We all know the cheddar biscuits reign supreme at Red Lobster, but what about the rest of the menu? The seafood restaurant has been a household name for decades and is one of the most well known chains in America. Despite recently filing for bankruptcy, Red Lobster maintains over 700 locations throughout the world and is “here to stay” indefinitely. With menu items that have been staples for decades, as well as regular new rollouts, its hard to deduce which items are worth a visit. Weve sorted through years worth of food reviews to find the very best and worst of the seafood giants menu. Advertisement
Its important to note that Red Lobster is a chain and franchise establishment, which means each location is responsible for its own quality. Just as not all visits are the same, not all Red Lobsters are created equally. Some reviews will have to be taken with a grain of salt. With that being said, here are the very best and worst Red Lobster menu items based on enthusiastic reviews, and critics with some serious notes for improvement.
Craving delicious seafood? Red Lobster is a go-to restaurant for lobster, shrimp, crab, and more from the sea. With so many mouthwatering options on their menu, it can be tough to decide what to order. Here’s a guide to the best dishes to get at Red Lobster for any occasion
Go-To Appetizers
Start your meal off right with a famous Red Lobster appetizer. These are perfect for sharing and will get your taste buds ready for the main event.
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Cheddar Bay Biscuits – These freshly baked, cheesy garlic biscuits are the chain’s signature item An order comes with six, but you can always ask for more! Dip them in the tangy Cheddar Bay sauce
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Lobster-Artichoke-and-Seafood Dip – This hot, creamy dip is a blend of lobster, shrimp, crab, artichokes, and spinach. Dig in with tortilla chips or Cheddar Bay biscuits.
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Parrot Isle Jumbo Coconut Shrimp – Large shrimp encrusted in coconut and fried to a golden brown. Served with a sweet orange sauce for dipping.
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Seafood-Stuffed Mushrooms – Mushroom caps filled with lobster, langostino, shrimp, crab, and cheese.
Must-Try Entrees
Red Lobster has something for every seafood lover. Consider these delicious entrees for your main course.
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Wood-Grilled Lobster, Shrimp, and Salmon – Get the best of surf and turf with tender lobster tail, jumbo shrimp, and hand-cut salmon, grilled over a wood fire.
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Ultimate Feast – A seafood extravaganza with lobster tail snow crab legs garlic shrimp scampi and shrimp skewer. It’s the ultimate indulgence.
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Admiral’s Feast – Dive into tender fried shrimp, juicy grilled shrimp skewer, flaky fish fillet and golden fried shrimp.
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La Playa Leech Lake Walleye – A freshwater fish fried to perfection with a crispy cornmeal breading. Served with rice and vegetables.
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Seaside Shrimp Trio – Your choice of crispy, grilled or garlic shrimp with two sides like rice pilaf or broccoli.
Savory Seafood Combos
Combination plates let you sample different seafood tastes. Here are top combos to try:
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Shrimp Lover’s Dream – A hearty pairing of Crispy Shrimp, Walt’s Favorite Shrimp, and bacon-wrapped shrimp scampi.
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Cajun Chicken & Shrimp Pasta – Blackened chicken and shrimp served over linguine in a spicy Cajun cream sauce.
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Seafood Trio – A sampler of broiled or fried shrimp, fish and sea scallops served with rice and choice of side.
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Lobster, Shrimp and Salmon – Petite lobster tails, salmon and garlic shrimp scampi. A surf and turf trio.
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Crab Lover’s Dream – Indulge in snow crab legs with Alaskan crab cakes and rich crab alfredo linguine.
Signature Seafood Specialties
In addition to classics like lobster and shrimp, be sure to try these Red Lobster specialties:
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Daily Catch – Ask your server about the Fresh Fish of the Day, like seasonal walleye, which is expertly prepared by their chefs.
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Swordfish Steak – Flavorful swordfish grilled with your choice of lemon pepper seasoning or Cajun spice.
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Stuffed Tilapia Florentine – Tilapia stuffed with spinach, artichoke and seafood stuffing, baked and topped with Parmesan cream sauce.
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Fisherman’s Platter – Breaded and fried specialties including shrimp, clam strips, fish and scallops with fries and coleslaw.
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Mango Chile Tilapia – Flaky tilapia seasoned with a sweet and spicy mango chile sauce. Served on fresh mango salsa.
