Was there yesterday with the SO. The place was so dimly lit that both of us could barely read the menu. We asked the waitstaff for a recommendation but he mumbled so badly that we actually ordered something just so he would stop mumbling unrecognizably. The recommendation turn out to be on the pricey end, so I recommend you ask before you order. Food was quite alright, but nothing to write home about. So my overall experience make me wonder whether to go back or not. The waiter basically got the tip b/c it is Christmas time, not for a good job!
(2)
Sara D.
Let me preface this by saying I've worked in food service for several years, including a Darden restaurant. I was shocked by how inefficiently this restaurant seemed to be run. Seriously do not waste your time here. You are better off spending a little more money at the steakhouse behind this Red Lobster. My boyfriend, mother and I went on a Tuesday evening, around 7 p.m. We should have known this would be a poor experience based on the way the hostess greeted us. A very insincere greeting, did not even smile, and seemed to have an attitude. It took about 15 minutes to get drinks. Our server was double sat and was busy, but the restaurant itself was NOT busy. Not one of the SEVERAL employees who walked by offered to get us our drinks or bring us biscuits. It was after 25 minutes we finally decided to leave, still biscuit-less, and hadn't even had the opportunity to order food. I understand how shitty it is to be double or triple sat, but I do not think this server was very well trained. There were several opportunities for her to multitask and serve more efficiently- she was very sweet, but like I said, I think poorly trained. The staff as a whole (from what we saw) seemed to lack initiative, I didn't get a sense of teamwork. The same hostess that greeted us so poorly, was also smirking and giggling when we told the manager about how displeased we were with our service upon our leaving. Talk about adding insult to injury. Just moved to Gaithersburg and wont be attending this red lobster again. I've had better experiences at other red lobsters but this one was dreadful.
(1)
Jonathan C.
They are not honest about how long of a wait there is when you call them. Very popular restaurant (why?) and don't take reservations. My gf used to love the place and I live five minutes away, but we hate waiting for food. So I would call to see how long the wait is, and they have said twice that there was no wait. Jump in the car, and be there ten minutes later, and there are about 7 groups waiting and there is a 20+ minute wait. We checked and some of those people had been there for over 20 minutes. We went one last time during a snowstorm and after eating, realized that the food is not so great that it's worth the uncertainty and the waiting. On to bigger, better things! Try checking out Mr Banh Mi if you're in the area and feeling adventurous.
(2)
Michael C.
I don't really see what all the bad reviews are about, I went at around 4pm and the service was great, Tina was our server and she was exceptionally fast at getting our food out, didn't take an hour like the reviews say. I got the endless shrimp and my friend got the shrimp pasta. The waiter came very often for refills and to check up on us. I would recommend this red lobster to anyone. Also I love their lobster bisque and would highly recommend that, wish I got a bowl instead of the cup.
(5)
Joanna C.
This Red Lobster has been a favorite of mine since I was little and I just love the food here! The Cheddar Bay Biscuits are so warm and DELICIOUS and they will keep bringing you more! Like really, can't emphasize enough how amazing these biscuits are!!! The biscuits alone are worth the wait (because I've always had to wait to get a spot here, and sometimes the food takes a while to come out which is fine because you have biscuits to eat in the meantime!) I LOVE the Wood-Grilled Lobster, Shrimp, and Scallops that comes over wild rice and with fries. I've tried the Lobster Pizza (pretty good), Rock Lobster Tail (good, but pricey), Peach Bourbon BBQ Shrimp and Scallops (pretty tasty, I just don't love sweet sauces on my seafood), and once got some breaded coconut shrimp thing (didn't love). But without fail, the Wood-Grilled Lobster, Shrimp, and Scallops have never ever ever let me down. First of all, you get a ton of food and I usually end up eating half of it at most (yes, I'm guilty of eating at least two biscuits but still, it's a lot of food!). The seafood is perfectly grilled and tender, and the wild rice is really really good! Yes, you're going to have to wait for a table here because it gets pretty crowded. But the staff is nice and the food so yummy!!!
(5)
Harise P.
I just lost the glowing review I composed during a computer glitch, but I had such a nice dinner here I'm willing to re post. We hadn't been in a while and wondered how all the news about being sold would change the experience or the quality, but I think they are really making an effort. We felt there were plenty of servers and for all you can eat shrimp special, the refills came promptly. The host and manager were friendly and available if needed. We had a much different experience, last year, at a different location and I think the problem was that the staff were clearly overworked, not enough of them and complaining to one another in earshot of the diners. The menu has all the favorites but has an updated look. To clinch the favorable experience, when I got home I realized I'd lost my glasses, and I called in the morning, and they were found and waiting for me at the front desk. I want to add one note, we went a little earlier than usual and had no wait time, but of course the lobby was full by the time we left. We arrived about 5:30 and had a leisurely meal.
(5)
Henry M.
$15 for "Endless Shrimp!" Who would have guessed that would be more than it was worth? I would not have gone to the closest thing you can get to McSeafood since Arthur Treacher's left town if it weren't for a friend for a friend who loves AYCE. I was not disappointed, however, since my expectations were as low as the quality. Of the four varieties of shrimp that I had (yes, dear friends, I did try all of them but one), the terriyaki and the "garlic scampi" almost rose to a level of meh. Ambiance: None Did I mention that the waitstaff was very nice? They were. Next time, I'll go bowling next door instead.
(1)
Carmen S.
I went for the lobsterfest only since I had the $10 off coupon. Extremely overpriced and dry lobster meat. Won't be back.
(2)
Carlos M.
Not a bad wait for a Friday night. 3rd time here. However, once we were seated, we waited 10 minutes for a server to even come. She seemed annoyed that we were ready to place our full order. The whole way through the order she acted as if we were bothering her when we asked about some selections. The appetizer was very good (coconut shrimp). We also ordered a combo plate and a lobster bake. The seafood in the bake was good ... but the pasta, not so much. It barely had any flavor. We were almost done with our food before the server even checked on how it was going. If it weren't for the food runner who brought the food to the table, I wouldn't have gotten my second drink. We had the apple desert which was also good. Overall, food decent for a chain restaurant, however, the service was sub-par and she didn't even deserve the tip we left her. The food runner was the only save on service.
(2)
Jon H.
Yesterday being Father's Day my wife surprised me for a Father's Day dinner with my mom and dad! We went to Red Lobster. Started off great waitress was prompt & friendly. But then it goes downhill. A smile will only get so far. Went to order a Sam Adams Seasonal draft they don't have- ok weird but I can deal. Order 2 Lagers (Sam Adams) and an appetizer. We finish the "tall" beer and still have to wait 15 minutes for appetizer to arrive. Food comes it's good- not great. We order our meals- good comes fairly quickly. Lobster is over cooked to where shell is spongy. Order 2 more beers and they are "out of Lager" Really? I can ensure that as much as a boast good experiences I also boast negative experiences. This is one of the worst. Will never be back. I can ensure that my parents will spread their experience as will my wife. Now I know why the franchise is hurting.
(1)
Sarah G.
I haven't visit this RL in forever! I absolutely had a great time here last night. We had Jordan D. as our waiter and he was beyond generous with us. I totally dig their biscuits and salads. I will definitely visit again and request for Jordan to be my waiter. As for the meal, it was great. We had lobster pizza and one of the lobsterfest dish with the tilapia, broccoli, and pieces of lobster on top. Both dishes were tasty and made with passion!
(5)
Shane R.
My wife likes this place, so we went for dinner a while back. That will be our last visit. Ever walk into a place and just know something is not right? The lobby floor was filthy with bits of trash everywhere. I told my wife, "if it looks like this out here, guess what it looks like in the kitchen". Unfortunately, I should have listen to my own words. Both my kid and I ended-up with a severe case of food poisoning. I missed work and he missed school I definitely will not be going back.
(1)
Ana P.
This is my favorite Red Lobster location! Granted its the only once I've been to, but I still love it! Friendly service, delicious food, and omg those Cheddar Biscuits! The portions here are really satisfying and I was happy with the prices. I also really enjoyed the salad, which is rare :) I can't wait to go back, so look out for an Update!
(5)
Naomi T.
I saw a huge rat scurrying in the parking lot when I left dinner one night . Although I live right across the street , I will never return . The food is mediocre .
(1)
Vi M.
I came here with my husband with great hopes that it would be a great evening with great food, I could not have been more wrong :(. The service was horrible our server Ingrid J. came to check on us almost as an after thought in between taking care of other tables that seemed to be more important than us for whatever reason. We asked for a peach smoothie which she never brought to us and we had to wait 45 minutes to receive our entrees. When our dishes arrived they were cold my crab cakes tasted more like old seared tuna fish and they messed up the endless shrimp order... And honestly the endless shrimp was the only reason we wanted to go. They never asked to refill our drinks that needed to be topped off. On top of everything else when I asked to speak to the manager to tell her about my experience she seemed more irritated with me about complaining then sympathetic towards our horrible experience. When the server did come back to give us with the last bit of or final order her attitude was so nasty to us that it made both of us just feel like leaving right then. I have never been so disgusted with a server before in my life. It took them over 20 minutes to bring us the correct check and she practically tossed it to us and did not apologize or even say thank you for coming in.... In fact she said nothing, so we felt that's what she deserved as a tip nothing! Both of us are in the restaurant business and always leave great tips for that reason we know the industry!!! but tonight was the first night we never left a penny and we were completely justified. My advise to all of you looking to go to this location pick another red lobster or another restaurant and I'm sure you'll have a better experience :)
(1)
Lindsay J.
The service at this restaurant is almost funny, it's that bad... After a 45 minute wait, it's another 2 hours to order and then get mediocre entrees. The staff is also completely oblivious to the fact that they're all socially awkward and that the service takes SO freaking long... It was so uncomfortable talking to our waiter. He was totally bizarre and admitted multiple times that he had just completely forgotten things we had asked for (like water refills... so nothing too out of the ordinary)... Go elsewhere. This place sucks.
(1)
Bianca F.
Shrimp tacos are outstanding! The boneless buffalo wings are good too. The crunchy shrimp were a little too sweet. Can't go wrong with those biscuits!
(4)
L H.
First time back in a year... The food was good. Menu has changed a bit. Our grilled fish was fresh and our server was soooooooooooooo friendly and attentive (Matt). Our wait was only 20 min. We were quoted a wait at 35 min. I think there has been some renovations done. Place is a bit nicer and cleaner than our last visit a year ago. We will be back soon. :)
(5)
Solace C.
Unfortunately, I was already expecting crap service. Why might you ask? Because this is a fake me out seafood place.... So my nephews wanted to dine here for his birthday and We oblige. Even the hubs was like it wont be bad trust me. We get our waitress and from the get go it seem like she had a tude. Idk, if it Aunt Flo visited or was about too. Maybe she just hated her job, she asks us, for our drinks. The kids asks whatcha got? she snaps her teeth and makes a big sigh! WTF?! I politely asked for plastic cups with lids so our table wont turn into a pool. We then get our cheddar biscuits and ask nicely for extras since our food will be a while. Sighs, and eyes roll...is what she does. She then takes our orders it just contines to be ms mean girl. When we get our food, the food that the kids got looks like some shit from the frozen food section at Giant. All they did was pop it in the toaster oven or oven. My crab legs probably came from China, but I made the best out of it. The hubs got crab cakes but they were cold. Of course he is gonna sit there and grin it and bear it. Of course Im not gonna allow that especially for some overpriced cold crab cakes. So we went for the Queen of England ( our waitress) to come back to ask us how is our meal? Did that ever happen? No! Meanwhile we had to flag down every other waiter/res to refill our whatever, bring us our sauces, ketchup, silverware, because my nephews love to drop things on the ground and I dont play the 5 second rule here. Finally, I tell another waitress (who was very kind, she had a dominican accent) that if she can take the crab cakes back bc they are cold and our waitress is M.I.A. Out comes the King of Persia, what seems to be problem? I explain, that no matter what when I come here I always get crap service. From the kitchen to that waitstaff. He apologies, and then the Queen comes to apololie saying she was busy with other tables, which was a lie, because when I had to go to the loo, I saw her there talking smack about everything and anything to the other waitresses hiding from the manager being on their cellys. Though, the manager apologized and basically took care of the tab, that wasnt my goal. The service is horrible. If the service is horrible, thats a blower for me. Honestly, this place should close down.
(1)
Mandana Y.
ENDLESS SHRIMP $15.99! What more do you want? Do it right. Go with a fun group. Go on a weeknight. Order some drinks. Smile when you ask your waiter for the biscuits, and mention you're obsessed with them. He'll keep them coming and pack you extra to take home. This is Red Lobster, obviously it's a little... chain restaurant-ish, but once in a while a girl just likes to be a suburban. Now a review on this specific location. The hosts were very friendly. I walked in, told them my party was already seated and she knew exactly who to walk me over to. Our waiter was nice enough to bring biscuits before everyone else showed up. I also caught him laughing when one of my friends at the table shared a dirty joke. For some reason I like amusing my servers. Tip for everyone doing the endless shrimp special. Order a refill on your plate when you get full. Mess around with the order with your fork when it arrives. Wait 5 minutes, then ask for a box. You'll be the envy of all your coworkers the next day!
(4)
Wendy W.
Great service and great food. We go there about once in a couple of months. We are always happy with the service. Interestingly, we have never been served by the same person twice. I like that they have some healthy options on the menu, the price is good too. Pretty happy about this restaurant.
(5)
Natasha S.
