Since its opening in 1968, Red Lobster has become an American institution. The pioneering casual-dining chain helped to popularize seafood dinners, particularly crab and lobster dishes, as its scarlet-colored shellfish logo proliferated across the United States.
Its cultural significance is even highlighted in song: pop star Beyoncé immortalized the restaurant in her 2016 hit "Formation," suggesting that a reward for a romantic partner's good behavior might include a trip to the seafood spot.
Yet, the future of this influential dining brand is now in serious jeopardy. This past May, Red Lobster filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy amid significant financial struggles and the abrupt closure of dozens of locations.
The chain reportedly lost millions of dollars last year when its "Ultimate Endless Shrimp" promotion proved too popular, with customerseating too much shrimp during the all-you-can-eat deal. Oddly enough, this wasn't the first time that an all-you-can-eat promo backfired for the chain. According to the New York Post,ravenous, refill-happy customers and rising crab prices combined to doom the chain's "Endless Crab" special back in 2003.
Even more Red Lobster locations could soon close as owner Thai Union Group tries to offload assets and restructure the business.
Meanwhile, longtime fans are showing their support for the beleaguered chain. Rapper and reality TV star Flavor Flav, for one, went viral on social media last month, ordering every item on the menu in an attempt to boost sales. The hip-hop legend has since partnered with Red Lobster to launch his own off-menu meal platter at the restaurant called "Flavor Flav's Faves."
As the rest of the saga unfolds, Eat This, Not That! wanted to spotlight the longstanding chain's most beloved dishes. Devotees would be wise to visit their local Red Lobster soon and enjoy their favorite items one more time—it's unclear whether they'll be around much longer.
Admiral's Feast
Nutrition:
Admiral's Feast (Per Order)
Calories: 1,640
Fat: 96 g (Saturated Fat: 10 g)
Sodium: 4,750 mg
Carbs: 134 g (Fiber: 7 g, Sugar: 18 g)
Protein: 58 g
Fried seafood lovers, this is the mighty dish of your dreams. One order of the Admiral's Feast consists of Walt's Favorite Shrimp (hand-breaded, butterflied, and lightly fried), wild-caught flounder, clam strips, and bay scallops—all crisped to a perfect golden brown. This feast is served with co*cktail and tartar sauces and your choice of two sides.
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Bar Harbor Lobster Bake
Nutrition: (Per Order)
Calories: 1,100
Fat: 54 g (Saturated Fat: 13 g, Trans Fat: 1 g)
Sodium: 3,340 mg
Carbs: 80 g (Fiber: 8 g, Sugar: 5 g)
Protein: 69 g
This dish is a lot more than just baked lobster. The Bar Harbor Lobster Bake is a hearty seafood feast. Petite Maine lobster tails are served with shrimp, sweet bay scallops, mussels in the shell, and fresh tomatoes. All of this seafood is then served over linguini in a delicate garlic and white wine broth.
Brownie Overboard
Nutrition (Per Order)
Calories: 1,020
Fat: 57 g (Saturated Fat: 29 g, Trans Fat: 1 g)
Sodium: 360 mg
Carbs: 121 g (Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 84 g)
Protein: 13 g
A brownie sundae is perhaps the perfect combination of cool and warm elements in a dessert. Red Lobster's version, the Brownie Overboard, takes that up another notch with three warm brownie wedges served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Served in large co*cktail glass, the decadent concoction is topped with caramel, fudge, and whipped cream.
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Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Nutrition: (Per Side Order)
Calories: 160
Fat: 10 g (Saturated Fat: 5 g)
Sodium: 380 mg
Carbs: 16g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein: 3 g
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.
Crabby Cheese Fries
Nutrition: (Per Order)
Calories: 1,450
Fat: 76 g (Saturated Fat: 24 g, Trans Fat: 1 g)
Sodium: 3,760 mg
Carbs: 158 g (Fiber: 13 g, Sugar: 4 g)
Protein: 35 g
Crabmeat and cheese is an iconic combination in dishes like crab rangoon and crab mac 'n' cheese, but Red Lobster took this combo and added it to french fries last year for an over-the-top starter or side. The seasoned fries came topped with creamy cheese sauce and lump crab meat tossed in a decadent garlic cream.
