I’ll admit it. I’m a seafood lover. I had my first lobster at the age of seven, pulled from the coastal waters of Maine and cooked in a pot over a fire. Unfortunately, the nearest lobster traps are located about 500 miles away now, and Red Lobster is one of the few seafood restaurants that I can count on for a steamed lobster or a bucket of crab legs. Red Lobster offers the same menu for diners all over the United States, so seafood lovers who are far away from the coast, can enjoy a seafood dinner, without taking a trip to New England.
Red Lobster has been catering to seafood lovers’ cravings for years. The menu offers a variety of seafood menu items, as well as traditional lunch and dinner selections for those who are not seafood fans. People who prefer a consistent menu, that they are familiar with, will appreciate the similarity of Red Lobster menus at all locations.
Dining by the Sea
Red Lobster restaurants have a nautical theme with walls decorated with sea-themed pictures, fish plaques, and seaside decor. The restaurants have comfortable booths and glossy wooden tables for seating. The dining areas are well kept and clean. Ceiling fans help to keep the dining area well-ventilated and free from seafood cooking aromas. Most Red Lobster restaurants feature the famed lobster tank near the main entrance. This is always a favorite for children, who may not realize that those red lobsters in the tank may be the next person’s whole lobster dinner.
Service
Aside from the quality of the food at a restaurant, service is often cited as important to diners who want an enjoyable dining experience. Red Lobster appears to train their servers to present a friendly attitude. Informed servers tend to greet guests with the list of drink and food specials for the day.
Weekends and holidays tend to be busy, and service may be slower during dinner rush hours, but Red Lobster offers a call ahead feature to reserve a spot on the waiting list. There are waiting areas at Red Lobster, as well as a bar/lounge area, where pre-dinner drinks and cocktails can be made to order before sitting down to dine.
Appetizers, Entrees, and Desserts
Red Lobster is most known for serving fresh-tasting seafood dishes. Lobster, crab legs, clams, scallops, shrimp and other Red Lobster specialties are priced affordably. Recent menu additions have included healthier choices for diners on a diet, or those who are trying to choose healthier menu items.
Complimentary warm cheddar biscuits are served in a basket to start the meal. The biscuits are light and tasty, with a dash of garlic blended in with the cheddar cheese. Garden or Caesar salads accompany most dinners and servers provide freshly ground pepper at the table, when salads are served. The appetizers at Red Lobster are hard to pass up. The New England Sampler includes crab stuffed mushrooms, bacon wrapped scallops, and fried clams in a size that will allow everyone at the table to taste a sample.
A children’s menu offers meal choices like popcorn shrimp, cheeseburgers, spaghetti, and chicken strips. Side dishes include strawberry applesauce or french fries. Red Lobster serves all children’s drinks in plastic non-spill cups with lids, and paper placemats keep kids busy with coloring activities.
Red Lobster has a full menu of lunch and dinner selections. Aside from many seafood choices, chicken, steak, and pasta are offered in many different combinations. The Ultimate Platter is popular, and filling. It includes a Maine lobster tail, 1/2 pound of crab legs, Shrimp Scampi, five battered jumbo shrimp, a side dish, salad, and the complimentary cheddar biscuits. Red Lobster also has specialty dishes that are offered seasonally, as well as occasional specials such as the, “All-You-Can-Eat Shrimp Dinner”
Red Lobster offers a good value for the menu choices at lunch and dinner. The quality, convenience, variety of dinner options, service, children’s menu, and the general nautical theme are factors that make Red Lobster a favorite place to dine for many people. Red Lobster is also a favorite restaurant for celebrating special occasions. To find a Red Lobster restaurant in your area, visit the Red Lobster website at www.redlobster.com.
