Red Lobster has been serving up classic and diverse seafood dishes to the masses for quite some time, but just what are the absolute best dishes they offer. Join us as we take a look at 7 of our favorite items on the Red Lobster menu. Just be ready to be attacked with quite the craving, dear readers.
Red Lobster sure has changed over the years. In fact so many restaurants have changed with the times. And with the unfortunate spread of the pandemic, many restaurants had to change to reach the clients that made them who they now are, and Red Lobster caters to one and all, and you can now order online at your convenience, which is of course epic news.
But what to order? That’s perhaps the glaring question and one that you should be asking yourself. Online, they’ve been boasting a ‘New menu’ and it’s as great as the last one, believe me, but the classics are of course still available.
And what of a classic…the skeleton on which a legacy is built on? Red Lobster’s legacy dates back to March of 1968 and since then they’ve been feeding the masses in a cozy environment, in locations that take the eater back to simpler times and restaurants that bordered fishing towns on the East Coast perhaps—dishes of lobster, crab, shrimp and a plethora of other delights from the sea.
But it is in their new menu that varied options can certainly be found and ones to certainly get excited about dear readers.
So without wasting any more time, let’s get into it, shall we? Here are 7 of the absolute greatest Red Lobster menu items you can have today
7. Crispy Thai Shrimp
Talk about a new item that can sell! World cuisine has been sweeping North America for decades already. It only makes sense that Red Lobster got into the game, right? This one is sure to deliver to any fan of a good shrimp dish, with an added flair. Sour and Spicy…the secret ingredient to anything Thai…of course with a little of the old sweet added into the mix, you’ve got yourself a treat worth taking a chance on.
These shrimp are battered and fried (love the sound of that), and are tossed in a sweet chili sauce worthy of any Thai restaurant this side of the Atlantic, and you can pair those babies up with any two sides of your choice. Bon appétit.
6. Tilapia and Scallops
So if fried foods are something your doc asked you to steer clear of, then a grilled option is certainly in order. This one won’t disappoint in the flavor department. Trust me folks. And it’s healthy…a kabob of Scallops, succulent and juicy accompany a nice piece of Tilapia which if cooked just right is flaky and delightful.
Perfect if accompanied by steamed veggies and rice. Fish and rice go together like bread and butter. This one delivers for sure. The works are covered with Red Lobster’s famous garlic and herb sauce that I could eat by the vat full. Just give me a fresh baguette just out of the oven and I’m good.
5. Kung Pao Noodles With Crispy Shrimp
Staying with the new direction, we just couldn’t leave this baby off of the list. They also serve chicken dishes, as you will see below, added as an honorable mention if you will alongside a fish sandwich which merits its spot on this list, but this Asian classic with a Red Lobster spin is the right way to go if you’re looking to sample some of their new menu. You’ll be praising their new direction a few bites in, I think…especially if you go with this one.
4. Crispy Cod Sandwich
In Italian cultures, Baccala is a salt cod…cured and stored in salt. It is sold like this and then to prepare, it is soaked in water for days; then battered and deep fried. (There are of course other recipes, but this is the most common.) Often the batter is simply a dousing of flour. This dish is enjoyed throughout the country of Italy and in North America of course.
The reason I bring this up: This sandwich at Red Lobster tastes very much like the Baccala prepared by my family when I was a small child. It takes me back to Christmas Eve dinners and simpler times, which is what great food should do, dear readers.
*As promised the honorable mention in the sandwich category on Red Lobster’s new menu is the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich. A great substitute if your friends dragged you to a seafood restaurant but you were really craving chicken.
3. Seafood Stuffed Mushrooms
The sad story here folks, is that there are no more Red Lobster locations here in Montreal where I work and hail from. Yes…commence the waterworks. If I want to eat Red Lobster—which the craving does come over me often—I need to get myself to Ottawa, Canada’s capital.
Sadly, Red Lobster didn’t survive the language war fallout here in Quebec which required all restaurants to have a French name…a horrible piece of our history I’d like to forget, but I digress. Some believe that the chain failed in the city and province for other reasons, but the debate rages on, as does the language war at times.
The nationalists here tried Homard Plus (which translated is ‘Lobster Plus’) out, but the restaurant fell, as was expected. It sure wasn’t Red Lobster. Regardless to Ottawa I now go whenever the craving calls me forth.
But my first time at Red Lobster, was when I was a small boy…my parents took my sister and me out on their anniversary dinner, and it was these stuffed mushrooms, or rather a variant of them that I tasted first. I’ve never looked back. I can still remember their taste. It was the beginning of an epic meal that I also won’t forget.
2. Signature Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail
It’s hard to make a list of just 7, but I’ve been given the challenge by my editor Kimberley, and I chose to accept the mission, not at all wanting to disappoint her, so I must—absolutely must—place this item on the list; no matter how simple it is. Besides, sometimes simplicity is better.
And what’s simpler than Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail. As Chef Gordon Ramsay once put it: “It’s boiled shrimp dipped in ketchup!” Of course that’s a paraphrased line from Hell’s Kitchen, and even as he knows, cocktail sauce is a tad more complex in scope than just a ketchup base; this one delivers.
The combination; the simplicity; the freshness—all of this makes for the perfect starter.
1. The Ultimate Feast
Yes…it had to make the list, and yes, it’s a classic. It’s right up there with The Admiral’s Feast that’s also still on the Red Lobster menu. This one has it all and perhaps the best way to justify its placement on this list is to detail the contents of this platter from seafood heaven:
An absolutely succulently tender piece of Maritime lobster tail, snow crab legs; Red Lobster’s signature garlic shrimp and Walt’s Favorite Shrimp. It all comes with melted butter, lemon, cocktail sauce and choice of side. As before, rice is primo here, especially doused with the butter and some of those shrimp.
What do you think dear readers? Any menu items you can’t do without when going to your local Red Lobster? Let us know in the comments.