I am not usually one for chain brand restaurants, however I will always have a soft spot for Red Lobster. I've been coming here since I was a kid with my parents. My girlfriend is also a huge Red Lobster fan, so we try to make it out to one at least every once in awhile. With that being said, we try to go to a different location each time for comparison. I have to say, out of 4 locations this probably has been the best so far. I had a seafood feast, that included grilled shrimp, shrimp scampi, crab legs, lobster tails and steamed broccoli. LOVED it. First off, my lobster tail was NOT overcooked at all, it was perfect. The steamed broccoli tasted fresh and not frozen. In fact, so fresh that it could have been considered undercooked to some people's liking but I thought it was perfect. I actually like my broccoli undercooked and more raw then cooked really. So I got lucky. Crab legs were good, although are my least favorite to order here just because the give you so little of it. But then again, I am comparing this to a seafood buffet in which is the only other place, I really get crab legs. My girlfriend ordered her usual seafood pasta thing, and she seemed to really like it. I tasted it but felt it was consistent with all the other locations. The only thing that really stood out to me was the way the lobster tail was cooked. The service was good. We were seated immediately, although a Wednesday night, the place was fairly busy. Our waitress was super nice and attentive. She also made sure to bring us out the freshest biscuits.
(4)
marky m.
This location has gotten really GHETTO (as bad as a PG county red lobster). All the servers have a nasty attitude, are disrespectful & lazy. The plates/cup were filthy & the food was just one big mediocre reheated frozen mess. This place makes Long John Silvers look like 5 star dining. Will not be returning again & sadly this used to be one of my favorite places as kid.
(1)
Edwin O.
Avoid this place, it is awful. Ordered a mojito, got seven up with a splash of rum. Shrimp not fully cooked. Mussels dry and mealy. Biscuits good, but I came for the seafood. Will never return.
(1)
Jack W.
The minute i walk in, i noticed something is not right. The service was not so great. The biscuits were warm and hard. The food took 40 minutes. And she forgot to bring my soup. I highly recommend to stay out of this restaurant.
(1)
Chef A.
I use to be a die-hard fan of the franchise, but in recent years, quality has slipped, quantity has slipped and prices exploded like Delta Burke at a buffet. Most my past experiences at RL has been pretty rough. My last meal here recently was not as bad as my last visits to the Frederick and Hagerstown branches. Still, I'd slightly prefer Joe's Crab Shack of RL.
(3)
Chris M.
Serving and food is slow
(2)
PD N.
I like this place and have gone here every so often to get comfort food but I have to say tonight was a bad idea for red lobster. Their carry out waiting time was ridiculous. I've waited for over 30 min at the restaurant in addition to 10 minutes when I called in. Outrageous even if they're busy. FOOD : I think it's decent to good. It's my comfort place to go. Tastes depend on you and what you get. SERVICE : Management needs to work on their staff distribution. There were too many hosts/hostesses than needed and not enough people to take care of the bar and the bar eating area. Therefore you wait forever for carryout. --------------- I went to order some carryout on a Friday. Yes, I'm aware weekends are busy days for restaurants. I called in to order 1 item, just one!! A half size shrimp alfredo pasta. When I called, a person picked up and asked me to wait. Of course I was fine except I didn't know I had to wait through 2 whole songs. She informed it would be ready in 20. It took about 10 min to get to the restaurant, and another 10 for a server to acknowledge my impatience to go check on the carryout order (looks at the back bar table) and informs me that nothing is ready. 10 min after that another server acknowledged me, proceeded with payment, and once again, looked at the back bar counter and informs me nothing is ready. I wonder if it occurs to them that food MIGHT be ready in the kitchen but no one brings them out? My one meal was not ready for more than 30 min, I was now steaming. On top of that, I had to wait for this server to take care of these customers with their 5 complicated orders and their split checks. Maybe it's the server, but you'd think to take care of the least amount of complications before you try to solve the rest to be efficient... The server who brought my food looked busy, and overwhelmed. :(
(3)
Bill J.
Terrible service and terrible food. I would have had much nicer meal at McDonalds. Went in 9pm on Saturday, and had to wait 10 minutes when there were clearly so many empty tables. Our waitress screwed up so many things, food, drinks, check,.... She even brought water thinking it is Sprite! We had "Ultimate" Feast and Lobster Pizza. The pizza was edible but ultimate feast was yuck! It looked nothing like the picture and tasted like some frozen junk.. I serious do not understand anyone who goes here for dinner..
(1)
Emily N.
First off, i don't know why this place got only "$". Second off, i don't know why this place got a 3 and a half star. Third off, their biscuits are the only reason why my friends and i make an effort to come here. Every year, my friends and i make it a tradition to go bowling and then Red Lobsters after. Year after year we're constantly questioning why we go there. And yet the only reason we can come up with are for the biscuits. Don't be fooled by the succulent food that they advertise on your TV. It's definitely not what you get. Half the time, i get cold, fake seafood that's overpriced with crappy service. Seriously, the only reason we come here are for the best biscuits. But even that i can only give this place 2 stars.
(2)
Kat F.
We had one of the friendliest waiters I've ever had! He always called us "My Friends," which brought a natural smile to my lips. So, service was great. The rolls are to DIE FOR. I don't know what they put in it, but it is GOLDEN. So, when you get it, make sure to definitely try it. There were three of us in our party. I ordered the Fettuccine with Crab Meat (Full size - $19), my boyfriend ordered the Lobster Pizza ($10), and my sister ordered the appetizer Coconut Shrimp ($10). Everything was great! The Coconut Shrimp and it's sauce were so crunchy and delectable. My only stiff about it is that it was only 6 pieces, but then again it was only an appetizer. The pizza was decently sized and was thin crusted (yay!). Now, my pasta dish was LOADED with crab meat! ULTIMATE PLUSES ALL AROUND. If you get the pizza and the pasta dish, try eating them together, it gives the pizza a more sea-meat taste if the lobster isn't enough for you. The pasta also goes great with the rolls. So much flavor!!
(4)
William S.
When we arrived there was no line which was nice but it was not crowded at all which I thought was a good sign. Turns out that maybe people know better than I do. Both my young son and I ordered lobster tail and but we waited over an hour in an empty dining room. I though this was slightly poor service but then again I could have waited in line that long on a busy night. To me, the worst part was that our lobster came out on a plate so hot they burned our servers hands. It was so hot the server had trouble placing the scalding plate in front of my five year old son. At no point did he think that might not be a wise idea. Now, either these plates had sat under a heat lamp for a half hour to get so hot or Red Lobster has a bad policy of not re-plating children's food so they don't get burned on their plates and they cook the food on the plates in the oven. I don't think it took an hour for lobster tails on plates in an oven so I assume that we just had poor service and heat lamp treatment. It is a shame because I used to love this place. Oh, I heard some people complaining to a manager in the booth next to us and it sounded like they were getting roughed up and basically told we don't need your business and dont care if you had a bad visit. I saved my breath and didn't bother trying to give a suggestion of not giving children hot plates since they wouldn't have cared. Save your money and go somewhere else. Maybe a local business where they care about you children and your business.
(1)
Jocelyn W.
3 years ago after having a bad meal I said to myself I will never come back to Red Lobster again, but then I still went for my birthday after seeing the Seafood Fiesta commercial. And then I left again so furious with the food. It was very salty and swimming in butter. My mouth was watering when they serve me the crabs but soon after I took a few bites my night was over. The steamed broccoli was old and dark. We spent $60 dollars for a meal that I wish was never serve at my table. Well, maybe...maybe it's not the restaurant but the restaurant cook was to blame. I had great meals from Red Lobster in Florida and I was happy camper and enjoyed the food.
(1)
Carla N.
This was my family's first outing to Red Lobster! We were enticed to go 1. because we are seafood lovers 2. my sister's boyfriend had grown up eating out in Red Lobster in Florida... 3. He said we had to go for the cheesy rolls (served warm while you wait for the food) and for the endless shrimp platters. 4. The Endless Shrimp commercial came on while we were watching TV. and that pretty much solidified the decision for everyone. We came, we saw, we conquered... all through (what seemed) like our bottomless stomachs! I'm shrimped out-- I can't go back for shrimp for another year, that's how much I ate. I loved the breaded shrimp the best. My family also made the general consensus that the shrimp linguine Alfredo was the bomb. My mom could barely reach into my dad's plate(s) to have some herself. (The man ate about two pounds of shrimp linguine Alfredo pasta, he was as happy as a clam... and went home and took about 7 Tums. I opted to have items not on the endless shrimp list, well-knowing that I would explode if I over did the shrimp. I was very happy with the following items: Stuffed mushrooms (they are little, six to a plate) Spinach/Seafod/Artichoke Dip (yum, never disappoints!) And even though I was uncomfortably stuffed.... I ordered dessert! My go-to dessert is always key-lime pie. THIS WAS THE BEST KEY-LIME PIE I've ever had. I would like to know if Red Lobster buys it already made/frozen--and if so, which brand is it?! The Key-lime pie prompted a heavy discussion as to how I thought the pie was not Saralee or Betty Crocker bc of the texture (I know my pie)... and my mother thought differently... that it could be the most generic pie on earth... and if it is, then great, but I have never seen or bought it at Giant! Anyways, the key-lime pie was so creamy, not too tangy... it was just awesome. As far as service is concerned, the waitstaff is friendly and prompt. I'd like to return to Red Lobster, maybe in a year... I can't fathom another endless shrimp platter for a while! Enjoy!
(3)
R N.
Blackened catfish is not what you want to order here if you are hungry. They got one small piece of catfish with sides. It's not enough food for the price. You have to try to fill your stomach with sides. Even after lunch, I was feeling hungry, and was eating the biscuits. That seemed to be the only best part. Potato side was not that great too. Salad was fine.
(1)
Kimmie G.
Not going back. The food was greasy and the service was really lacking. We almost walked out, it took so long for the waiter to come to the table.
(1)
Danny N.
Cheddar Bisquits and the 4 course special were on point
(3)
Grace T.
Don't ever come here during their busy times, they're way understaffed. My fiance ordered their endless shrimp but after an hour of waiting only had one "refill" of shrimp. The food is not good either, everything is pre-frozen. They either need to lower their prices or increase their staff.
(2)
Sokha A.
Food here was OK, the desserts were better though. Went during there 4-course deal, so lines were crazy long, next time will go off-peak hours.
(3)
Lucy X.
The biscuits are actually amazing. Softest biscuits I've ever had. And free refills too which is double the amazingness. It's their best thing about this place, next to their drool-worthy commercials always popping up on TV when I happen to be the hungriest. :/ Except for their lobster platters, their mains (particularly their pasta dishes) are way too large of a portion, and besides the fact of how dry and cheesy they already are, the size makes it overwhelming to look at it, much less eat. But I find that it's like this (big portions) with most American restaurants. The lobster, scallop, shrimp combo, on the other hand, could be bigger of a portion, especially considering how pricier it is compared to the other mains. But it is probably the only thing I will be willing to get here, because although it is over-priced, I can actually finish the whole thing without feeling sick. Oh and their coconut jumbo shrimp is also pretty good too (taste, price and portion wise). They always have promotions and deals going on, like their current one--15 bucks for a 4-course meal. It's worth it considering that it will definitely full you up.
(3)
Isabella S.
I was brought here last night on a date, and as i found it a bit odd that my boyfriend knows i don't eat seafood, he brought me here anyways. The Maple-Glazed Chicken that i ordered, was mediocre. And i suppose since this is a seafood restaurant, they don't take speacial timing in preparing or seasoning their non seafood items. Nonetheless, it was average. One thing that stuck out to me were the biscuits. The biscuits were amazing! And our waiter was extremely attentive, polite, and even helped me with ordering something that didn't consist of seafood or chicken tenders.
(3)
Janet H.
I haven't been to a Red Lobster in years. I'm not sure why but most likely because of a bad experience. So, Red Lobster's been having these really mouth watering commercials recently and well, they win and I got lured into a visit. We got seated at a booth and it was roomy and comfortable. They have the most delicious hot and steamy buttery biscuits ever! While I didn't want to spoil dinner, I had two! I got the lobster and shrimp with linguine (forgot the name) for my main course and while it tasted great, I was a little disappointed with what I got. Reading the description of the dish, I was under the impression that I will be getting a full lobster with a side of linguine but really it was lobster meat tossed in the pasta. My other dinner buddies got the shrimp and lobster combo with a side of rice.. I think for $20! Now that's a deal! I did steal some from them for taste and it was not disappointing. yum :) Oh, so I didn't order any drinks but looking at their drinks menu.. they have some pretty yummy looking drinks to offer. Next time definitely.. next time. Lobster + drinks! oh and the delicious biscuits!
(4)
Mary K.
Came here for my partner's sister's graduation. I got the shrimp jambalaya which was drenched in this nasty cheese sauce and was way to salty. The cheese biscuits weren't as great as everyone claims. They are also on the salty side. The two stars are for service, which was pretty good. They were really attentive and constantly filled my ice tea. Also, they were nice on giving our table of 9 some extra biscuits. Wouldn't come here for the food, but plus for the service.
(2)
J. J.
My husband and I went to this Red Lobster at 7:30 last night (Saturday). We were told there was a 30 minute wait. We were finally seated an hour and a half later--possibly the longest wait I've ever had for a restaurant in my life, and definitely not something I expected for a chain seafood place. The host told us three times we were "next," only to go on seating other parties. Our wait would have been closer to two hours except that so many people who had arrived ahead of us got tired and left. Red Lobster didn't have much seating for people who were waiting--just some wooden benches inside and some patio furniture outside, so I spent about an hour standing (I am six months pregnant). The strange thing was that when we were finally seated, the restaurant was half empty. I guess the long wait had to do with them being understaffed rather than being full. Once we were seated, the service was fine and prompt. (Of course by the time we got our food it was also almost closing time, so there weren't that many folks left.) As far as the food, they have a four-course special for $15 per person. It started with an appetizer; I had the clam chowder, which was good. Next was garden salad (OK) and Red Lobster's signature cheddar garlic biscuits (yum!) One of the entrees was coconut habanero shrimp which they were unfortunately not able to prepare without coconut (my husband has an allergy). So we both had the garlic shrimp instead. This entree consisted of wild rice, broccoli, and two skewers of 15 or so shrimp each. We were warned that the plates themselves were very hot, and indeed you can burn yourself if you don't watch out. The shrimp tasted great, but unfortunately the tails were still on, which is a pain when you are trying to eat 30 shrimp on skewers. For dessert my husband had caramel cheesecake (which he did not like although he normally loves dessert--said it was too sweet and seemed like it was out of a box) and I had a brownie a la mode which was okay, though also too sweet. Overall, the food was good and there was a lot of it. However, in my opinion, there are many equally good places nearby that don't have a 1:30 wait, and if I knew up front it was 1:30 we'd have gone elsewhere. The lady waiting next to me told me that Bugaboo Creek next door is quite good.
