend Samiya as a server or if you want if you to sit at the bar and eat have Trish wait on you.
Invited a couple of friends for lunch. It was the noon time on a Thursday, but the business was very light, a sign of the bad economy? The service was good, but the food was average.
Wayyyyyy too expensive for the greasy, small portions of seafood that you get. I used to like Red Lobster in the past. I'm not sure if I'm more aware of greasy food these days, or if the food here is becoming more greasy.
Our service was good. We were seated quite quickly on Mother's Day (and also my sons birthday... hence our trip to Red Lobster). Waitress was friendly. Plates could have been cleared more quickly. And, there is no complimentary cake or dessert for birthday's :(
I have always thought that Red Lobster is over-priced for the portions you get. The only way I'd go back is if my kids talk me into it again.... but it usually takes at least a year for me to forget how much I dislike it ;) Maybe this review will help to remind me :)
Honestly, I haven't had Red Lobster in over 5 years. The last time we went was for someone's birthday. However, last night, the cleaners came to the house, so we didn't want to cook. Someone gave us a $25 gc to Red Lobster or Olive Garden, so we decided on Red Lobster, since it's been a while.
It was pouring rain out, and the tiny parking lot was jam packed. Hubby dropped me off at the door while he went to look for parking. I went in, and was told there would be a 5 minute wait. I swear, it felt like the longest 5 minutes of my life.
There are three benches in the waiting area. There was a family of 3 and a baby on one bench, and 2 other empty benches. I went to sit on one of the empty benches. This tweeker lady comes out of the bathroom, hella flustered, and starts freaking out at the hostess. Then she comes and sits right next to me. OMG. So I tried to put my purse out, to show I'm saving a seat. Then her man comes out of the bathroom, and squeezes on this bench with me. OMG, this guy was the most foul smelling guy I have ever smelled. Like worst than BO. It was this gross smell that I couldn't even describe, but I could taste it in my mouth when I was mouth-breathing. I tried the best I could to sit there, so I wouldn't be rude, but I couldn't stand it anymore. I got up and went to the 3rd bench, and put my purse out to save a seat.
Then this old lady comes and sits next to me. I swear, the folks here are so ghetto looking. I was praying for hubby to hurry up and come in, and I was trying to feed myself positive thoughts. I mean, maybe they just look ghetto to me....and true, hubby came in dickies with tattoos showing...maybe he IS the ghetto folks that comes here. Who knows. Maybe WE look ghetto to THEM. Hubby gets there, and I run to the restroom. The smell in the restroom was really bad too. Actually,the whole restaurant smelled fishy, and the decor looked OLD. The place needs a major renovation.
We got seated and it took the waitress a while to get to us. Everything took forever, and she forgot to refill my hubby's soda numerous times. She also forgot to bring us plates, since we were sharing food. Forgot to bring ranch, etc and the list goes on. She was a cute little Asian girl though. :)
We ordered the lobster pizza and Ultimate Feast. Lobster pizza was crap. It was supposed to be on a thin rustic crust, but the crust was stale and soggy. The cheese was rubbery, and the basil was old and dark in color. The only cool thing was that it was topped with lobster, but still, it wasn't that great.
The ultimate feast came with crab legs, lobster, shrimp scampi, and someone's shrimp. (I forgot someone's name already). The crab legs and lobster were great. No fishy smell, really sweet, and excellent dipped in butter. The shrimp scampi had tiny scrimps. They were less than 1 inch big...and umm..yeah, size matters, even for an Asian girl! The someone's shrimp was hurtin. It was supposed to be battered and deep fried, but it was chewy and not crunchy. It was mostly breading, with little shrimp inside. Not great.
Total for the bill with a glass of wine and soda was $57. I wouldn't come back here for a long time, and wouldn't come back here if I had to pay. If I got another gift card, I would probably use it at Olive Garden next time.
People thought this was:
Realy loved thier service. I have been to other locations but service at this location was awesome. Plus we all got the promotional "all u can eat shrimp". Food was decent. But the service of the waitress to the person who greeted us at the entress got our 5 star.
I came here for a late lunch. We got seated right away at a booth.
When I looked at the menu, I saw there were lunch specials. My sister really wanted to order the 'tilapia roasted in a bag', but that is no longer on the menu!
