Red Lobster (South)
As I stepped into the Red Lobster, I felt like I had just walked into a typical chain restaurant in the States. The restaurant was huge and there was a swarm of people near the entrance. After registering with the hostess, I was given a beeper that would light up and vibrate when my table was ready. I don't think I've ever been to a restaurant in Vancouver with these beepers, probably because there are so many food options that people rarely wait more than half an hour for food. Shortly after we placed our orders, a basket of warm and fluffy cheddar cheese biscuits showed up at the table. These tasty scones were savoury and satisfying, but also very rich and filling.
The Red Lobster signature pizza ($11.75) was a thin-crust pizza topped with a generous amount of lobster meat, fresh tomato chunks, basil and melted cheese. I thought it was very good value for the price, and I liked the lobster and tomato combination. I also liked the fact that it wasn't loaded with cheese, so it wasn't overly heavy and greasy.
Of course a visit to Red Lobster would not be complete without a buttery lobster tail. The seaport lobster and shrimp combo ($24.50) offered a fire-grilled lobster tail, a skewer of jumbo shrimp, and a small casserole of garlic shrimp. The lobster tail was very tender and came right off the shell. I didn't even dip it in the melted butter because it was already so tasty and buttery. The garlic shrimp had a soft and slightly mushy texture with a strong garlic butter sauce. The skewered shrimp had a bouncier texture, but the garlic flavour was a lot weaker in comparison.
Instead of salad, I opted for a hearty bowl of New England clam chowder (+$4.50). The presentation wasn't the best, but the creamy soup was full of flavour and there were a lot of small juicy clams.
All in all, I rather enjoyed my first Red Lobster experience. The lobster tail was a highlight, and so were the famous cheese biscuits offered as a complimentary appetizer. It's a bit odd that there is no Red Lobster location in Vancouver even though it's a port city, but I'm glad I finally had the chance to try it out.
The Red Lobster signature pizza ($11.75) was a thin-crust pizza topped with a generous amount of lobster meat, fresh tomato chunks, basil and melted cheese. I thought it was very good value for the price, and I liked the lobster and tomato combination. I also liked the fact that it wasn't loaded with cheese, so it wasn't overly heavy and greasy.
Of course a visit to Red Lobster would not be complete without a buttery lobster tail. The seaport lobster and shrimp combo ($24.50) offered a fire-grilled lobster tail, a skewer of jumbo shrimp, and a small casserole of garlic shrimp. The lobster tail was very tender and came right off the shell. I didn't even dip it in the melted butter because it was already so tasty and buttery. The garlic shrimp had a soft and slightly mushy texture with a strong garlic butter sauce. The skewered shrimp had a bouncier texture, but the garlic flavour was a lot weaker in comparison.
Instead of salad, I opted for a hearty bowl of New England clam chowder (+$4.50). The presentation wasn't the best, but the creamy soup was full of flavour and there were a lot of small juicy clams.
All in all, I rather enjoyed my first Red Lobster experience. The lobster tail was a highlight, and so were the famous cheese biscuits offered as a complimentary appetizer. It's a bit odd that there is no Red Lobster location in Vancouver even though it's a port city, but I'm glad I finally had the chance to try it out.
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