(3)
Richa T.
I went here last week with three friends. The place was pretty packed but surprisingly the wait was merely 15 minutes. After we were seated, our server came and introduced himself while bringing the nice and warm biscuits with him. I have to admit- the main reason I go to red lobster is for their addicting biscuits! Our server seemed to be new and a bit nervous...he asked us if we were ready to order right after we were seated without giving us a few minutes to look over the menu. After our food came out, one of my friend had to ask three times for cocktail sauce to go along with her food. I ordered one of the combos- salmon, shrimp scampi and mashed potatoes. My salmon was cooked well but the shrimp scampi was the worst I've ever had. It was so salty that I couldn't get past eating one piece. The mashed potatoes was also room temperature, not warm as it should be. The server, however, did make a point to refill our glasses on time. After we were done with our food, we waited for at least 10 minutes for our server to come by with the check and then again before he came to pick up our bill. I've been to red lobster at other location before and have liked it but won't be back here at this location again.
(2)
Nelson V.
Food was cold. No moist towlettes. No to-go cups. Only 2 lb lobsters at this location. To go container had a hole in it.
(1)
Mariella B.
EEEEK! What happened to Red Lobster?!?! I really used to like this place now the food is always half-@ssed and the service sucks. I love the garlic cheese bread and the shrimp always seems good if not breaded, otherwise it's just lots of break and a piece of shrimp. The alfredo is decent but I always have stomach issues after I eat the crab or lobster here...pass. I would go here if someone else insists and I would come here before I ever go to Joe's Crab Shack in the Rio.
(2)
Angela C.
Nothing special..we came here for my little brother's graduation. Surprisingly, there was hardly a wait for a Saturday night. Our server was pretty quick in taking our orders and getting our drinks/appetizers out. The food itself was just ehh. My mom ordered the shrimp alredo and I was surprised that it was actually good. My idea of eating healthy and ordering the fresh catch of the day for $26 was definitely NOT worth it. Overall, you can tell the entrees contain too much butter/oil. I don't get any "fresh ingredients" feeling at all but I guess that's not really what they're going for. Unless all-you-can-eat Alaskan King Crablegs returns, I probably won't be coming back.
(3)
John K.
(2 stars for the restaurant - you know what to expect from Red Lobster) I come here about once a year. For the endless shrimp deal, where the shrimp are the size of quarters, but hey, it's endless. Stay away from the shrimp scampi since it's just butter and oil (I can't believe I just said that). But if you don't want to get sick, just stick with their coconut shrimp and NEW teriyaki shrimp. I just hate how they make it look so appetizing in the pictures, yet your food comes out NOTHING like the picture. I think that's why I come here once a year, or else I will just feel sad just looking at the pictures. (+2 stars just for the cheese biscuits alone) If I had to die from eating too much, I hope it's from these cheese biscuits. The perfect balance of cheese, butter, garlic, and biscuit. If God made a biscuit, it would be the Red Lobster Cheese biscuit. I think that's how they get me. The food sucks, but OH MAN, those cheese biscuits are sooooooooo awesome. Especially when it comes out of the oven...I can't think of another food that goes from plate to stomach so quickly! Mmmmmmmmmm.
(4)
William P.
Sad to say the best part of the meal was the Biscuits, which were excellent. We should have stopped there. We've been to this Red Lobster before and never has it been like this. It has totally taken a turn for the worse. 15 minutes after being seated our Waitress finally came to get our drink order, and it took her 10 minutes jut to give us water. Then 30 minutes after we had ordered our one Appetizer, it had still not come out. 20 minutes after our App finally came our Dinner arrived. Never got the salad I ordered. The Lobster Pizza was soggy and the Lobster was undercooked and limp. After 2 hrs, because our waitress didn't really check up on us, of mediocre food and slow service we finally left. NOT to return.
(1)
Muge A.
If you love seafood, they got some good food. Their biscuits are something else!!!
(4)
Yolit Y.
I like this place because you can always find it faster than other places and it is cheaper
(5)
Jessi C.
I haven't been to a Red Lobster in ages and I doubt I will ever go back. The food was lukewarm and the service was nonexistent. It has never taken us an hour and a half to have a quick dinner before. The lobster was tough and rubbery, but the scampi was the best part of the meal. If you go there, don't go late. They were more concerned with going home than taking care of the customers.
(1)
Rebecca G.
I have to say this review is about mostly the service, the food was amazing for the price. We got the endless shrimp and it was really yummy, shrimp was on the small size, but sill tasted great and came with salad, sides, biscuits and free refills! The service was terrible. When we arrived (with my parents and two kids) they tried to seat us in the bar even though this was a Wednesday night and there was plenty of seating. When I asked to not sit in the bar (dad can't drink so I really didn't want to seat him in view of 100 liquor bottles) the hostess looked at me like I was crazy and reluctantly agreed to sit us elsewhere. We waited a while for the waitress to come and she started off great, even closing a blind when she saw the sun was in my face. It all went down hill from there. No matter what we asked her for she sighed and got mad. She completely overlooked my toddler, not waiting for me to order her food or drink and when I tried to catch her to get my toddler some milk and a meal she seemed really bothered. She only brought one out of every three items we asked for. When we asked for more biscuits or beverages she didn't bring them, and after three reminders we never got another basket of biscuits and my daughter never got a second cup of milk. For some reason she really liked my mom and kept refilling her glass without her even asking, but wouldn't refill anyone else's. When we asked for the shrimp refills (endless shrimp, of course we got refills! We didn't get carried away we got two each) she got really frustrated and it took over 15 minutes to get each refill on the shrimp. I know everyone has a bad day, but she was so slow we sat there two hours eating dinner, and with kids I am usually in and out in less than an hour to keep the toddler under control. At other restaurants like Outback, when the manager is circulating and sees you continually craning your neck looking for the waitress they usually come over and check in, at Red Lobster they just walk around in circles smiling and ignoring the clients. I would recommend the Silver Spring Red Lobster if you really want to go and enjoy your meal. The food will be the same at any Red Lobster and the Gaithersburg location isn't worth the headache of the bad service.
(3)
Jinshil L.
I come here for Endless Shrimp :) My waiter was great! He got 2 of our orders ahead of time so that when we were done with one shrimp entree, the next would be right there! The dining area is a bit exposed...I feel like my head is "naked." I wish the booths were higher but oh well. The food is yummy though! Our biscuits are usually perfectly baked, except most recently it should've been in the oven a bit longer. Shrimp is great! The plates are heavy though. I don't know why they put a small ramekin on top of another big plate...it just seems like 3x the dishes... Great service, good food....okay atmosphere. Good location!
(4)
T H.
"Nom nom nom" \ /||\ x x /||\ / || \ \ / / || \ \ \ / \__/ \ / / \ / / \ \ / || / v \ || \\___ / \ ___ // V / \ V \\___ | _______ |___// V | _______ | V \\____\ ______ /____// \ _____ / | ____ | | ____ | / \ / | | | \ |__|__ |__|__| Red Lobster is probably my family's favorite restaurant ever. Birthdays? Red Lobster. Anniversaries? Red Lobster. Hungry and don't feel like cooking? Red Lobster. The cheesy garlicky biscuits are the main reason I come here. So so so so SO good. Soft, fluffy, salty, buttery, cheesy, savory...mmmmmm. Put a basket of these in front of me, and you can be sure no one else at the table is getting any. My parents and I can usually go through two or three servings of these babies every visit. For appetizers, go for the Lobster, Artichoke and Seafood Dip (A creamy three-cheese blend with artichokes, spinach, Maine and langostino lobster, and seafood. Served with tortilla chips and pico de gallo.). So much better than the usual spinach and artichoke variety, which I'm already very fond of. The chunks of sweet lobster and crab meats are tender and taste amazing when drenched in creamy cheese sauce, and the pico de gallo tastes just as good alone as on a seafood/cheese-laden chip. YUM. I'm less impressed with the assortment of fried seafood options. The scallops are teeny weeny and a tad too rubbery, the popcorn shrimp is good but very generic, the clam strips are OK, and the flounder is dry and tasteless. Everything, including the french fries, is doused with Old Bay. You'll get more for your money if you stick with the non-fried foods. My mom's lobster linguine special was really good, and the BF's grilled salmon was pretty tasty as well (though he says the salmon I make is better!). Service is good -- friendly, funny, fresh. Lots of Asian waiters. It IS MoCo, after all. Not as pricey as Legal Seafoods, but definitely a step up from Long John Silver's. My family will definitely be back again...and again...and again. :)
(4)
MJ ..
I used to come to Red Lobster all the time with my family when i was younger. But my last experience was the worst. I invited my boyfriend to join me and my family for my mother's birthday and the whole night was a disaster. First of all, the restaurant looked so disgusting! Old, dirrty, paint peeling off the wall, I mean it was gross, almost like Hamburger Hamlet. A lot has changed over the years....also, the service was absolutely terrible. Our server was rude and didn't really help at all by rolling her eyes and not coming to the table enough. Our drinks were empty most of the time because she was gone for so long! When we received our salads, the look and quality of it did not make me want to eat it. It looked like they just put lettuce in a bowl with some raw red onion rings and a little bit of feta cheese and olives. Although when i ate it, it tasted okay, but still not something worth paying for in a restaurant. We ordered our entrees and just waited while we nibbled on some cheddar bay biscuits (which were kind of oily and soggy when we got them). My family did not really enjoy the biscuits, however, I still enjoy them no matter what. They're the only thing that Red Lobster has that tastes right. The night turned into a disaster even MORE because we were prectically waiting almost half an hour on our food and it wasn't even busy AT ALL. I don't understand how their kitchen failed at such a calm, weekday evening. The people in the booth near us even began complaining about waiting for their food as well! It was just absolutely ridiculous. My mother finally asked for the manager to come over to the table. He was rather young looking, and didn't really seem to handle the situation very well. He just apologized and did nothing else. He could have atleast offered to take the salads off the bill, or offer us a free appetizer or something, that would have made my mom's birhday a lot better. It was such a shame and such a dissapointment. This place used to be one of my favorites and after that visit, never again shall I return there. It was the worst restaurant experience I've ever had in my entire life. Poor service, TERRIBLE staff, and so filthy it makes me feel like lint is in my food or something....eww
(1)
Jen L.
As a seafood lover, I enjoy eating here. We came because they had an all-you-can-eat shrimp special. The shrimp was pretty good, but a little small and in my opinion, slightly over-sauced. We were also really surprised by how delicious the biscuits were - we almost got full off the biscuits. I would definitely come back for their all-you-can-eat shrimp special.
(4)
Marcia S.
We drove from Silver Spring hoping this location would be better. It is! Dimitri is a very attentive server, knows his menu and had no problem answering all of our questions. We had Admirals feast, Ultimate feast, Lobster bake, soup and salads. Everything's great, hot and tasty. I will be back!
(4)
Marina K.
This is horrible restaurant. We went there with my parents and it was disappointment after disappointment. I got steamed snow crab legs with steamed broccoli and green beans. Crab was too salty, so was broccoli - it was boiled, not steamed. And very-very salty!!!! My mom ordered sirloin steak - MEDIUM. When she cut a little peace of meat - all entire plate was ruined as steak bleed-out. Blood was dripping all over plate. It was rare, not medium. I feel very sorry that we choose this place. NEVER AGAIN!
(1)
Peter K.
Since our wives were unavailable (so sorry), my Public Safety cohort and I bit on the TV commercial's hype for Red Lobster's $15.99 Endless Shrimp feed. Once a year, for me was a good idea. The sign read open at 1100. At 1103 open, they were. With a bit of a hostess attitude, we were seated. We elected to sit in the bar area; I was too lazy to wander into the depths of the dinning room. Our bar-area concern was that the bartender may have to double as our waiter and thus impede our "feeding frenzy"; was for naut. Our server, Jennifer L. (the receipt said), was so very much more than EXCELLENT. Here, service being the hallmark of our visit. Two sides were included; I choose Cesar salad & slaw. Salad super, slaw naa but I'm not sure why; just didn't like it. ALL the shrimp dishes were very good. Parmesan Shrimp (broiled) was the best followed by Shrimp Linguini were my choice of "best". We tried them all. Strange, as in many Chinese buffets, the shrimp lacked much of a shrimp taste; as though they may have thawed too long in non salted water. Good texture, little shrimp taste but good, anyway. I can not "over Yelp" and praise enough, our server. She would place our re-orders long before we finished the 1st round and served them almost as we took the last bite! As a caveat: I did observe the confusion (mentioned in an earlier Yelp review) among what may be well called "assistant servers" trying to deliver orders w/o a clue as to who ordered them; not my problem. So, happy that I went; would not go back this year and will go back if/when this is done next year. Oh, I got to play with the lobsters in the tank; being raised in Maine, reaching into the tank & dragging out the "critters" was fun and restored Maine memories.
(4)
Greg p.
In general a fairly decent chain with consistent quality. The cheese biscuts are wonderful. Food acceptable but seems frozen and or prepacked and heated. Good choice of house coctails.
(3)
G M.