It took a while for our server to stop at our booth. When she did, we were ready to put in our food order..lol. I decided to order the chicken sandwich BLT ($7.99), which came with potato chips. We also ordered a lobster pizza ($9.50).
When our server brought our drinks, she also gave us warm cheese biscuits to munch on. The biscuits was really good, and I wish there was more than 4 in the basket..lol.
Our lobster pizza came out next. There was lobster, a ton of tomatoes, and basil on top. The lobster pizza was really good. I think all the toppings went well together, and the sauce tasted like olive oil.
About 10 minutes later, our lunch dishes came out. My chicken sandwich came with lettuce, tomatoes, onion, and bacon. It was on top of a small sourdough roll, too. The chicken was juicy and delicious. The potato chips was really good, too. I think they taste better than the fries!
Overall, the food was good here. The service was ok, too.
People thought this was:
I'm giving three stars to this review because I had a good experience this week at this Red Lobster. I think, truth be told, that I just had ordered the wrong things before - I always associate this place with fried shrimp and heavy sides like creamy mashed potatoes. This time, I ordered a shrimp salad and soup in a bread bowl. Perfecto! For under $10, this lunch was just what was needed. I think next time I'm going to stay away from the coconut shrimp, the crab linguini alfredo and just keep it simple.
Even though lunch was good, the food here at its best doesn't rise to the level of something special. The one exception is the cheddar biscuits which are the best around.
People thought this was:
RL used to be one of my fav places to go. I'd usually get the pasta w/ the crab or lobster when I go. Their biscuits are also very good w/ just enough butter and cheddar.
Last time I was there, they charged me for my last batch of biscuits. WheN I protested, the waiter still wouldn't remove the charge. I vowed to never go back!!
People thought this was:
Most of the food is incredibly unhealthy, although fairly tasty. I had the Maine Lobster and Crab Bake, which was decent. Place only has 2 beers on tap, the best of which is Sam Adams, which is pretty weak. Not cheap either. Only saving grave was the bartender Jenessa who was a sweetheart.
Red Lobster is comfort food. You don't come for the hip atmosphere or the blow-your-tastebuds-out-of-the-water cuisine. You come here for reliable seafood and reasonable prices. And you come for the cheddar biscuits. I swear they put crack or something in there to keep you coming back for more.
Favorites of mine include just about anything fried (especially the popcorn shrimp), though their grilled menu offers healthier alternatives. Soups are decent, with the NE clam chowder and the new potato bacon fighting for top ranking.
There are days when I'd be perfectly happy having a bowl of soup and lots of cheddar biscuits. Yum.
People thought this was:
First let me say that I am not a fan of chain restaurants. I like family-owned places much better. Chain restaurants lack personality and while I can appreciate that the food is consistent from one location to another, it just seems so hollow and vapid (not sure if vapid can be used to describe an inanimate object but I am using it anyway because that's the kind of guy I am).
All that being said, I had to blow a giftcard from work and this was the place to do it. I am glad I did. The wait staff was great. It didn't hurt that the ladies I saw working were all extremely attractive as well. In addition to the added bonus of being visually appealing, the service was attentive and very fast. The food was good and it was a great experience. The giftcard allowed me to order a shrimp, lobster, and scallop combo that would have been very expensive otherwise. I was very happy with everything.
I dare say that I would even go back without the excuse of a giftcard.
OK, I am more fond of shrimp than Ron Burgundy is of poetry, scotch and Baxter. So this place does it for me.
I love fatty, deep fried, coconut shrimp. And they provide it: in spades. The shrimp here is crack-level addictive. I seriously don't think I've even had anything else. I'm thinking about shrimp right now, and need to have it. God I need help.
The service is always nice. The wait is really never long, even while there are huge families in line. I mean that word huge in all ways. I don't think I'd make the weight class, if Red Lobster ever instituted this policy.
Oh, and another thing to add to this addictive shrimp is the bread. Holy god, it is just as addictive as the shrimp. I can polish off about 8 rolls, then be ready for my 20 shrimp orgy and polish it off with red wine.
A girl's got to watch her waistline.
People thought this was:
Went there for lunch today! YUM! YUM! YUM! They do a great job. The wait staff is outstanding. Cory served us today and he was great! Thanks for the great food and the great service today CORY!