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Crab Linguini Alfredo
Nutrition information unavailable
Linguini with Alfredo sauce is already a rich, elegant dish that's filling and so satisfying. But the Crab Linguini Alfredo at Red Lobster elevated this classic pasta with the addition of sweet crabmeat. Fans on Reddit were dismayed when the popular dish was taken off the menu recently, but some locations still offer the cheesy pasta, albeit with different proteins, including shrimp, lobster, and Cajun chicken.
Fish and Chips
Nutrition: (Per Order)
Calories: 1,230
Fat: 65 g (Saturated Fat: 8 g, Trans Fat: 1 g)
Sodium: 2,910 mg
Carbs: 117 g (Fiber: 11 g, Sugar: 22 g)
Protein: 46 g
Fish and chips is a pub-food classic around the world. Red Lobster's popular version is made with wild-caught cod that's hand battered and fried, giving a nice crunch while preserving the tender fish. It's served with seasoned Chesapeake fries and coleslaw.
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Live Maine Lobster
Nutrition: (Per Order)
Calories: 440
Fat: 34 g (Saturated Fat: 21 g)
Sodium: 290 mg
Carbs: 0 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein: 33 g
Red Lobster is one of the few restaurants that reliably offers wild-caught Atlantic lobster. Its Live Maine Lobster is offered steamed or roasted and served with the chain's signature stuffing. Both versions are excellent, come with two sides, and you can ask the staff to split and clean the lobster for you, if you don't want to do the work.
Lobster Dip
Nutrition: (Per Order)
Calories: 890
Fat: 35 g (Saturated Fat: 15 g, Trans Fat: 1 g)
Sodium: 1,910 mg
Carbs: 82 g (Fiber: 9 g, Sugar: 7 g)
Protein: 30 g
If there's anything chain restaurants excel at, it's creamy spinach artichoke dip. While you should never complain about a traditional version, Red Lobster's super craveable Lobster Dip amplifies the classic, cheesy spinach-artichoke mixture with Maine and langostino lobster. Scoop it up with a big bowl of tortilla chips and a side of pico de gallo.
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Parrot Isle Coconut Shrimp
Nutrition: (Per Order)
Calories: 660
Fat: 41 g (Saturated Fat: 11 g)
Sodium: 910 mg
Carbs: 55 g (Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 20 g)
Protein: 20 g
There's something about the combination of shredded coconut and shrimp that just hits right, which is why this appetizer remains so popular. It's sweet. It's crispy. And it's the finger food you can't resist dipping in a sauce. You can get your fix with Parrot Isle Coconut Shrimp, which sees hand-breaded coconut shrimp served with a delicate piña colada sauce.
Ultimate Endless Shrimp
Nutrition:
Monday Ultimate Endless Shrimp, Garlic Shrimp Scampi (Per Serving)
Calories: 220
Fat: 18 g (Saturated Fat: 3 g, Trans Fat: 1 g)
Sodium: 970 mg
Carbs: 3 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 1 g)
Protein: 12 g
The deal that supposedly contributed to Red Lobster's downfall, Ultimate Endless Shrimpis still available on Mondays. You'll get all the shrimp you can eat from their classics menu—think garlic shrimp scampi, grilled shrimp, crispy shrimp, and more—for just $25. The meal also comes with one side, and if you can eat your weight in shrimp, it's still an incredible deal.
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Ultimate Feast
Nutrition information varies based on customer selections.
This is the dish to order at Red Lobster when you're both extremely hungry and also want to try almost everything on the menu. Enter the Ultimate Feast, which is basically a DIY plate of seafood and sides, minus the cooking. Select from two premium menu items, like lobster tail, salmon, steak, and two classic menu items like shrimp Alfredo or grilled shrimp, then pick your two sides and enjoy your mighty meal.
White Wine Mussels
Nutrition information unavailable
This dish is so beloved that it regularly trends on TikTok where people attempt to make their own version. Unfortunately for fans, it's no longer on the restaurant's menu. Red Lobster's White Wine Mussels included roasted bivalves in white wine with tomatoes and green onions. It came served with a hunk of thick artisan bread, perfect for sopping up all that broth.
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