Decadent Lobster Dishes
Red Lobster is known for serving up succulent lobster. Make your meal extra indulgent with lobster prepared different ways:
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10 oz. Live Maine Lobster – The full lobster tails cooked to your liking and served with melted butter for dipping.
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Wood-Grilled Caribbean Lobster Tails – Petite lobster tails seasoned with a blend of vibrant spices, grilled over a wood fire.
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Lobster Pizza – Lobster meat, fresh tomato sauce and a four cheese blend atop a crispy flatbread crust.
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Lobster, Shrimp and Salmon Alfredo – Fettuccine Alfredo with lobster, shrimp and salmon. It’s rich, creamy pasta perfection.
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Lobster Ravioli – Jumbo ravioli filled with creamy lobster, ricotta and Parmesan cheese. Tossed in garlic-infused olive oil.
Endless Shrimp Sensations
For unlimited shrimp, order Endless Shrimp and choose from classics like scampi and crispy coconut shrimp:
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Endless Shrimp – Enjoy unlimited servings of crispy, grilled, or garlic shrimp for one price during this seasonal promotion.
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Ultimate Endless Shrimp – Upgrade to also enjoy Walt’s Favorite Shrimp and bacon-wrapped shrimp scampi as part of the endless shrimp experience.
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Shrimp Lover’s Hangout – Part of the Endless Shrimp menu, choose three shrimp dishes like Parmesan Shrimp Scampi or Wood-Grilled Shrimp Skewers.
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Shrimpified Trio – Another Endless Shrimp option, pick three shrimp favorites such as Crispy Popcorn Shrimp or Blackened Bayou Shrimp.
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Shrimp Your Way – Customize your own Endless Shrimp meal by selecting 2, 3 or 4 shrimp dishes from the menu.
Perfect Pairings & Sides
Complement your seafood selection with these tasty side dish upgrades:
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Loaded Baked Potato Soup – Creamy potato soup with bacon, cheddar cheese and chives.
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Lobster Bisque Soup – Rich, velvety lobster bisque garnished with lobster meat.
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Steamed Broccoli – Fresh broccoli florets steamed and topped with garlic butter and Parmesan cheese.
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Jasmine Rice Pilaf – Fluffy jasmine rice seasoned with fresh herbs and savory butter.
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Creamy Lobster & Langostino Mac ‘N Cheese – Cavatappi pasta and lobster tossed in a decadent cheese sauce.
Save Room for Dessert
Cap off your Red Lobster feast with a sweet treat. Here are tempting desserts to try:
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Signature Chocolate Wave Cake – Rich chocolate cake with chocolate mousse, chocolate ganache and white chocolate curls.
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Maine Lobster Cheesecake – Light cheesecake topped with a buttery lobster claw and lobster tail.
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Ultimate Brownie Temptation – Warm chocolate brownie topped with vanilla bean ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream and walnuts.
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New York Style Cheesecake – Traditional creamy, smooth cheesecake with your choice of strawberry, blueberry or chocolate topping.
Whether you’re craving lobster, shrimp, crab or fish, Red Lobster has something sure to satisfy your seafood appetite. With this guide, you can explore the menu and discover new favorite dishes to order on your next visit. Just come hungry and ready to feast!
Best: Cheddar Bay Biscuits
The most beloved Red Lobster item is hands down the chains famous cheddar bay biscuits. The savory accompaniments have been a huge part of the restaurants brand since their introduction in the early 90s and have inspired manycopycat recipes (check out Masheds own Red Lobster cheddar bay biscuit copycat recipe). The internet goes feral for these buttery, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits. Advertisement
The iconic biscuits are so well loved that Red Lobster put out an at-home mix available in stores. If youre stuck on the real thing, though, theyre complimentary for dine-in customers and all entrees ordered to-go come with two warm biscuits. Most current reviews of the biscuits come from to-go orders. The general consensus is that theyre pretty great in a to-go box, with both the crispy outside and fluffy inside remaining fully intact.
Even if nothing else on the Red Lobster menu speaks to your soul, the cheddar bay biscuits by themselves are worth a trip to your local franchise. Luckily, the long time Red Lobster staple is on the menu and available in semi-bulk orders. Patrons can order either a half or full dozen of the spiced up biscuits. Advertisement
Though simple and pretty hard to mess up, the Caesar Salad is one of the Red Lobster menu items that you should never order. Its not that this salad is exceptionally off-putting, more that its overwhelmingly underwhelming. While this salad has all the ingredients to qualify as a traditional Caesar, thats about all it has. There is no innovation or overachieving when it comes to Red Lobsters Caesar Salad, and as such, it really shouldnt have made the menu at all. Advertisement
The salad is basically a bunch of romaine lettuce under some croutons and Parmesan, served with a side of Caesar dressing. Something so basic is pretty hard to mess up, but one Reddit user shared their distaste for the dressing, saying it was too creamy and bland overall. The croutons have also been called too salty, which is a strike too many for such a basic dish. Even adding protein to the Caesar is a bummer, as Keith from The Try Guys reviewed the chicken Caesar as being incredibly overcooked.