"So where do you want to go eat?" asks the Mom.
"Red Lobster" sez the boy.
I know my son says that because I always scrunch my nose up when he mentions it. So, I try the reverse psychology thing Moms do on occasion this time round and say okay without fuss.
I gotta say in all honesty, the meal was delicious. I didn't get meat this time...I got fish. Duh, Mom...... The big deal here is fish.
I got the Petrale sole and a baked potato....it was quite good.
I know my son thinks I'm now taking this reverse psychology thing a bit far but the meal was really good. I guess its okay to keep 'em guessing. Next time we go out, I'LL say lets go to Red Lobster and see what he does.
But...wait a minute......who's fooling who?
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Not MY first choice for a Saturday night out for dinner but.....the 20 y.o. son gots to have the… Read more »
Typical American family restaurant that specializes in seafood. A/C is always super cold and dinner service is always kicked off by a wait in the check-in area...even with plenty of tables available!
Host/Hostess are usually a bunch of high schoolers...and wait staff ranges from high schoolers through Medicare-eligible individuals...
Food portions have definitely gone down throughout the years...salad is now a half salad and biscuits are now 2/3 their original size...
Prices have remained the same...
People thought this was:
Sometimes its good...sometimes its bad.
I don't come here anymore after I found a ladybug in my salad. Sure the ladybug was cute but the waiter did nothing to regain my confidence in my lunch. I couldn't even eat my lunch when it arrived because I was so disgusted...mostly by his crappy attitude about it. My husband and I paid our bill in cash and didn't bother paying for my lunch. Why should I? I did contact the Manager in writing and he apologized and sent me $50 worth of GC to Red Lobster that I gave to a friend.
I do miss the shrimp though!
People thought this was:
For a non-fancy seafood place they have pretty good food and service. I don't know if the waiters and hosts had gone through a brand new training in customer service but it sure looked like it. they were all very nice, greeted us and were attentive. our waiter Cory was ver attentive. the bread/muffin they bring you when you sit down is awesome. got the stuffed mushrooms for appetizer. it was 5 tiny mushrooms for like over 7 bucks. unfortunately the mushrooms kinda felt like they weren't in the oven long enough, felt raw. but the cheeeeese made it yummy. the salads were good. the salmon specialty dish was alright, I've had better (at the chicken coop get salmon/risotto). the shrimp, lobster dish was pretty good.
- How does Red Lobster stay in business?
- The quality of the seafood is terrible, not that I expect it to be freshly caught, as it is a seafood chain.
- The preparation leaves your food tasting as if it were cooked with no care. Some say it is comfort food, due to the fact butter is involved; I believe "comfort food" has to have some sort of heart and soul and pride put into it. This is clearly not the case.
- Rice pilaf courtesy of Uncle Bens.
- Cheddar biscuits are the most desirable item served here, but still taste so similar to Bisquit Garlic Cheddar Biscuit Mix. Are also a bit salty for my taste and do not have a homemade biscuit texture to them.
- The price point is way out of proportion with the quality of food.
- I tasted and had to remove lots of shell in the crab cakes, which tasted like fishy fish, not succulent crab.
I won't be returning. Ever.
I haven't been to a Red Lobster in years, but our Aussie friend wanted to go because of the ads he saw on TV. The food was pretty good, although not spectacular. Cory was a great waiter. Very attentive and helpful.
Horrible greasy over salted food, even for a chain restaurant. Lobster was "langostino" not lobster.
My neighborhood Red Lobster. Been coming here for many years. I'd like to give it 2.5 stars because this place is hit or miss for me.
Hits:
They make some damn good kickass Long Island Ice Teas.
Their all-you-can-eat crab or lobster specials satisfy that deep, dark, occasional lust to consume mass quantities of shellfish that sometimes overcomes me and forces submission. Sigh.........
Those darn cheese biscuits are that crazy good.
Misses:
Parking can be a real bitch here.
The wait can be horrendous and turn the rest of your evening to crap.
You don't want to get seated in the very back room. I'm not certain it's even attached to the rest of the restaurant. This will ruin even the best meal.
Your experience here may vary, depending on the moon phase. I know mine does.
