Red Lobster?

[TXRebel]

I too like Red Lobster. Where I’m located there simply are no other seafood restaurants. We’ve noticed the decline in service and quality in ours but I always felt it was a location problem.

[2_More_Bits]

What’s so special about Olive Garden’s salad other than it’s bottomlessness?

Correct me if I have the ingredients wrong:
Romain lettuce, croutons, tomatoes,Parmesan and an overly sweet “Italian” dressing

[Si_Amigo]

@suranyi

Olive Garden’s salad, which you get free with most meals, is still very good.

That’s pretty sad when the you have to desribe the salad as the best part of a meal. But yeah, the breadsticks are too salty and the quality of the food is not that great. But the salad is good? Is that a backhanded compliment I spy?

[Just_Asking_Questions]

@WildaBeast

“That place my grandparents like to go to”.

I’m over 60 and but technically not a grandparent, but I love those restaurants. I loved them when I was 40, too.

[DrDeth]

@Loach

One thing about living in New Jersey is that every pizza place will do lasagna or any other basic Italian American mainstay 100 times better than Olive Garden

You dont need to be in NJ for that to occur. Same thing here in CA. Although Red Lobster is okay- due to the biscuits and the shrimp, we never bother with Olive Garden.

[Exapno_Mapcase]

@Odesio

Over the years, Mrs. Odesio and I have pretty much stopped going to most of the bigger chain restaurants. I’m not entirely sure if its because our tastes have changed, the quality of those restaurants declined, or the quality of the competition simply increased. Perhaps a combination?

I could have written exactly this. Forty years ago we used to go to Red Lobster because they served good fresh fish that was available broiled or grilled rather than breaded and deep fried. (Which to be fair I loved before I learned about fat and calories.) I assume they still do, along with steamed crab and lobster, but that’s swamped in high calorie side dishes. Several of their appetizers are over 1000 calories. Most sit-down chain restaurants have gravitated toward huge portions of fat-laden foods, using fat to hide the fact that the base food doesn’t taste all that good.

The number of good local restaurants has skyrocketed in the last 40 years. The proportion of those that sell something other than basic American dishes has also zoomed upward. Most places now offer at least one fish item. I’m not pretending that every dish in every local restaurant is on the healthy side or tastes superb but our chances of finding something we like is probably way higher than going to a chain.

[garygnu]

@2_More_Bits

What’s so special about Olive Garden’s salad other than it’s bottomlessness?

The salad is utterly mundane. The pasta e fagioli and zuppa toscana soups are far and away the best things on the menu. (At least since they got rid of the canneloni al forno, the bastards.)

[Maserschmidt]

@hajario

We moved to a place without one nearby soon after that meal.

Wow you really hated that restaurant.

[Crafter_Man]

I like their décor. The one near me has barn-siding on the interior walls.

[Deanna_D]

I used to go to the Red Lobster near my old office years ago for their soup and salad special. But for an actual seafood meal? No thank you. The last time I had dinner there, I was struck by how everything seemed to be on the same level as the grocery store’s frozen food section. My entree was bland and overpriced.

I think a lot of the love for Red Lobster is rooted in nostalgia, from back when dinner there was a special treat. Now, I’ve got several local seafood restaurants to choose from, all of which are leagues better than Red Lobster.

I still hate to see them go, though. I was really hoping that they’d recover from all the bad business moves they’ve made.

[Smapti]

I received the following email from Red Lobster today, for those who are interested;

Dear Guests,

You may be aware that Red Lobster filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. We’d like to take a moment to explain what this means for our company, and for you, our valued guests.

For more than five decades Red Lobster has been a part of your family’s life. We’ve been there for your celebrations, big and small. We may be the place that you first discovered your love of seafood. Or where you met the love of your life on a first date. Birthdays, graduations, anniversaries and yes, weddings. We’ve been here for them all. And Red Lobster is determined to be there for these moments for generations to come. And that’s why we filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Bankruptcy is a word that is often misunderstood. Filing for bankruptcy does not mean we are going out of business. In fact, it means just the opposite. It is a legal process that allows us to make changes to our business and our cost structure so that Red Lobster can continue as a stronger company going forward. As many of you know, we recently made the tough decision to close a number of our restaurants.

The truth is, some of the world’s most beloved brands like Delta and Hertz have used this same process to protect their futures and their customers stood with them and rooted them on. And because of that, they emerged stronger.

Together, we have a lot worth rooting for. We’ve made delicious, high-quality seafood accessible for generations. Many of you tried lobster for the first time at our restaurant. We’ve brought you Lobsterfest and Crabfest over the years. And, of course, no meal is complete without Cheddar Bay Biscuits.

We are here and ready to continue making memories with you.

Join us. Dine with us. Root for us. Together, we can write a new chapter.

Red Lobster

[hajario]

I wouldn’t have used Hertz as an example but ok.

[Loach]

@Dr_Paprika

In fairness, sixty Canadian dollars gets you biscuits, a side, vegetable, shrimp, some crab legs and a lobster tail. It seems pricey to me; a place close by sells excellent fresh and frozen fish far cheaper. But it is also true many restaurants are dealing with inflation, changing expectations and staffing difficulties. There may be mitigating circumstances.

Sorry I thought you were talking about real money.

But seriously I haven’t been in so long that I can’t tell you if the prices are comparable in U.S. dollars.

[Mighty_Mouse]

It’s about USD 45.

[Dr_Paprika]

In my limited experience, American Red Lobsters are more expensive than just a currency conversion. But I have no idea about their current American prices.

[hogarth]

@Dr_Paprika

I liked to order the feasts on mildly special occasions. But what seemed like a bargain at thirty bucks seemed pricey after Covid at sixty bucks

Are you positive that the Ultimate Feast (R) used to cost $30 before Covid? It’s clearly one of the most expensive things on the menu and I used to spend around $25 for the much cheaper “choose 3” shrimp plate pre-Covid.

[Smapti]

Looking at my local RL’s menu, the build-your-own Ultimate Feast, which comes.with two shrimp choices, two choices of steak, lobster, scallops, salmon, or crab, and two sides, is currently $46.99, and the choose-3 “shrimp your way” with one side is $22.

[Mighty_Mouse]

Here (New England) it’s $43.99 and $20.00.

In Toronto I see CAD $53.99 and $25.00 for those same choices.

And I will add this from a food industry veteran (me). The increase in lobster prices has been a lot more than general food inflation over the last three years.

[Smapti]

@Mighty_Mouse

And I will add this from a food industry veteran (me). The increase in lobster prices has been a lot more than general food inflation over the last three years.

Last time I bought lobster was in summer 2022 in Las Vegas, when I paid $40 for a lobster roll, waffle fries, and an IPA.

For the Strip, I considered that to be a reasonable price.

[Loach]

@DrDeth

@Loach

One thing about living in New Jersey is that every pizza place will do lasagna or any other basic Italian American mainstay 100 times better than Olive Garden

You dont need to be in NJ for that to occur. Same thing here in CA. Although Red Lobster is okay- due to the biscuits and the shrimp, we never bother with Olive Garden.

Can’t fool me, I’ve been to California.