Apparently Red Lobster knows just how good pasta is for the soul, because the restaurants variations of linguini Alfredo are typically big hits. The seafood spot has a shrimp Alfredo as well as a Cajun chicken linguini Alfredo, and both proteins turn the pasta base into an explosively flavorful entree. The linguini is also found in a lobster pasta dish and the Bar Harbor lobster bake, both of which are well received dishes. Advertisement
We scoured the internet for full reviews on the linguini Alfredo variations, and the dishes regularly score high with diners. People consistently say the Alfredo sauce has a nice creamy texture to it, which works well with the cheesiness and strong garlic flavor found alongside the sauce. A commenter on Reddit offers up the Cajun chicken linguini Alfredo as a stellar option for those Red Lobster diners who prefer not to eat seafood. The suggestion has a lot of support from fellow lovers of the dish, and many say the Cajun chicken linguini is the best item on the menu and one of the only reasons to go to Red Lobster.
Calamari comes in so many different forms, it can be hard to know what to expect when ordering the dish at a restaurant. The texture tends to vary depending on how its cooked, and reviews of this particular Red Lobster dish are all over the place. While some people are happy with the appetizer, others are left with a plate of oven crisped crumbs or a soggy mess. Advertisement
Before you order calamari at a seafood restaurant like Red Lobster, you should understand that its incredibly easy to ruin fried calamari. Slightly over and under cooked calamari will be chewy, losing the tenderness that makes it desirable. Extremely overcooked calamari, which can absolutely happen when kept in the fryer even a minute too long, can be reduced to a shriveled husk of its former self. This is likely why reviews are so skewed, and the inconsistency of the quality of the dish is why some diners dont recommend it. If you end up ordering this unreliable dish, do so in house. Calamari to go orders will lack the crunch factor that all fried calamari dishes should have.
Best: Lobster artichoke dip
Artichoke dip has a choke hold on appetizer menus everywhere, but Red Lobster really ups the ante by adding lobster into the mix. The creamy texture that dip enthusiasts love is present with this menu item, and the chunky artichokes and lobster add to the rich mouthfeel of the dish. Admittedly, the chips that come along with the dip are nothing special, but reviewers dont seem to mind as theyre enthralled with the dip itself. Additionally, it can be combined with other items of your meal to create an all new, flavor packed dish. Advertisement
YouTuber Erik The Electrics review of popular Red Lobster menu items started out strong with the lobster artichoke dip, which he raved about. Business Insiders Eric McDowell also liked the dip, especially noting the large chunks of lobster present throughout. Though you may want to think twice about ordering the Langostino lobster dip at Red Lobster due to its calorie count, it may just be worth it from time to time.
Trying ALL Of Red Lobster’s Most Famous Menu Items
FAQ
What is Red Lobster’s most popular dish?
Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Probably the most iconic dish on the Red Lobster menu, a pair of these warm, flavorful biscuits come with each entrée. The biscuits are so popular that the chain started selling a boxed biscuit mix in supermarkets. The beloved Cheddar Bay Biscuits can also be ordered by the dozen at the restaurant.
What is Red Lobster known for?
The brand specializes in seafood, including crab, fish, lobster, mollusks, and shrimp. It also serves chicken, desserts, pasta, and steak.
What is the healthiest food at Red Lobster?
Most Nutritious Option
To gain the most nutritional benefits from your meal at Red Lobster, order the grilled rainbow trout, part of the restaurant’s classic menu. You’ll benefit from the trout’s protein, omega-3s, and vitamin D, and it comes in at under 500 calories.
What are the three new entrées at Red Lobster?
- NEW Lobster Pappardelle Pasta.
- NEW Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops.
- NEW Lobster Bisque.
- NEW Lemon Basil Mahi.
- NEW Simply Prepared Mahi.
- NEW Parmesan-Crusted Chicken.
- NEW Roasted Asparagus.