People thought this was:
I really like the cheesy garlic bread/biscuit majiggy they have. It is well priced and for being a first timer, I was quite pleased. The wait was 30 minutes or so, not bad on a Saturday, and the service was pleasant. They have these blue cute benches outside that look like fish. I enjoyed my dish which was the lobster, scallops and shrimp entree. I was a little bit disappointed that my lobster tail was smaller than I thought it would be, but it was good. Rice pilaf and broccoli were fine as well, not bland or overcooked. The shrimp was tasty and the scallops were perfectly cooked. Yum-o.
My ex used to say Red Lobster and Sizzler are for old people.. So, whenever I think of Red Lobster or Sizzler, I think of dentures, canes and well, old people! My favorite thing about Red Lobster has got to be their cheese biscuits at the beginning of each and every meal! They really make me happy. I ordered their New England Lobster and Crab Bake which ended up being huge! It came with lobster, crab, shrimp, scallops and veggies.. My idea of a real meal! While there was nothing extraordinary about my meal, it was good and filling. For dessert, the Warm Chocolate Chip Lava Cookie was amazing and the closest thing to a pizookie I've had without actually going to BJ's! Red Lobster is overpriced decent seafood. And yes, there are a lot of old people!
People thought this was:
Lured in my the Next Food Network Star, I ate here one Monday night. Better than I remember it being, but still a standard mass chain restaurant experience.
Cost to worth it ratio: 3 stars
Highlights:
- Winning Next Food Network Star dish: moist fish with a buttery and bit sweet white chocolate sauce topped with sugary macadamia nuts and shredded coconut. My mom ate most of my dish cause she liked it better than hers. I was prepared to be disappointed, but the dish actually delivered with the quality of the preparation and tasty but not overpowering flavors in the sauce.
- Cheese biscuits: what got the hub to this seafood-centric dining establishment. Soft and warm and cheesy. :-)
- Half portions for fish entrees: liked this option, as I wasn't very hungry and the piece I got was way more than enough for dinner.
- Laminated menu: has vibrant pictures which makes everything look good, but I know it's partly a trick. Lucky for them, I'm easily influenced. ;-)
- Lobster pizza: I was intrigued by the picture, so I had to get it. I read it was actually langostinos in the description and after it sit for a bit it got dry and didn't taste as good as when it was first brought to the table, but I really enjoyed the accent of fresh basil and the thin crispy pizza crust.
Lowlights (my flip side to highlights):
- Deadest salad ever: yellow pieces of iceberg lettuce--ick
- Lobster bisque: looked more like a thick cheese dip with oil all around the sides of the cup
- Salt and pepper shakers: trying to be fancy with ones with a grinder on top, but it's just like ones you get in the grocery store spice aisle in the plastic bottles
- Environment: classic chain restaurant--not much personality and random crowd, but it is what it is.
I probably won't be back for another few years, but it's good to know it's pretty much still the same after all these years.
People thought this was:
really this place can kiss my ass!!!!!
first time i went there it was ok. it was typical red lobster...ei i dont really remember. but by boyfriend loved the biscuits...i am an avid fan of red lobster and i have been to many.... its great. but this one just upsets me thinking about it.
second time we went we were seated..waited for a little bit, a little bit more...a little bit more... we saw several waiters walk by (oh yeah because we were right by the kitchen) we finally got up a left after 10 mins of sitting there in silence.
third time we went...i decided to give them another try...to make it better.
we sit down at the bar because it was faster. we had to wait a little bit again but it was fine. the lovely bartender got my boyfriends order but before i had a chance to even open my mouth another guy walked up and order 4 (FOUR) beers!!! and he got them. my boyfriend got his beer too. she made change for that guy that walked up. then she pauses and takes my order (kaluha and coffee) before she has a chance to turn around and make MY DRINK another woman walks up and orders 4 drinks. the bartender tells the lady that she needs to see ids. the woman kinda gives some opposition so the bartender turns to the other bartender (who has already gotten his two customers that walked in well after i have their drinks mind you) and tells him to make my drink while she goes to check on the others people to make sure that they all have ids. THIS CHICK HAD 5 CHANCES TO GET ME A DRINK WHEN I WAS THERE WELL BEFORE ANYONE ELSE WHO WALKED IN THERE!!! i really really hope she sees this review and realizes that she screwed up big time!!! i will never go back there i will tell everyone who goes back there to save their money!!! this place sucks!!! there is another one on aborn go there instead. go to chevys or olive garden do not go to this red lobster!!! EVER!!!
