Not a Place for Seafood-Lovers.
Written: Jun 19 '01
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Red Lobster has great cheddar biscuits.
Cons: Red Lobster is not good seafood.
The Bottom Line: If you enjoy seafood, avoid Red Lobster because you will be disappointed.
|
|
|
| box543's Full Review: Red Lobster |
I love seafood. In fact, one of my great gustatory joys in life is going out for sushi. I would eat fish and shellfish everyday, if I could. You would think that Red Lobster would be one of my favorite restaurants, but you'd be very wrong. I've eaten at Red Lobster for years - both in the Dallas, Texas area as well as in Shreveport, Louisiana. In all cases, I have found their selections to be mediocre at best.
Before anyone of you coastal people begin to bemoan that I couldn't possibly know the joys of fresh seafood since I live so far in-land, I'd like to point something out. The Dallas/Fort Worth area is one of the largest fish shipping hubs in the United States. Plenty of wonderful, fresh seafood courses its way through our cities every day. We have many fine restaurants with outstanding fish entrees to attest to this fact. It's a shame that the area Red Lobsters do not take advantage of this.
THE FOOD
I must say that, over the past couple of years, the selection has become less than inspiring. Red Lobster used to have a section on the menu for Market Catch fish. These were fish that weren't normally offered, but were fresh selections that had been bought that day. This no longer exists. What has replaced it is a short list of garden-variety fish: salmon, halibut, tuna, etc. Sure, these fish can be great when they are fresh and properly prepared. However, Red Lobster doesn't necessarily excel at either.
If you are dieting or looking to watch your cholesterol, there won't be much on the menu to appease your appetite. Most dishes are either deep-fried or swimming in butter or alfredo sauce. With the fish selections, you do have the option of ordering them broiled or grilled, but if you're in the mood to expand your horizons, also be prepared to expand your waistline and raise your cholesterol levels.
The pasta dishes seem to simply be a way for Red Lobster to get rid of old, over-cooked shellfish. I think the reason that most of the shellfish is fried is because you are less likely to noticed that they've been overcooked that way. As for the sauces and tons of butter - it's probably to mask the questionable freshness of the "fresh fish."
Most entrees are served with a vegetable medley (your standard broccoli-squash-carrot mix), your choice of potato (a small baked potato w/ butter and sour cream or french fries) and your choice of coleslaw or garden salad.
One food item that I can whole-heartedly endorse: the cheddar biscuits. These come complementary with your meal. They are extremely tasty, and if I didn't know how bad they are for me, I would probably eat half a dozen at a sitting. You don't want to know the fat/cholesterol/calorie information on these though. Trust me.
THE PRICES
I would classify Red Lobster as Moderately Expensive. This isn't Cap'n D's or Long John Silver's. The average price for and entree is about $12. Considering the quality, I'd say the price is on the high side. Most entrees do give you the option of getting a full or half order. A half order is usually about $3-$4 cheaper than the full order. Appetizers range from around $5-$12.
THE DECOR
A combination of boat house, house boat and bar. This is what is what a wharf would look like if it were overrun by interior decorators looking for that "quaint, fishing village feeling." Most Red Lobsters have lots of dark, artificially-weathered wood, wooden fish, fiberglass replicas of trophy fish & cutesy fish-themed knick-knacks (like miniature cargo boxes to hold the sugar packets).
Every Red Lobster also has a large tank filled with lobsters located in the main waiting area - usually at a height that make it convenient for children to stick their hands in to try and grab the unfortunate crustaceans.
THE SERVICE
Around here (Dallas), the quality of service is consistently mediocre to poor. I'm not sure if Red Lobsters are usually under-staffed or if the pay is just so low that the service staff doesn't feel motivated to do a good job. On a couple of past visits, we have had our name mysteriously disappear from the waiting list (even though we were standng right next to the hostess). Most of the time, our waitperson will keep us waiting several minutes (15 minutes last night) before taking our drink order. - And you might as well forget about getting more than one drink refill during your visit.
In general: be prepared to wait to be seated and wait to be served.
MOST RECENT VISIT
6/18/2001, 6:30pm
the new (less than 1 month old) Red Lobster in Frisco, TX
2 adults, non-smoking
Service
25-minute wait to be seated even though the restaurant appears fully-staffed and half-empty. 15-minute wait for a waitperson to show up. One drink refill per person.
Food
I ordered a half order of Salmon New Orleans ($10.75). The salmon was decent, but not very fresh. The shrimp were small and rubbery and had a slightly fishy smell to them. The entire plate was drenched in butter. If there were any "Cajun spices," I couldn't taste them. My husband ordered a full order of baked halibut ($13.50). The portion was rather meager and was lacking in flavor.
Price
Total bill was $30 plus change. I felt that this was a little expensive considering the mediocre service & food quality.
OVERALL
I suppose that Red Lobster is a great place if you have no other options for eating fish. However, if you enjoy seafood, avoid Red Lobster because you will be disappointed.
Recommended:
No
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
box543
|
|
Location: Frisco, TX
Reviews written: 70
Trusted by: 32 members
About Me:
No Comment.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.