Red lobster was my favorite restaurant growing up, but I hadn't been there in years. The host was wonderful and gracious. The food was better than I expected. The problem was we ordered too much and could barely eat half of our entrees. It made a great lunch the next day though. Lobster, crab, shrimp . . . it was all delicious with nice portions. The caesar salad and lobster bisque were delicious as well. No need to comment on the addictive rolls. This is the only sit down chain restaurant I will come to again and again.
(4)
Nathaniel M.
ok blahh blahh
(2)
Shashi B.
Food was good and service friendly. My Chowder was cold and the under plate was hot. They reheated it and were very friendly. Kids loved the food and the presentation and the portions are large enough to take home
(3)
Tim R.
I had a steak and it was really good, but since this is a seafood restaurant, I can't give them more than two stars. Food was slow coming out. My daughter loves, loves, loves fish and we ordered the kids broiled fish. She would not eat it. I tried it and it was really not good. Maybe they assume that kids hate fish so they don't care how it tastes. Boy, had grilled chicken and liked it, but again, its not seafood so I refuse to give them credit for that. My wife had pepper corn steak and salmon and she was pretty happy with her meal. Overall though, it's not a very good place to go for seafood unless you are a crazy shrimp lover or something because that's pretty much what they have all over the menu. There weren't many options that looked good to us which explains why we ended up with steak and chicken.
(2)
Sa'lome H.
Great food and service!!
(4)
Matt B.
It's just like every other Red Lobster. If you love the Cheddar Bay Biscuits like I do, then that's why it's 4 stars. I sat at the bar here (I'm on work travel) and the service was fine and the drinks were tasty. Though next time I'd probably skip the appetizer and just get another round of the biscuits.
(4)
Barbie T.
This was my first trip EVER to a Red Lobster. ( I know. I don't get out much.) But I will say this: the biscuits are the best part of the meal. I also had house salad (good and fresh!), and cajun chicken alfredo lunch portion (good, but actually a bit too rich for me.) Had the fried calamari and broccoli. Good stuff. I'm not big on seafood, and went here because my co-workers were celebrating someone's birthday. It was kinda chilly in there, but all in all it was an OK experience. Wait staff was helpful and nice. Seemed clean from what I could see. Everyone had a good meal. I would go back. But it wouldn't be my first choice.
(3)
Mike H.
went for the endless shrimpies, even though they took coconut shrimp off the selection :(. after being seated, it was quite a while before a server finally showed up to take our orders. at one point, a server dropped off someone else's order of endless shrimpies. i of course didn't mind it and happily took the extra plate of fried shrimp, but it seemed to suggest that the staff was a little mixed up, hence the long wait times. food was so-so. the parmesan shrimp was drowning in butter. sweet and spicy shrimp wasn't bad. next time i'm in the mood for shrimp, i'll buy some from the grocery store and make it myself
(2)
Will K.
First Red Lobster experience for both me and my wife. The service was acceptable. The restaurant interior was clearly the original carpet and furniture from years ago. Had kind of an old smell. I was shocked at how many empty tables there were on a Saturday night, we were seated immediately a little after 9pm. The food was just OK, not really that fresh if you ask me. I had the Maine Lobster and Crab Bake. The shrimp was the best of all the seafood. My wife had the Maui Luau Shrimp and Salmon. The mashed potatoes were clearly out of a box, the rice was suspect. The salmon was just way too sweet. We had the stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer and they were very oily and greasy. I just wasn't impressed at all with the quality of food and the price you pay for it.
(2)
Mona R.
Our server Sean was a pleasure to have. He was very attentive, friendly, and went above and beyond any other waiter/waitress we have had at this location. We often stop by here for quick lunches and dinners in part due to their biscuits and the fact that it is a couple minutes away from home. On this visit, I had the lobster tacos and my fiance had the "you pick 2 shrimp" entree. Both came with a Cesar salad.
(5)
Sherice H.
Got here and asked the hostess about the happy hour specials and if we could just go to the bar. So we het tp yge bar amd Shelton the nice bartender, is looking puzzled when we ask what the happy hour specials are. So in the communication breakdown, there is NO Longer a hsppy hour at this location. Sigh.... and then we got dirty plates for our yummy and warm cheddar bisquits. .. fat girl moment.
(2)
D S.
Red Lobster is always a favorite! This location makes you not regret that. The service was quick, the server was friendly, and the food was plentiful and delicious! This is my first time coming to this location and I wish I lived closer because I would be back! Gerardo was such an awesome server! Even the other customers were friendly, as everyone spoke to one another. I would recommend this location to anyone!
(5)
Irene A.
Long wait Good food But 1 hour wait...terrible.
(2)
Gray M.
The service tonight, 12/15/2013, was horrible. The hostess had an attitude when we asked to move from the bar area to the main dining room because the windows were very drafty... this is after waiting 15minutes for a water and a Coke. Our service brought us biscuits and my soup and we had to ask our server to move us. She was carrying our biscuits and soup around and asking the other servers if the table was clean. One server who was cleaning another table just looked at her and said "I don't know." I said to him "how do you not know? You're cleaning this section. Why don't you try helping her." Horrible, nasty chain with a bad smell in the air. (I just found the section with all my reviews in the draft section so they are just being posted now, 12/30/2014, but my feelings about the place still stand true.)
(2)
Weson I.
This place is overrated with disrespectful employees. The wait times are unorganized and it is clear they don't run on first come first serve. The food may be good, but the customer experience tends to be disappointing.
(2)
Bedelle M.
How about no rating went here new years eve sat for 40 minutes no drinks no server this horrible I will NEVER come here again
(1)
Kim A.
Came here with my ex I ordered food by the bar they kept forgetting to give me my food was giving it to the wrong customer who.dipped out on his check . I was like wheres my salad I realized the customer who took.my salad. Then he drank and didn't pay for his check I realized it was weird how he said.it was his salad when i figured after it was.mine . We left the red lobster.and realized a dessert was suppose to come with my entree but never got my dessert ! I will give it another try . They need to be organized .I wish they can make a red lobster in germantown because I will feel the service would be better .
(2)
M H.
Long waits with aweful service. Came here only because the people I was with wanted to. All the food comes out of a frozen box and feels like the "chef" microwaves or fries it before sending it out to the table. Absolutely terrible. See the photo of the coconut shrimp I uploaded. Is that what you call presentation? This location should have gone out of business a long time ago.
(1)
Shannon R.
They did offer to give me a certificate to go back... I declined the offer but they did try and make it right.
(2)
Steven M.
On a Saturday afternoon they had not received their deliveries so I was unable to order the fresh fish they advertised. When we got food the breading was soggy and chewy. Kinda bummed out, I normally love the Red Lobster chain. Server was nice as first but then seemed to shut down when everything I ordered wasn't available. Still tried to take care of her, it wasn't her fault there was no product.
(2)
Peter S.
Bad service. Wait for 15mins no service to bring even water. Have to call store manager to get wait or waitress. Please do not come here to eat. Peter
(1)
Sheree P.
I really don't like to give this location 2 stars...but I feel I have to. Went here on Sunday with my sister because we were craving seafood and didn't want to go too far away from home and Red Lobster is usually a guaranteed good meal with good service. We were seated and no one came to us for at least 15 minutes which is unusual; I had to ask for a server. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if something was going on at this location that day but we had a terrible experience. We got Cheddar Bay Biscuits which were warm and good. We ordered appetizers -- Shrimp Tempura and the Lobster-Artichoke-and-Seafood Dip which were also good. For our meals my sister ordered the Crab Linguini Alfredo and added a side of Snow Crab Legs...her pasta came out on a dirty plate but the Snow Crab Legs were good. For my meal I ordered the Wood-Grilled Lobster, Shrimp and Salmon and swapped out the salmon for a skewer of scallops for no additional charge. My meal came out cold...not even a little warm, which had me thinking it was sitting for a while before being taken to our table. A manager came over and spoke with us and apologized for all of the errors with our visit and meals and offered to take 50% off our bill and remove the pasta completely...That was a very nice gesture and it did redeem the visit a little bit. I'm not sure I will be in a rush to revisit this particular restaurant, but I do hope they get it together soon, because this used to be one of our favorite locations and they used to be great!!
(2)
Henny T.
My family just came there to congrats my sister because she got driver license. They have many kinds of shrimp. We came early so we do not have to wait, but take a while to have all orders. The staff are so polite. And I love the light there. It is very romantic. Love this place
(4)
Wes F.
This is one of the worst Red Lobsters I've been to. Its a bit of a catch 22: if you go when they aren't busy, you will experience the worst service of your life - instead of staff working hard for tips you'll have a person who has the attitude of a person who gave up on their job. We've waited a half an hour for drinks; once you receive food you won't see your waiter again until you're finished plus an additional 15 minutes, etc. Its an awful experience to want to pay and leave and be neglected in a large, empty dining room. I can't really say its a one time thing either because we keep coming back (its the only Red Lobster around) and its always the same situation. If you go when they are busy, you will have better service from their A game staff who seem to be reserved for the popular times, but they'll be so busy you'll have to deal with all the problems associated with it - long wait to be seated, slow service, mistakes in the kitchen, etc. I think this location has a staff problem. Awful attitude, like we are inconveniencing them by eating there. The only redeeming factor is that its a chain restaurant making the food consistent... and there aren't any other Red Lobsters around that we can go to instead.
(2)
Pallabi G.
Oh, Endless Shrimp. Your inventor must have been envisioning Dante's third circle of hell when he came up with this special because no matter how many shrimp I stuff into my face, I can't stop ordering more, and given the ravenous pack of wolves I went to lunch with, this was a dangerous combination. I wish I could say that everything was peachy with our experience, but there were a few bumps along the way. First off the wait. In a restaurant that was 50% empty, it seemed a bit odd that there was a 30 minute wait. Maybe they were low on servers. Then, when you walked in to the reception area, there was this pervasive aroma of moldy towel that thankfully was not present at our actual seat, but was still unpleasant. On to the food...The cheddar biscuits were as delicious as ever. They came hot to our table and the cheese was still gooey. The Ceasar salad that came with out meal however, was so drenched in dressing that I almost wondered if it was a ploy to get us to eat less shrimp. Definitely get this on the side. We tried every single variety that they had for the shrimp dishes and hand down, our favorite was the Sriracha grilled shrimp. It was the only grilled option on the menu and was pretty much a show stopper. The shrimp were perfectly charred, the heat level was juuust right and refills came promptly. The two shrimp scampis were ok, a little too drenched in butter for my taste. I'm not a fan of sweet, but my dining companions really hit it off with the coconut shrimp and we all agreed that the, breaded fried shrimp, was worth a try though maybe not a refill. The worst, by far, was the shrimp fettucine. Each bite was like eating a block of cheese. It was just too much and way overpowering. However, the sides were the biggest disappointment. The mashed potatoes fell prey to the same problem as the shrimp fettucine, too much cheese. All you could taste was whatever substandard Parmesan that they mixed in to the potatoes, which also caused the potatoes to congeal into this lumpy block that was wholly unappetizing. The side of broccoli was just nuked frozen florets that tasted like mush. The service was decent. We could tell that even at 50% capacity, the waiters were still struggling to keep up. We had some mix ups with the water, but at least the shrimp kept flowing.
(3)
Violeta B.
Huge improvement from the last time I went to this place. I went on a weekday, it was my daughters birthday and there was a wait but it was worth it. Staff was extremely nice, friendly and the food was amazing:) our waitress was very nice too, would greatly recommend.
(5)
Jarrod W.
Had a nice and productive business meeting with a prospective client. Good was ok, and one of my clients was trying it for the first time. Wasn't much to get super excited about, not close to what it used to be. The presentation was ok at best. If you're looking for good seafood, there are plenty of other places, especially in Maryland. If you're looking to get a seafood fix, in a nice and clean environment, Red Lobster is a good choice.
(3)
Tom D.
From the moment we walked in, nobody knew what they were doing. From the host and manager trying to seat us, it was a frustrating experience. We were finally seated in the bar and our server greeted us but it took ten minutes to get our drinks served and it was very slow in the restaurant. Our apps took another 15 minutes after that and our server never even did a quality check after serving our meals. Very slow and poor service. Will not return to this restaurant.
(2)
Pamela S.
Arrived with a "reservation" because of our large party and were met with attitude from hostess because we didn't want to eat in the bar area. However once seated properly, the wait staff were good and helpful. Food was okay, and large servings challenging our 3 teens to take boxes home. Overall turned out to be a good dinner out.
(3)
Kyle H.
When we arrived on a Friday night it was packed, good thing we made reservations beforehand to by-pass the long line. After eating at Red Lobster, I could not rationalize the long wait, the experience was terrible. If we had to wait to eat here, I would have gave it zero stars if I could. The staff were clearly not properly trained, with some waiters not sure which tables they were supposed to wait on. After waiting fifteen minutes, a kind waiter who was not supposed to serve our section decided to take our table. He admitted that the restaurant was more packed than usual, and another waiter was supposed to serve us. We gave him extra tip because he was a hard working young man, clearly working more tables than he was assigned. Onto the food, we came because of the end-less shrimp commercial on TV. THE RED LOBSTER COMMERCIALS ARE NOTHING COMPARED TO THE ACTUAL FOOD YOU RECEIVE! (Very Deceiving, though hats off to the marketing department at Red Lobster). The shrimp were tiny shrimp that seemed like they were frozen not fresh. They looked similar to that kind of shrimp served at a school cafeteria. All of the food was not very healthy or appetizing as everything was drenched in butter and oil. Before this visit, we came to Red Lobster about 10 years ago and the experience was terrible. We decided to give it another try, and there was no improvement. We will not be coming to Red Lobster again.
(1)
Ted K.
I came here on a whim, and was pleasantly surprised. I hadn't eaten here in years. The new (to this location) waitress, Ann, lit up the whole place. She opened up the menu and described in great detail what the specials and specialties were. She was a delight. I ate a lot of seafood and took more home.