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A group of coworkers came here on a Tuesday for lunch. The first thing I noticed upon walking in.... LOTS of elderly people/senior citizens.... I was thinking maybe there was a special that day, but I guess it's like Ali C. said. Anyway, there was no wait, our group of 7 people got seated right away. We all ordered lunch portions. I don't think any of our particular dishes were great... usually I stick with the crab linguine alfredo, but it's really the cheese biscuits that bring me here. Those things are delicious!!! I can't get enough of them. Service was good here, but the one hitch was that although our waitress kept coming back to check on us, when she brought out our biscuits... she brought out barely enough for our whole table... stingy!
Food sometimes greasy. LOVE the snow crab and lobster. The biscuits are great. I always go there early when they open so there are no crowds. Good service. But expensive.
I have to agree with Greg that this place is always freaking busy...no matter what damn time of day you go its always packed. The customer service is EHHHH okay. THey definitely need some improvement on service, then again its not a five start restaurant so what exactly can you ask for!?
They have a fish thank located in the center of the restaurant which is great, but kids love to run up to it and it happens to be in the same pathway of the kitchen exit; where of course servers are coming in and out of with hot plates in their hands. Very perfect design and layout.
Did I mention that you can also buy Tilapia at an Asian Supermarket cooked for about less than 5 dollars for the whole fish?!?!
NO?!?! Well....skip the red lobster and go to your nearest Ranch 99, cuz that shit is cheaper and larger!
This is never a place that I crave, and it never has anything I'd rave about, but it's decent and as predictable as any other chain restaurant in this category. I must admit I love the cheesy, garlic salty biscuits.
Friday night, my daughter and I were in the parking lot so gave it a try. The crab/lobster stuffed mushrooms were fishy tasting and disappointing. My New Orleans shrimp was yummy, the salmon not so much. But I devoured my broccoli by mopping up the sauce that was over the fish dish, and that was enough to satisfy me. That, and the Bahama Mama drink that put a nice end to a lousy week.
Service at places like this is always hit or miss depending on who you get and the night. We happened to get a spectacular waitress last night and I ended up giving her a 25% tip. My daughter told her she was the best waitress we've ever had anywhere, and even said she wouldn't mind having her be her cousin! That's the highest of compliments from a 6-year-old.
And yes, my daughter hung out at the fish tank right in everybody's way. ;)
Substandard seafood quality, scrumptious biscuits.: This location is in the Almaden Plaza of SJ. My fave food is seafood, so decided to give Red Lobster a try. Ambiance is fun, with kitschy underwater deco. Service is friendly, but unremarkable. Seafood is substandard--just because seafood is cooked in tons of butter does not automatically make it good. Scrumptious free biscuits (in lieu of bread), apparently bottomless too and also laden with butter.
If looking for good seafood, go elsewhere. Prices here are steep for the quality, cannot make up for it in quantity. And what kind of a seafood place does not serve shellfish??
So we went to Red Lobster last night, it was a birthday celebration dinner and the B-day girl wanted crab legs. All B-day girls deserve crab legs, no?
Starting from the moment we walked in it went downhill quick. Reservation had been made as we had a large party (13 total, adults & kids) and even running 15 minutes late our tables were not 'ready' even though the place was barely half full.
We were split into two large round tables, which was ok. We had 6 kids at one table plus one adult who acts like a child most days and the rest of the grown-ups at the other table. Waitress comes and takes our drink orders and we peruse the menus. Our drinks come and we wait some more. And a little more. And a little bit more. People who have come in after us are getting their orders taken and peeps at our table are starting to get edgy. The kids are whining about being hungry, etc etc. Finally our waitress comes and we place our orders. Nothing wacky or complicated (for a change) all pretty much straightforward and no substitutions. We had ordered the seafood fondue as the appetizer.