(5)
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Address :15700 Shady Grove Rd
Gaithersburg, MD, 20877
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Tetta Z.
Was there yesterday with the SO. The place was so dimly lit that both of us could barely read the menu. We asked the waitstaff for a recommendation but he mumbled so badly that we actually ordered something just so he would stop mumbling unrecognizably. The recommendation turn out to be on the pricey end, so I recommend you ask before you order. Food was quite alright, but nothing to write home about. So my overall experience make me wonder whether to go back or not. The waiter basically got the tip b/c it is Christmas time, not for a good job!
(2)Sara D.
Let me preface this by saying I've worked in food service for several years, including a Darden restaurant. I was shocked by how inefficiently this restaurant seemed to be run. Seriously do not waste your time here. You are better off spending a little more money at the steakhouse behind this Red Lobster. My boyfriend, mother and I went on a Tuesday evening, around 7 p.m. We should have known this would be a poor experience based on the way the hostess greeted us. A very insincere greeting, did not even smile, and seemed to have an attitude. It took about 15 minutes to get drinks. Our server was double sat and was busy, but the restaurant itself was NOT busy. Not one of the SEVERAL employees who walked by offered to get us our drinks or bring us biscuits. It was after 25 minutes we finally decided to leave, still biscuit-less, and hadn't even had the opportunity to order food. I understand how shitty it is to be double or triple sat, but I do not think this server was very well trained. There were several opportunities for her to multitask and serve more efficiently- she was very sweet, but like I said, I think poorly trained. The staff as a whole (from what we saw) seemed to lack initiative, I didn't get a sense of teamwork. The same hostess that greeted us so poorly, was also smirking and giggling when we told the manager about how displeased we were with our service upon our leaving. Talk about adding insult to injury. Just moved to Gaithersburg and wont be attending this red lobster again. I've had better experiences at other red lobsters but this one was dreadful.
(1)Jonathan C.
They are not honest about how long of a wait there is when you call them. Very popular restaurant (why?) and don't take reservations. My gf used to love the place and I live five minutes away, but we hate waiting for food. So I would call to see how long the wait is, and they have said twice that there was no wait. Jump in the car, and be there ten minutes later, and there are about 7 groups waiting and there is a 20+ minute wait. We checked and some of those people had been there for over 20 minutes. We went one last time during a snowstorm and after eating, realized that the food is not so great that it's worth the uncertainty and the waiting. On to bigger, better things! Try checking out Mr Banh Mi if you're in the area and feeling adventurous.
(2)Michael C.
I don't really see what all the bad reviews are about, I went at around 4pm and the service was great, Tina was our server and she was exceptionally fast at getting our food out, didn't take an hour like the reviews say. I got the endless shrimp and my friend got the shrimp pasta. The waiter came very often for refills and to check up on us. I would recommend this red lobster to anyone. Also I love their lobster bisque and would highly recommend that, wish I got a bowl instead of the cup.
(5)Joanna C.
This Red Lobster has been a favorite of mine since I was little and I just love the food here! The Cheddar Bay Biscuits are so warm and DELICIOUS and they will keep bringing you more! Like really, can't emphasize enough how amazing these biscuits are!!! The biscuits alone are worth the wait (because I've always had to wait to get a spot here, and sometimes the food takes a while to come out which is fine because you have biscuits to eat in the meantime!) I LOVE the Wood-Grilled Lobster, Shrimp, and Scallops that comes over wild rice and with fries. I've tried the Lobster Pizza (pretty good), Rock Lobster Tail (good, but pricey), Peach Bourbon BBQ Shrimp and Scallops (pretty tasty, I just don't love sweet sauces on my seafood), and once got some breaded coconut shrimp thing (didn't love). But without fail, the Wood-Grilled Lobster, Shrimp, and Scallops have never ever ever let me down. First of all, you get a ton of food and I usually end up eating half of it at most (yes, I'm guilty of eating at least two biscuits but still, it's a lot of food!). The seafood is perfectly grilled and tender, and the wild rice is really really good! Yes, you're going to have to wait for a table here because it gets pretty crowded. But the staff is nice and the food so yummy!!!
(5)Harise P.
I just lost the glowing review I composed during a computer glitch, but I had such a nice dinner here I'm willing to re post. We hadn't been in a while and wondered how all the news about being sold would change the experience or the quality, but I think they are really making an effort. We felt there were plenty of servers and for all you can eat shrimp special, the refills came promptly. The host and manager were friendly and available if needed. We had a much different experience, last year, at a different location and I think the problem was that the staff were clearly overworked, not enough of them and complaining to one another in earshot of the diners. The menu has all the favorites but has an updated look. To clinch the favorable experience, when I got home I realized I'd lost my glasses, and I called in the morning, and they were found and waiting for me at the front desk. I want to add one note, we went a little earlier than usual and had no wait time, but of course the lobby was full by the time we left. We arrived about 5:30 and had a leisurely meal.
(5)Henry M.
$15 for "Endless Shrimp!" Who would have guessed that would be more than it was worth? I would not have gone to the closest thing you can get to McSeafood since Arthur Treacher's left town if it weren't for a friend for a friend who loves AYCE. I was not disappointed, however, since my expectations were as low as the quality. Of the four varieties of shrimp that I had (yes, dear friends, I did try all of them but one), the terriyaki and the "garlic scampi" almost rose to a level of meh. Ambiance: None Did I mention that the waitstaff was very nice? They were. Next time, I'll go bowling next door instead.
(1)Carmen S.
I went for the lobsterfest only since I had the $10 off coupon. Extremely overpriced and dry lobster meat. Won't be back.
(2)Carlos M.
Not a bad wait for a Friday night. 3rd time here. However, once we were seated, we waited 10 minutes for a server to even come. She seemed annoyed that we were ready to place our full order. The whole way through the order she acted as if we were bothering her when we asked about some selections. The appetizer was very good (coconut shrimp). We also ordered a combo plate and a lobster bake. The seafood in the bake was good ... but the pasta, not so much. It barely had any flavor. We were almost done with our food before the server even checked on how it was going. If it weren't for the food runner who brought the food to the table, I wouldn't have gotten my second drink. We had the apple desert which was also good. Overall, food decent for a chain restaurant, however, the service was sub-par and she didn't even deserve the tip we left her. The food runner was the only save on service.
(2)Jon H.
Yesterday being Father's Day my wife surprised me for a Father's Day dinner with my mom and dad! We went to Red Lobster. Started off great waitress was prompt & friendly. But then it goes downhill. A smile will only get so far. Went to order a Sam Adams Seasonal draft they don't have- ok weird but I can deal. Order 2 Lagers (Sam Adams) and an appetizer. We finish the "tall" beer and still have to wait 15 minutes for appetizer to arrive. Food comes it's good- not great. We order our meals- good comes fairly quickly. Lobster is over cooked to where shell is spongy. Order 2 more beers and they are "out of Lager" Really? I can ensure that as much as a boast good experiences I also boast negative experiences. This is one of the worst. Will never be back. I can ensure that my parents will spread their experience as will my wife. Now I know why the franchise is hurting.
(1)Sarah G.
I haven't visit this RL in forever! I absolutely had a great time here last night. We had Jordan D. as our waiter and he was beyond generous with us. I totally dig their biscuits and salads. I will definitely visit again and request for Jordan to be my waiter. As for the meal, it was great. We had lobster pizza and one of the lobsterfest dish with the tilapia, broccoli, and pieces of lobster on top. Both dishes were tasty and made with passion!
(5)Shane R.
My wife likes this place, so we went for dinner a while back. That will be our last visit. Ever walk into a place and just know something is not right? The lobby floor was filthy with bits of trash everywhere. I told my wife, "if it looks like this out here, guess what it looks like in the kitchen". Unfortunately, I should have listen to my own words. Both my kid and I ended-up with a severe case of food poisoning. I missed work and he missed school I definitely will not be going back.
(1)Ana P.
This is my favorite Red Lobster location! Granted its the only once I've been to, but I still love it! Friendly service, delicious food, and omg those Cheddar Biscuits! The portions here are really satisfying and I was happy with the prices. I also really enjoyed the salad, which is rare :) I can't wait to go back, so look out for an Update!
(5)Naomi T.
I saw a huge rat scurrying in the parking lot when I left dinner one night . Although I live right across the street , I will never return . The food is mediocre .
(1)Vi M.
I came here with my husband with great hopes that it would be a great evening with great food, I could not have been more wrong :(. The service was horrible our server Ingrid J. came to check on us almost as an after thought in between taking care of other tables that seemed to be more important than us for whatever reason. We asked for a peach smoothie which she never brought to us and we had to wait 45 minutes to receive our entrees. When our dishes arrived they were cold my crab cakes tasted more like old seared tuna fish and they messed up the endless shrimp order... And honestly the endless shrimp was the only reason we wanted to go. They never asked to refill our drinks that needed to be topped off. On top of everything else when I asked to speak to the manager to tell her about my experience she seemed more irritated with me about complaining then sympathetic towards our horrible experience. When the server did come back to give us with the last bit of or final order her attitude was so nasty to us that it made both of us just feel like leaving right then. I have never been so disgusted with a server before in my life. It took them over 20 minutes to bring us the correct check and she practically tossed it to us and did not apologize or even say thank you for coming in.... In fact she said nothing, so we felt that's what she deserved as a tip nothing! Both of us are in the restaurant business and always leave great tips for that reason we know the industry!!! but tonight was the first night we never left a penny and we were completely justified. My advise to all of you looking to go to this location pick another red lobster or another restaurant and I'm sure you'll have a better experience :)
(1)Lindsay J.
The service at this restaurant is almost funny, it's that bad... After a 45 minute wait, it's another 2 hours to order and then get mediocre entrees. The staff is also completely oblivious to the fact that they're all socially awkward and that the service takes SO freaking long... It was so uncomfortable talking to our waiter. He was totally bizarre and admitted multiple times that he had just completely forgotten things we had asked for (like water refills... so nothing too out of the ordinary)... Go elsewhere. This place sucks.
(1)Bianca F.
Shrimp tacos are outstanding! The boneless buffalo wings are good too. The crunchy shrimp were a little too sweet. Can't go wrong with those biscuits!
(4)L H.
First time back in a year... The food was good. Menu has changed a bit. Our grilled fish was fresh and our server was soooooooooooooo friendly and attentive (Matt). Our wait was only 20 min. We were quoted a wait at 35 min. I think there has been some renovations done. Place is a bit nicer and cleaner than our last visit a year ago. We will be back soon. :)
(5)Solace C.
Unfortunately, I was already expecting crap service. Why might you ask? Because this is a fake me out seafood place.... So my nephews wanted to dine here for his birthday and We oblige. Even the hubs was like it wont be bad trust me. We get our waitress and from the get go it seem like she had a tude. Idk, if it Aunt Flo visited or was about too. Maybe she just hated her job, she asks us, for our drinks. The kids asks whatcha got? she snaps her teeth and makes a big sigh! WTF?! I politely asked for plastic cups with lids so our table wont turn into a pool. We then get our cheddar biscuits and ask nicely for extras since our food will be a while. Sighs, and eyes roll...is what she does. She then takes our orders it just contines to be ms mean girl. When we get our food, the food that the kids got looks like some shit from the frozen food section at Giant. All they did was pop it in the toaster oven or oven. My crab legs probably came from China, but I made the best out of it. The hubs got crab cakes but they were cold. Of course he is gonna sit there and grin it and bear it. Of course Im not gonna allow that especially for some overpriced cold crab cakes. So we went for the Queen of England ( our waitress) to come back to ask us how is our meal? Did that ever happen? No! Meanwhile we had to flag down every other waiter/res to refill our whatever, bring us our sauces, ketchup, silverware, because my nephews love to drop things on the ground and I dont play the 5 second rule here. Finally, I tell another waitress (who was very kind, she had a dominican accent) that if she can take the crab cakes back bc they are cold and our waitress is M.I.A. Out comes the King of Persia, what seems to be problem? I explain, that no matter what when I come here I always get crap service. From the kitchen to that waitstaff. He apologies, and then the Queen comes to apololie saying she was busy with other tables, which was a lie, because when I had to go to the loo, I saw her there talking smack about everything and anything to the other waitresses hiding from the manager being on their cellys. Though, the manager apologized and basically took care of the tab, that wasnt my goal. The service is horrible. If the service is horrible, thats a blower for me. Honestly, this place should close down.
(1)Mandana Y.
ENDLESS SHRIMP $15.99! What more do you want? Do it right. Go with a fun group. Go on a weeknight. Order some drinks. Smile when you ask your waiter for the biscuits, and mention you're obsessed with them. He'll keep them coming and pack you extra to take home. This is Red Lobster, obviously it's a little... chain restaurant-ish, but once in a while a girl just likes to be a suburban. Now a review on this specific location. The hosts were very friendly. I walked in, told them my party was already seated and she knew exactly who to walk me over to. Our waiter was nice enough to bring biscuits before everyone else showed up. I also caught him laughing when one of my friends at the table shared a dirty joke. For some reason I like amusing my servers. Tip for everyone doing the endless shrimp special. Order a refill on your plate when you get full. Mess around with the order with your fork when it arrives. Wait 5 minutes, then ask for a box. You'll be the envy of all your coworkers the next day!
(4)Wendy W.
Great service and great food. We go there about once in a couple of months. We are always happy with the service. Interestingly, we have never been served by the same person twice. I like that they have some healthy options on the menu, the price is good too. Pretty happy about this restaurant.
(5)Natasha S.
I am not usually one for chain brand restaurants, however I will always have a soft spot for Red Lobster. I've been coming here since I was a kid with my parents. My girlfriend is also a huge Red Lobster fan, so we try to make it out to one at least every once in awhile. With that being said, we try to go to a different location each time for comparison. I have to say, out of 4 locations this probably has been the best so far. I had a seafood feast, that included grilled shrimp, shrimp scampi, crab legs, lobster tails and steamed broccoli. LOVED it. First off, my lobster tail was NOT overcooked at all, it was perfect. The steamed broccoli tasted fresh and not frozen. In fact, so fresh that it could have been considered undercooked to some people's liking but I thought it was perfect. I actually like my broccoli undercooked and more raw then cooked really. So I got lucky. Crab legs were good, although are my least favorite to order here just because the give you so little of it. But then again, I am comparing this to a seafood buffet in which is the only other place, I really get crab legs. My girlfriend ordered her usual seafood pasta thing, and she seemed to really like it. I tasted it but felt it was consistent with all the other locations. The only thing that really stood out to me was the way the lobster tail was cooked. The service was good. We were seated immediately, although a Wednesday night, the place was fairly busy. Our waitress was super nice and attentive. She also made sure to bring us out the freshest biscuits.
(4)marky m.
This location has gotten really GHETTO (as bad as a PG county red lobster). All the servers have a nasty attitude, are disrespectful & lazy. The plates/cup were filthy & the food was just one big mediocre reheated frozen mess. This place makes Long John Silvers look like 5 star dining. Will not be returning again & sadly this used to be one of my favorite places as kid.
(1)Edwin O.
Avoid this place, it is awful. Ordered a mojito, got seven up with a splash of rum. Shrimp not fully cooked. Mussels dry and mealy. Biscuits good, but I came for the seafood. Will never return.
(1)Jack W.
The minute i walk in, i noticed something is not right. The service was not so great. The biscuits were warm and hard. The food took 40 minutes. And she forgot to bring my soup. I highly recommend to stay out of this restaurant.
(1)Chef A.
I use to be a die-hard fan of the franchise, but in recent years, quality has slipped, quantity has slipped and prices exploded like Delta Burke at a buffet. Most my past experiences at RL has been pretty rough. My last meal here recently was not as bad as my last visits to the Frederick and Hagerstown branches. Still, I'd slightly prefer Joe's Crab Shack of RL.
(3)Chris M.
Serving and food is slow
(2)PD N.
I like this place and have gone here every so often to get comfort food but I have to say tonight was a bad idea for red lobster. Their carry out waiting time was ridiculous. I've waited for over 30 min at the restaurant in addition to 10 minutes when I called in. Outrageous even if they're busy. FOOD : I think it's decent to good. It's my comfort place to go. Tastes depend on you and what you get. SERVICE : Management needs to work on their staff distribution. There were too many hosts/hostesses than needed and not enough people to take care of the bar and the bar eating area. Therefore you wait forever for carryout. --------------- I went to order some carryout on a Friday. Yes, I'm aware weekends are busy days for restaurants. I called in to order 1 item, just one!! A half size shrimp alfredo pasta. When I called, a person picked up and asked me to wait. Of course I was fine except I didn't know I had to wait through 2 whole songs. She informed it would be ready in 20. It took about 10 min to get to the restaurant, and another 10 for a server to acknowledge my impatience to go check on the carryout order (looks at the back bar table) and informs me that nothing is ready. 10 min after that another server acknowledged me, proceeded with payment, and once again, looked at the back bar counter and informs me nothing is ready. I wonder if it occurs to them that food MIGHT be ready in the kitchen but no one brings them out? My one meal was not ready for more than 30 min, I was now steaming. On top of that, I had to wait for this server to take care of these customers with their 5 complicated orders and their split checks. Maybe it's the server, but you'd think to take care of the least amount of complications before you try to solve the rest to be efficient... The server who brought my food looked busy, and overwhelmed. :(
(3)Bill J.
Terrible service and terrible food. I would have had much nicer meal at McDonalds. Went in 9pm on Saturday, and had to wait 10 minutes when there were clearly so many empty tables. Our waitress screwed up so many things, food, drinks, check,.... She even brought water thinking it is Sprite! We had "Ultimate" Feast and Lobster Pizza. The pizza was edible but ultimate feast was yuck! It looked nothing like the picture and tasted like some frozen junk.. I serious do not understand anyone who goes here for dinner..
(1)Emily N.
First off, i don't know why this place got only "$". Second off, i don't know why this place got a 3 and a half star. Third off, their biscuits are the only reason why my friends and i make an effort to come here. Every year, my friends and i make it a tradition to go bowling and then Red Lobsters after. Year after year we're constantly questioning why we go there. And yet the only reason we can come up with are for the biscuits. Don't be fooled by the succulent food that they advertise on your TV. It's definitely not what you get. Half the time, i get cold, fake seafood that's overpriced with crappy service. Seriously, the only reason we come here are for the best biscuits. But even that i can only give this place 2 stars.
(2)Kat F.
We had one of the friendliest waiters I've ever had! He always called us "My Friends," which brought a natural smile to my lips. So, service was great. The rolls are to DIE FOR. I don't know what they put in it, but it is GOLDEN. So, when you get it, make sure to definitely try it. There were three of us in our party. I ordered the Fettuccine with Crab Meat (Full size - $19), my boyfriend ordered the Lobster Pizza ($10), and my sister ordered the appetizer Coconut Shrimp ($10). Everything was great! The Coconut Shrimp and it's sauce were so crunchy and delectable. My only stiff about it is that it was only 6 pieces, but then again it was only an appetizer. The pizza was decently sized and was thin crusted (yay!). Now, my pasta dish was LOADED with crab meat! ULTIMATE PLUSES ALL AROUND. If you get the pizza and the pasta dish, try eating them together, it gives the pizza a more sea-meat taste if the lobster isn't enough for you. The pasta also goes great with the rolls. So much flavor!!
(4)William S.
When we arrived there was no line which was nice but it was not crowded at all which I thought was a good sign. Turns out that maybe people know better than I do. Both my young son and I ordered lobster tail and but we waited over an hour in an empty dining room. I though this was slightly poor service but then again I could have waited in line that long on a busy night. To me, the worst part was that our lobster came out on a plate so hot they burned our servers hands. It was so hot the server had trouble placing the scalding plate in front of my five year old son. At no point did he think that might not be a wise idea. Now, either these plates had sat under a heat lamp for a half hour to get so hot or Red Lobster has a bad policy of not re-plating children's food so they don't get burned on their plates and they cook the food on the plates in the oven. I don't think it took an hour for lobster tails on plates in an oven so I assume that we just had poor service and heat lamp treatment. It is a shame because I used to love this place. Oh, I heard some people complaining to a manager in the booth next to us and it sounded like they were getting roughed up and basically told we don't need your business and dont care if you had a bad visit. I saved my breath and didn't bother trying to give a suggestion of not giving children hot plates since they wouldn't have cared. Save your money and go somewhere else. Maybe a local business where they care about you children and your business.
(1)Jocelyn W.
3 years ago after having a bad meal I said to myself I will never come back to Red Lobster again, but then I still went for my birthday after seeing the Seafood Fiesta commercial. And then I left again so furious with the food. It was very salty and swimming in butter. My mouth was watering when they serve me the crabs but soon after I took a few bites my night was over. The steamed broccoli was old and dark. We spent $60 dollars for a meal that I wish was never serve at my table. Well, maybe...maybe it's not the restaurant but the restaurant cook was to blame. I had great meals from Red Lobster in Florida and I was happy camper and enjoyed the food.
(1)Carla N.
This was my family's first outing to Red Lobster! We were enticed to go 1. because we are seafood lovers 2. my sister's boyfriend had grown up eating out in Red Lobster in Florida... 3. He said we had to go for the cheesy rolls (served warm while you wait for the food) and for the endless shrimp platters. 4. The Endless Shrimp commercial came on while we were watching TV. and that pretty much solidified the decision for everyone. We came, we saw, we conquered... all through (what seemed) like our bottomless stomachs! I'm shrimped out-- I can't go back for shrimp for another year, that's how much I ate. I loved the breaded shrimp the best. My family also made the general consensus that the shrimp linguine Alfredo was the bomb. My mom could barely reach into my dad's plate(s) to have some herself. (The man ate about two pounds of shrimp linguine Alfredo pasta, he was as happy as a clam... and went home and took about 7 Tums. I opted to have items not on the endless shrimp list, well-knowing that I would explode if I over did the shrimp. I was very happy with the following items: Stuffed mushrooms (they are little, six to a plate) Spinach/Seafod/Artichoke Dip (yum, never disappoints!) And even though I was uncomfortably stuffed.... I ordered dessert! My go-to dessert is always key-lime pie. THIS WAS THE BEST KEY-LIME PIE I've ever had. I would like to know if Red Lobster buys it already made/frozen--and if so, which brand is it?! The Key-lime pie prompted a heavy discussion as to how I thought the pie was not Saralee or Betty Crocker bc of the texture (I know my pie)... and my mother thought differently... that it could be the most generic pie on earth... and if it is, then great, but I have never seen or bought it at Giant! Anyways, the key-lime pie was so creamy, not too tangy... it was just awesome. As far as service is concerned, the waitstaff is friendly and prompt. I'd like to return to Red Lobster, maybe in a year... I can't fathom another endless shrimp platter for a while! Enjoy!
(3)R N.
Blackened catfish is not what you want to order here if you are hungry. They got one small piece of catfish with sides. It's not enough food for the price. You have to try to fill your stomach with sides. Even after lunch, I was feeling hungry, and was eating the biscuits. That seemed to be the only best part. Potato side was not that great too. Salad was fine.
(1)Kimmie G.
Not going back. The food was greasy and the service was really lacking. We almost walked out, it took so long for the waiter to come to the table.
(1)Danny N.
Cheddar Bisquits and the 4 course special were on point
(3)Grace T.
Don't ever come here during their busy times, they're way understaffed. My fiance ordered their endless shrimp but after an hour of waiting only had one "refill" of shrimp. The food is not good either, everything is pre-frozen. They either need to lower their prices or increase their staff.
(2)Sokha A.
Food here was OK, the desserts were better though. Went during there 4-course deal, so lines were crazy long, next time will go off-peak hours.
(3)Lucy X.
The biscuits are actually amazing. Softest biscuits I've ever had. And free refills too which is double the amazingness. It's their best thing about this place, next to their drool-worthy commercials always popping up on TV when I happen to be the hungriest. :/ Except for their lobster platters, their mains (particularly their pasta dishes) are way too large of a portion, and besides the fact of how dry and cheesy they already are, the size makes it overwhelming to look at it, much less eat. But I find that it's like this (big portions) with most American restaurants. The lobster, scallop, shrimp combo, on the other hand, could be bigger of a portion, especially considering how pricier it is compared to the other mains. But it is probably the only thing I will be willing to get here, because although it is over-priced, I can actually finish the whole thing without feeling sick. Oh and their coconut jumbo shrimp is also pretty good too (taste, price and portion wise). They always have promotions and deals going on, like their current one--15 bucks for a 4-course meal. It's worth it considering that it will definitely full you up.
(3)Isabella S.
I was brought here last night on a date, and as i found it a bit odd that my boyfriend knows i don't eat seafood, he brought me here anyways. The Maple-Glazed Chicken that i ordered, was mediocre. And i suppose since this is a seafood restaurant, they don't take speacial timing in preparing or seasoning their non seafood items. Nonetheless, it was average. One thing that stuck out to me were the biscuits. The biscuits were amazing! And our waiter was extremely attentive, polite, and even helped me with ordering something that didn't consist of seafood or chicken tenders.
(3)Janet H.
I haven't been to a Red Lobster in years. I'm not sure why but most likely because of a bad experience. So, Red Lobster's been having these really mouth watering commercials recently and well, they win and I got lured into a visit. We got seated at a booth and it was roomy and comfortable. They have the most delicious hot and steamy buttery biscuits ever! While I didn't want to spoil dinner, I had two! I got the lobster and shrimp with linguine (forgot the name) for my main course and while it tasted great, I was a little disappointed with what I got. Reading the description of the dish, I was under the impression that I will be getting a full lobster with a side of linguine but really it was lobster meat tossed in the pasta. My other dinner buddies got the shrimp and lobster combo with a side of rice.. I think for $20! Now that's a deal! I did steal some from them for taste and it was not disappointing. yum :) Oh, so I didn't order any drinks but looking at their drinks menu.. they have some pretty yummy looking drinks to offer. Next time definitely.. next time. Lobster + drinks! oh and the delicious biscuits!
(4)Mary K.
Came here for my partner's sister's graduation. I got the shrimp jambalaya which was drenched in this nasty cheese sauce and was way to salty. The cheese biscuits weren't as great as everyone claims. They are also on the salty side. The two stars are for service, which was pretty good. They were really attentive and constantly filled my ice tea. Also, they were nice on giving our table of 9 some extra biscuits. Wouldn't come here for the food, but plus for the service.
(2)J. J.
My husband and I went to this Red Lobster at 7:30 last night (Saturday). We were told there was a 30 minute wait. We were finally seated an hour and a half later--possibly the longest wait I've ever had for a restaurant in my life, and definitely not something I expected for a chain seafood place. The host told us three times we were "next," only to go on seating other parties. Our wait would have been closer to two hours except that so many people who had arrived ahead of us got tired and left. Red Lobster didn't have much seating for people who were waiting--just some wooden benches inside and some patio furniture outside, so I spent about an hour standing (I am six months pregnant). The strange thing was that when we were finally seated, the restaurant was half empty. I guess the long wait had to do with them being understaffed rather than being full. Once we were seated, the service was fine and prompt. (Of course by the time we got our food it was also almost closing time, so there weren't that many folks left.) As far as the food, they have a four-course special for $15 per person. It started with an appetizer; I had the clam chowder, which was good. Next was garden salad (OK) and Red Lobster's signature cheddar garlic biscuits (yum!) One of the entrees was coconut habanero shrimp which they were unfortunately not able to prepare without coconut (my husband has an allergy). So we both had the garlic shrimp instead. This entree consisted of wild rice, broccoli, and two skewers of 15 or so shrimp each. We were warned that the plates themselves were very hot, and indeed you can burn yourself if you don't watch out. The shrimp tasted great, but unfortunately the tails were still on, which is a pain when you are trying to eat 30 shrimp on skewers. For dessert my husband had caramel cheesecake (which he did not like although he normally loves dessert--said it was too sweet and seemed like it was out of a box) and I had a brownie a la mode which was okay, though also too sweet. Overall, the food was good and there was a lot of it. However, in my opinion, there are many equally good places nearby that don't have a 1:30 wait, and if I knew up front it was 1:30 we'd have gone elsewhere. The lady waiting next to me told me that Bugaboo Creek next door is quite good.