While we wait for our app, we notice the kid's table consuming mass quantities of the cheddar biscuits. Were we given any biscuits? Nope. The kids told us they were on their second basket, the greedy little turds. So we ask several times for some biscuits and they do not appear. Denied our biscuits, some of our party are becoming cranky when our appetizer comes. The biscuits come shortly thereafter, go figure. From the outside the seafood fondue looks very yummy. The reality was not so good. It was cold. Fondue is supposed to not be cold. Two people in our party had ordered the clam chowder and that too was cold. What a let down. So we send the fondue back. The two chowder people just bear with it and eat it despite it being lukewarm. We then get our salads. The replacement fondue is sent to us midway between eating our salads & soups. Guess what? it's cold too! Holy schmokes! WTF??? Shot down for the second time. So we tell our waitress who has now seemingly developed a facial tic. I actually felt bad for her and told her it was no reflection on her, she can't control what happens in the kitchen. She must have said something to someone as a woman appeared and quizzed us on our meal thus far, turned out she was some sort of supervisor or some such. She did offer to get us another fondue but we turned it down as while we were still eating our salads, our meal arrived. It's like everything came at once - apps, salads, entree. Boom boom boom. We had no room on our table for all the plates and the busboys were nowhere so we just piled up plates and pushed them to the center of the table.
Two of our party ordered the crab legs and one person had a hell of a time with them. I watched her take a butter knife and whack the hell out of a crab leg to extract the meat as no crab crackers had been provided. Our waitress wasn't evident thru most of our meal and our crabby person finally gave up till I managed to snag our waitress and ask for a cracker. She apologized profusely and returned post-haste with the tools and our meal continued.
I had ordered the Endless Shrimp and chose the scampi and pasta. The scampi was tepid, in a pool of semi congealed butter with zero garlic in it. I thought scampi had garlic? Hmm. My bad. The shrimp pasta was in a sticky lump on my plate, also barely warmed. I ate what i could and then waitress asks if I want more. I order coconut shrimp next and wait and wait and wait. I shared the wait with 2 other of our party who also had the Endless Shrimp. I guess Endless Shrimp is no lie; it took them endless time to get any re-fills. Most everyone was done by the time we got our shrimp re-fills. I had a couple of the coconut shrimp and then waitress suggested I try the fried so I did. For some reason those came super quick. Very odd.
I can basically say my over-all Red Lobster dining experience was a lot like my Endless Shrimp - flavorless and tepid and it gave me a tummy ache. Oh and ENDLESS, wait-wise. The only thing I was truly pleased about was the cheddar biscuits (when we finally got some) and the fact that they gladly took our B-day cake and kept it in the fridge for us and one of the waiters was a real sweety and cut and served the cake for us. He was super nice. They also did not charge us for the appetizer that bombed, which was nice as well.
My advice is don't come here if you have a large party, it's just too overwhelming for the staff. Maybe a nice dinner for 2 or 4, but avoid if you are doing the group thang. Your wait will be ENDLESS....
People thought this was:
they put crack in the biscuits... its not uncommon for me to go and just order a tray of 24 biscuits to go... what a meal.
crab alfredo is bomb, and the all you can eat crab is dope. the fries here blow my mind.
the restaurant itself feels a little ghetto fabulous, but its all good. im trying to eat good food, not impress people haha
oh and stan is the greatest waiter that ever lived... he never lets that biscuit basket go empty.
i like. and good service.
Never really understood why people make fun of Red Lobster on TV. The food is ok, but the biscuits that come with your meal are the reason I go. They are delicious! That's why I'm rating Red Lobster a 4 instead of a 3.
For those who don't know - Bisquick makes a cheese and garlic flavor biscuit mix that you just add water to. These are the closest thing I've found to Red Lobster biscuits. (I have tried several recipes) You can find the mix in the grocery store next to the dessert/baking stuff.
I checked out the Yelp reviews for this restaurant before we went, and I was a little leery...however, we were seated in Stan's section and I have to say that the amazing service we received from him blew everyone in our party (seven total) away!! He is an older man (in his 60's) who has retired from two corporate jobs and is doing this as a hobby and he provides the level of service you usually only see in very fancy (expensive restaurants). We went on a Saturday night and there was no wait. The food was really good - I had the lobster and shrimp plate - and the biscuits were hot and plentiful. True to his Yelp reviews, Stan sent us home with hot biscuits, as well as an aluminum foil swan he made for my two year old daughter, much to her delight. If you go to Red Lobster, you absolutely must be seated in Stan's section.
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