(3)Richa T.
I went here last week with three friends. The place was pretty packed but surprisingly the wait was merely 15 minutes. After we were seated, our server came and introduced himself while bringing the nice and warm biscuits with him. I have to admit- the main reason I go to red lobster is for their addicting biscuits! Our server seemed to be new and a bit nervous...he asked us if we were ready to order right after we were seated without giving us a few minutes to look over the menu. After our food came out, one of my friend had to ask three times for cocktail sauce to go along with her food. I ordered one of the combos- salmon, shrimp scampi and mashed potatoes. My salmon was cooked well but the shrimp scampi was the worst I've ever had. It was so salty that I couldn't get past eating one piece. The mashed potatoes was also room temperature, not warm as it should be. The server, however, did make a point to refill our glasses on time. After we were done with our food, we waited for at least 10 minutes for our server to come by with the check and then again before he came to pick up our bill. I've been to red lobster at other location before and have liked it but won't be back here at this location again.
(2)Nelson V.
Food was cold. No moist towlettes. No to-go cups. Only 2 lb lobsters at this location. To go container had a hole in it.
(1)Mariella B.
EEEEK! What happened to Red Lobster?!?! I really used to like this place now the food is always half-@ssed and the service sucks. I love the garlic cheese bread and the shrimp always seems good if not breaded, otherwise it's just lots of break and a piece of shrimp. The alfredo is decent but I always have stomach issues after I eat the crab or lobster here...pass. I would go here if someone else insists and I would come here before I ever go to Joe's Crab Shack in the Rio.
(2)Angela C.
Nothing special..we came here for my little brother's graduation. Surprisingly, there was hardly a wait for a Saturday night. Our server was pretty quick in taking our orders and getting our drinks/appetizers out. The food itself was just ehh. My mom ordered the shrimp alredo and I was surprised that it was actually good. My idea of eating healthy and ordering the fresh catch of the day for $26 was definitely NOT worth it. Overall, you can tell the entrees contain too much butter/oil. I don't get any "fresh ingredients" feeling at all but I guess that's not really what they're going for. Unless all-you-can-eat Alaskan King Crablegs returns, I probably won't be coming back.
(3)John K.
(2 stars for the restaurant - you know what to expect from Red Lobster) I come here about once a year. For the endless shrimp deal, where the shrimp are the size of quarters, but hey, it's endless. Stay away from the shrimp scampi since it's just butter and oil (I can't believe I just said that). But if you don't want to get sick, just stick with their coconut shrimp and NEW teriyaki shrimp. I just hate how they make it look so appetizing in the pictures, yet your food comes out NOTHING like the picture. I think that's why I come here once a year, or else I will just feel sad just looking at the pictures. (+2 stars just for the cheese biscuits alone) If I had to die from eating too much, I hope it's from these cheese biscuits. The perfect balance of cheese, butter, garlic, and biscuit. If God made a biscuit, it would be the Red Lobster Cheese biscuit. I think that's how they get me. The food sucks, but OH MAN, those cheese biscuits are sooooooooo awesome. Especially when it comes out of the oven...I can't think of another food that goes from plate to stomach so quickly! Mmmmmmmmmm.
(4)William P.
Sad to say the best part of the meal was the Biscuits, which were excellent. We should have stopped there. We've been to this Red Lobster before and never has it been like this. It has totally taken a turn for the worse. 15 minutes after being seated our Waitress finally came to get our drink order, and it took her 10 minutes jut to give us water. Then 30 minutes after we had ordered our one Appetizer, it had still not come out. 20 minutes after our App finally came our Dinner arrived. Never got the salad I ordered. The Lobster Pizza was soggy and the Lobster was undercooked and limp. After 2 hrs, because our waitress didn't really check up on us, of mediocre food and slow service we finally left. NOT to return.
(1)Muge A.
If you love seafood, they got some good food. Their biscuits are something else!!!
(4)Yolit Y.
I like this place because you can always find it faster than other places and it is cheaper
(5)Jessi C.
I haven't been to a Red Lobster in ages and I doubt I will ever go back. The food was lukewarm and the service was nonexistent. It has never taken us an hour and a half to have a quick dinner before. The lobster was tough and rubbery, but the scampi was the best part of the meal. If you go there, don't go late. They were more concerned with going home than taking care of the customers.
(1)Rebecca G.
I have to say this review is about mostly the service, the food was amazing for the price. We got the endless shrimp and it was really yummy, shrimp was on the small size, but sill tasted great and came with salad, sides, biscuits and free refills! The service was terrible. When we arrived (with my parents and two kids) they tried to seat us in the bar even though this was a Wednesday night and there was plenty of seating. When I asked to not sit in the bar (dad can't drink so I really didn't want to seat him in view of 100 liquor bottles) the hostess looked at me like I was crazy and reluctantly agreed to sit us elsewhere. We waited a while for the waitress to come and she started off great, even closing a blind when she saw the sun was in my face. It all went down hill from there. No matter what we asked her for she sighed and got mad. She completely overlooked my toddler, not waiting for me to order her food or drink and when I tried to catch her to get my toddler some milk and a meal she seemed really bothered. She only brought one out of every three items we asked for. When we asked for more biscuits or beverages she didn't bring them, and after three reminders we never got another basket of biscuits and my daughter never got a second cup of milk. For some reason she really liked my mom and kept refilling her glass without her even asking, but wouldn't refill anyone else's. When we asked for the shrimp refills (endless shrimp, of course we got refills! We didn't get carried away we got two each) she got really frustrated and it took over 15 minutes to get each refill on the shrimp. I know everyone has a bad day, but she was so slow we sat there two hours eating dinner, and with kids I am usually in and out in less than an hour to keep the toddler under control. At other restaurants like Outback, when the manager is circulating and sees you continually craning your neck looking for the waitress they usually come over and check in, at Red Lobster they just walk around in circles smiling and ignoring the clients. I would recommend the Silver Spring Red Lobster if you really want to go and enjoy your meal. The food will be the same at any Red Lobster and the Gaithersburg location isn't worth the headache of the bad service.
(3)Jinshil L.
I come here for Endless Shrimp :) My waiter was great! He got 2 of our orders ahead of time so that when we were done with one shrimp entree, the next would be right there! The dining area is a bit exposed...I feel like my head is "naked." I wish the booths were higher but oh well. The food is yummy though! Our biscuits are usually perfectly baked, except most recently it should've been in the oven a bit longer. Shrimp is great! The plates are heavy though. I don't know why they put a small ramekin on top of another big plate...it just seems like 3x the dishes... Great service, good food....okay atmosphere. Good location!
(4)T H.
"Nom nom nom" \ /||\ x x /||\ / || \ \ / / || \ \ \ / \__/ \ / / \ / / \ \ / || / v \ || \\___ / \ ___ // V / \ V \\___ | _______ |___// V | _______ | V \\____\ ______ /____// \ _____ / | ____ | | ____ | / \ / | | | \ |__|__ |__|__| Red Lobster is probably my family's favorite restaurant ever. Birthdays? Red Lobster. Anniversaries? Red Lobster. Hungry and don't feel like cooking? Red Lobster. The cheesy garlicky biscuits are the main reason I come here. So so so so SO good. Soft, fluffy, salty, buttery, cheesy, savory...mmmmmm. Put a basket of these in front of me, and you can be sure no one else at the table is getting any. My parents and I can usually go through two or three servings of these babies every visit. For appetizers, go for the Lobster, Artichoke and Seafood Dip (A creamy three-cheese blend with artichokes, spinach, Maine and langostino lobster, and seafood. Served with tortilla chips and pico de gallo.). So much better than the usual spinach and artichoke variety, which I'm already very fond of. The chunks of sweet lobster and crab meats are tender and taste amazing when drenched in creamy cheese sauce, and the pico de gallo tastes just as good alone as on a seafood/cheese-laden chip. YUM. I'm less impressed with the assortment of fried seafood options. The scallops are teeny weeny and a tad too rubbery, the popcorn shrimp is good but very generic, the clam strips are OK, and the flounder is dry and tasteless. Everything, including the french fries, is doused with Old Bay. You'll get more for your money if you stick with the non-fried foods. My mom's lobster linguine special was really good, and the BF's grilled salmon was pretty tasty as well (though he says the salmon I make is better!). Service is good -- friendly, funny, fresh. Lots of Asian waiters. It IS MoCo, after all. Not as pricey as Legal Seafoods, but definitely a step up from Long John Silver's. My family will definitely be back again...and again...and again. :)
(4)MJ ..
I used to come to Red Lobster all the time with my family when i was younger. But my last experience was the worst. I invited my boyfriend to join me and my family for my mother's birthday and the whole night was a disaster. First of all, the restaurant looked so disgusting! Old, dirrty, paint peeling off the wall, I mean it was gross, almost like Hamburger Hamlet. A lot has changed over the years....also, the service was absolutely terrible. Our server was rude and didn't really help at all by rolling her eyes and not coming to the table enough. Our drinks were empty most of the time because she was gone for so long! When we received our salads, the look and quality of it did not make me want to eat it. It looked like they just put lettuce in a bowl with some raw red onion rings and a little bit of feta cheese and olives. Although when i ate it, it tasted okay, but still not something worth paying for in a restaurant. We ordered our entrees and just waited while we nibbled on some cheddar bay biscuits (which were kind of oily and soggy when we got them). My family did not really enjoy the biscuits, however, I still enjoy them no matter what. They're the only thing that Red Lobster has that tastes right. The night turned into a disaster even MORE because we were prectically waiting almost half an hour on our food and it wasn't even busy AT ALL. I don't understand how their kitchen failed at such a calm, weekday evening. The people in the booth near us even began complaining about waiting for their food as well! It was just absolutely ridiculous. My mother finally asked for the manager to come over to the table. He was rather young looking, and didn't really seem to handle the situation very well. He just apologized and did nothing else. He could have atleast offered to take the salads off the bill, or offer us a free appetizer or something, that would have made my mom's birhday a lot better. It was such a shame and such a dissapointment. This place used to be one of my favorites and after that visit, never again shall I return there. It was the worst restaurant experience I've ever had in my entire life. Poor service, TERRIBLE staff, and so filthy it makes me feel like lint is in my food or something....eww
(1)Jen L.
As a seafood lover, I enjoy eating here. We came because they had an all-you-can-eat shrimp special. The shrimp was pretty good, but a little small and in my opinion, slightly over-sauced. We were also really surprised by how delicious the biscuits were - we almost got full off the biscuits. I would definitely come back for their all-you-can-eat shrimp special.
(4)Marcia S.
We drove from Silver Spring hoping this location would be better. It is! Dimitri is a very attentive server, knows his menu and had no problem answering all of our questions. We had Admirals feast, Ultimate feast, Lobster bake, soup and salads. Everything's great, hot and tasty. I will be back!
(4)Marina K.
This is horrible restaurant. We went there with my parents and it was disappointment after disappointment. I got steamed snow crab legs with steamed broccoli and green beans. Crab was too salty, so was broccoli - it was boiled, not steamed. And very-very salty!!!! My mom ordered sirloin steak - MEDIUM. When she cut a little peace of meat - all entire plate was ruined as steak bleed-out. Blood was dripping all over plate. It was rare, not medium. I feel very sorry that we choose this place. NEVER AGAIN!
(1)Peter K.
Since our wives were unavailable (so sorry), my Public Safety cohort and I bit on the TV commercial's hype for Red Lobster's $15.99 Endless Shrimp feed. Once a year, for me was a good idea. The sign read open at 1100. At 1103 open, they were. With a bit of a hostess attitude, we were seated. We elected to sit in the bar area; I was too lazy to wander into the depths of the dinning room. Our bar-area concern was that the bartender may have to double as our waiter and thus impede our "feeding frenzy"; was for naut. Our server, Jennifer L. (the receipt said), was so very much more than EXCELLENT. Here, service being the hallmark of our visit. Two sides were included; I choose Cesar salad & slaw. Salad super, slaw naa but I'm not sure why; just didn't like it. ALL the shrimp dishes were very good. Parmesan Shrimp (broiled) was the best followed by Shrimp Linguini were my choice of "best". We tried them all. Strange, as in many Chinese buffets, the shrimp lacked much of a shrimp taste; as though they may have thawed too long in non salted water. Good texture, little shrimp taste but good, anyway. I can not "over Yelp" and praise enough, our server. She would place our re-orders long before we finished the 1st round and served them almost as we took the last bite! As a caveat: I did observe the confusion (mentioned in an earlier Yelp review) among what may be well called "assistant servers" trying to deliver orders w/o a clue as to who ordered them; not my problem. So, happy that I went; would not go back this year and will go back if/when this is done next year. Oh, I got to play with the lobsters in the tank; being raised in Maine, reaching into the tank & dragging out the "critters" was fun and restored Maine memories.
(4)Greg p.
In general a fairly decent chain with consistent quality. The cheese biscuts are wonderful. Food acceptable but seems frozen and or prepacked and heated. Good choice of house coctails.
(3)G M.
Red lobster was my favorite restaurant growing up, but I hadn't been there in years. The host was wonderful and gracious. The food was better than I expected. The problem was we ordered too much and could barely eat half of our entrees. It made a great lunch the next day though. Lobster, crab, shrimp . . . it was all delicious with nice portions. The caesar salad and lobster bisque were delicious as well. No need to comment on the addictive rolls. This is the only sit down chain restaurant I will come to again and again.
(4)Nathaniel M.
ok blahh blahh
(2)Shashi B.
Food was good and service friendly. My Chowder was cold and the under plate was hot. They reheated it and were very friendly. Kids loved the food and the presentation and the portions are large enough to take home
(3)Tim R.
I had a steak and it was really good, but since this is a seafood restaurant, I can't give them more than two stars. Food was slow coming out. My daughter loves, loves, loves fish and we ordered the kids broiled fish. She would not eat it. I tried it and it was really not good. Maybe they assume that kids hate fish so they don't care how it tastes. Boy, had grilled chicken and liked it, but again, its not seafood so I refuse to give them credit for that. My wife had pepper corn steak and salmon and she was pretty happy with her meal. Overall though, it's not a very good place to go for seafood unless you are a crazy shrimp lover or something because that's pretty much what they have all over the menu. There weren't many options that looked good to us which explains why we ended up with steak and chicken.
(2)Sa'lome H.
Great food and service!!
(4)Matt B.
It's just like every other Red Lobster. If you love the Cheddar Bay Biscuits like I do, then that's why it's 4 stars. I sat at the bar here (I'm on work travel) and the service was fine and the drinks were tasty. Though next time I'd probably skip the appetizer and just get another round of the biscuits.
(4)Barbie T.
This was my first trip EVER to a Red Lobster. ( I know. I don't get out much.) But I will say this: the biscuits are the best part of the meal. I also had house salad (good and fresh!), and cajun chicken alfredo lunch portion (good, but actually a bit too rich for me.) Had the fried calamari and broccoli. Good stuff. I'm not big on seafood, and went here because my co-workers were celebrating someone's birthday. It was kinda chilly in there, but all in all it was an OK experience. Wait staff was helpful and nice. Seemed clean from what I could see. Everyone had a good meal. I would go back. But it wouldn't be my first choice.
(3)Mike H.
went for the endless shrimpies, even though they took coconut shrimp off the selection :(. after being seated, it was quite a while before a server finally showed up to take our orders. at one point, a server dropped off someone else's order of endless shrimpies. i of course didn't mind it and happily took the extra plate of fried shrimp, but it seemed to suggest that the staff was a little mixed up, hence the long wait times. food was so-so. the parmesan shrimp was drowning in butter. sweet and spicy shrimp wasn't bad. next time i'm in the mood for shrimp, i'll buy some from the grocery store and make it myself
(2)Will K.
First Red Lobster experience for both me and my wife. The service was acceptable. The restaurant interior was clearly the original carpet and furniture from years ago. Had kind of an old smell. I was shocked at how many empty tables there were on a Saturday night, we were seated immediately a little after 9pm. The food was just OK, not really that fresh if you ask me. I had the Maine Lobster and Crab Bake. The shrimp was the best of all the seafood. My wife had the Maui Luau Shrimp and Salmon. The mashed potatoes were clearly out of a box, the rice was suspect. The salmon was just way too sweet. We had the stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer and they were very oily and greasy. I just wasn't impressed at all with the quality of food and the price you pay for it.
(2)Mona R.
Our server Sean was a pleasure to have. He was very attentive, friendly, and went above and beyond any other waiter/waitress we have had at this location. We often stop by here for quick lunches and dinners in part due to their biscuits and the fact that it is a couple minutes away from home. On this visit, I had the lobster tacos and my fiance had the "you pick 2 shrimp" entree. Both came with a Cesar salad.
(5)Sherice H.
Got here and asked the hostess about the happy hour specials and if we could just go to the bar. So we het tp yge bar amd Shelton the nice bartender, is looking puzzled when we ask what the happy hour specials are. So in the communication breakdown, there is NO Longer a hsppy hour at this location. Sigh.... and then we got dirty plates for our yummy and warm cheddar bisquits. .. fat girl moment.
(2)D S.
Red Lobster is always a favorite! This location makes you not regret that. The service was quick, the server was friendly, and the food was plentiful and delicious! This is my first time coming to this location and I wish I lived closer because I would be back! Gerardo was such an awesome server! Even the other customers were friendly, as everyone spoke to one another. I would recommend this location to anyone!
(5)Irene A.
Long wait Good food But 1 hour wait...terrible.
(2)Gray M.
The service tonight, 12/15/2013, was horrible. The hostess had an attitude when we asked to move from the bar area to the main dining room because the windows were very drafty... this is after waiting 15minutes for a water and a Coke. Our service brought us biscuits and my soup and we had to ask our server to move us. She was carrying our biscuits and soup around and asking the other servers if the table was clean. One server who was cleaning another table just looked at her and said "I don't know." I said to him "how do you not know? You're cleaning this section. Why don't you try helping her." Horrible, nasty chain with a bad smell in the air. (I just found the section with all my reviews in the draft section so they are just being posted now, 12/30/2014, but my feelings about the place still stand true.)
(2)Weson I.
This place is overrated with disrespectful employees. The wait times are unorganized and it is clear they don't run on first come first serve. The food may be good, but the customer experience tends to be disappointing.
(2)Bedelle M.
How about no rating went here new years eve sat for 40 minutes no drinks no server this horrible I will NEVER come here again
(1)Kim A.
Came here with my ex I ordered food by the bar they kept forgetting to give me my food was giving it to the wrong customer who.dipped out on his check . I was like wheres my salad I realized the customer who took.my salad. Then he drank and didn't pay for his check I realized it was weird how he said.it was his salad when i figured after it was.mine . We left the red lobster.and realized a dessert was suppose to come with my entree but never got my dessert ! I will give it another try . They need to be organized .I wish they can make a red lobster in germantown because I will feel the service would be better .
(2)M H.
Long waits with aweful service. Came here only because the people I was with wanted to. All the food comes out of a frozen box and feels like the "chef" microwaves or fries it before sending it out to the table. Absolutely terrible. See the photo of the coconut shrimp I uploaded. Is that what you call presentation? This location should have gone out of business a long time ago.
(1)Shannon R.
They did offer to give me a certificate to go back... I declined the offer but they did try and make it right.
(2)Steven M.
On a Saturday afternoon they had not received their deliveries so I was unable to order the fresh fish they advertised. When we got food the breading was soggy and chewy. Kinda bummed out, I normally love the Red Lobster chain. Server was nice as first but then seemed to shut down when everything I ordered wasn't available. Still tried to take care of her, it wasn't her fault there was no product.
(2)Peter S.
Bad service. Wait for 15mins no service to bring even water. Have to call store manager to get wait or waitress. Please do not come here to eat. Peter
(1)Sheree P.
I really don't like to give this location 2 stars...but I feel I have to. Went here on Sunday with my sister because we were craving seafood and didn't want to go too far away from home and Red Lobster is usually a guaranteed good meal with good service. We were seated and no one came to us for at least 15 minutes which is unusual; I had to ask for a server. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if something was going on at this location that day but we had a terrible experience. We got Cheddar Bay Biscuits which were warm and good. We ordered appetizers -- Shrimp Tempura and the Lobster-Artichoke-and-Seafood Dip which were also good. For our meals my sister ordered the Crab Linguini Alfredo and added a side of Snow Crab Legs...her pasta came out on a dirty plate but the Snow Crab Legs were good. For my meal I ordered the Wood-Grilled Lobster, Shrimp and Salmon and swapped out the salmon for a skewer of scallops for no additional charge. My meal came out cold...not even a little warm, which had me thinking it was sitting for a while before being taken to our table. A manager came over and spoke with us and apologized for all of the errors with our visit and meals and offered to take 50% off our bill and remove the pasta completely...That was a very nice gesture and it did redeem the visit a little bit. I'm not sure I will be in a rush to revisit this particular restaurant, but I do hope they get it together soon, because this used to be one of our favorite locations and they used to be great!!
(2)Henny T.
My family just came there to congrats my sister because she got driver license. They have many kinds of shrimp. We came early so we do not have to wait, but take a while to have all orders. The staff are so polite. And I love the light there. It is very romantic. Love this place
(4)Wes F.
This is one of the worst Red Lobsters I've been to. Its a bit of a catch 22: if you go when they aren't busy, you will experience the worst service of your life - instead of staff working hard for tips you'll have a person who has the attitude of a person who gave up on their job. We've waited a half an hour for drinks; once you receive food you won't see your waiter again until you're finished plus an additional 15 minutes, etc. Its an awful experience to want to pay and leave and be neglected in a large, empty dining room. I can't really say its a one time thing either because we keep coming back (its the only Red Lobster around) and its always the same situation. If you go when they are busy, you will have better service from their A game staff who seem to be reserved for the popular times, but they'll be so busy you'll have to deal with all the problems associated with it - long wait to be seated, slow service, mistakes in the kitchen, etc. I think this location has a staff problem. Awful attitude, like we are inconveniencing them by eating there. The only redeeming factor is that its a chain restaurant making the food consistent... and there aren't any other Red Lobsters around that we can go to instead.
(2)Pallabi G.
Oh, Endless Shrimp. Your inventor must have been envisioning Dante's third circle of hell when he came up with this special because no matter how many shrimp I stuff into my face, I can't stop ordering more, and given the ravenous pack of wolves I went to lunch with, this was a dangerous combination. I wish I could say that everything was peachy with our experience, but there were a few bumps along the way. First off the wait. In a restaurant that was 50% empty, it seemed a bit odd that there was a 30 minute wait. Maybe they were low on servers. Then, when you walked in to the reception area, there was this pervasive aroma of moldy towel that thankfully was not present at our actual seat, but was still unpleasant. On to the food...The cheddar biscuits were as delicious as ever. They came hot to our table and the cheese was still gooey. The Ceasar salad that came with out meal however, was so drenched in dressing that I almost wondered if it was a ploy to get us to eat less shrimp. Definitely get this on the side. We tried every single variety that they had for the shrimp dishes and hand down, our favorite was the Sriracha grilled shrimp. It was the only grilled option on the menu and was pretty much a show stopper. The shrimp were perfectly charred, the heat level was juuust right and refills came promptly. The two shrimp scampis were ok, a little too drenched in butter for my taste. I'm not a fan of sweet, but my dining companions really hit it off with the coconut shrimp and we all agreed that the, breaded fried shrimp, was worth a try though maybe not a refill. The worst, by far, was the shrimp fettucine. Each bite was like eating a block of cheese. It was just too much and way overpowering. However, the sides were the biggest disappointment. The mashed potatoes fell prey to the same problem as the shrimp fettucine, too much cheese. All you could taste was whatever substandard Parmesan that they mixed in to the potatoes, which also caused the potatoes to congeal into this lumpy block that was wholly unappetizing. The side of broccoli was just nuked frozen florets that tasted like mush. The service was decent. We could tell that even at 50% capacity, the waiters were still struggling to keep up. We had some mix ups with the water, but at least the shrimp kept flowing.
(3)Violeta B.
Huge improvement from the last time I went to this place. I went on a weekday, it was my daughters birthday and there was a wait but it was worth it. Staff was extremely nice, friendly and the food was amazing:) our waitress was very nice too, would greatly recommend.
(5)Jarrod W.
Had a nice and productive business meeting with a prospective client. Good was ok, and one of my clients was trying it for the first time. Wasn't much to get super excited about, not close to what it used to be. The presentation was ok at best. If you're looking for good seafood, there are plenty of other places, especially in Maryland. If you're looking to get a seafood fix, in a nice and clean environment, Red Lobster is a good choice.
(3)Tom D.
From the moment we walked in, nobody knew what they were doing. From the host and manager trying to seat us, it was a frustrating experience. We were finally seated in the bar and our server greeted us but it took ten minutes to get our drinks served and it was very slow in the restaurant. Our apps took another 15 minutes after that and our server never even did a quality check after serving our meals. Very slow and poor service. Will not return to this restaurant.
(2)Pamela S.
Arrived with a "reservation" because of our large party and were met with attitude from hostess because we didn't want to eat in the bar area. However once seated properly, the wait staff were good and helpful. Food was okay, and large servings challenging our 3 teens to take boxes home. Overall turned out to be a good dinner out.
(3)Kyle H.
When we arrived on a Friday night it was packed, good thing we made reservations beforehand to by-pass the long line. After eating at Red Lobster, I could not rationalize the long wait, the experience was terrible. If we had to wait to eat here, I would have gave it zero stars if I could. The staff were clearly not properly trained, with some waiters not sure which tables they were supposed to wait on. After waiting fifteen minutes, a kind waiter who was not supposed to serve our section decided to take our table. He admitted that the restaurant was more packed than usual, and another waiter was supposed to serve us. We gave him extra tip because he was a hard working young man, clearly working more tables than he was assigned. Onto the food, we came because of the end-less shrimp commercial on TV. THE RED LOBSTER COMMERCIALS ARE NOTHING COMPARED TO THE ACTUAL FOOD YOU RECEIVE! (Very Deceiving, though hats off to the marketing department at Red Lobster). The shrimp were tiny shrimp that seemed like they were frozen not fresh. They looked similar to that kind of shrimp served at a school cafeteria. All of the food was not very healthy or appetizing as everything was drenched in butter and oil. Before this visit, we came to Red Lobster about 10 years ago and the experience was terrible. We decided to give it another try, and there was no improvement. We will not be coming to Red Lobster again.
(1)Ted K.
I came here on a whim, and was pleasantly surprised. I hadn't eaten here in years. The new (to this location) waitress, Ann, lit up the whole place. She opened up the menu and described in great detail what the specials and specialties were. She was a delight. I ate a lot of seafood and took more home.
(5)