Red Lobster says that it will emerge from bankruptcy later this month.
Now, the chain has to find a new strategy to bring in customers that's not just endless shrimp.
I visited a Red Lobster restaurant in the Washington, DC, area to see what dining there is like now.
Over the past several years, restaurant chain Red Lobster has gotten attention for one thing: the promise of endless shrimp.
As recently as last year, diners could pay $20 for all of the shrimp they could eat. But while customers loved it (maybe too much), the deal led to losses for Red Lobster's former parent company.
The chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May, but Red Lobster says that it's now on track to emerge this month from bankruptcy with new ownership, a new CEO, and fewer locations. It just has to figure out a strategy to win customers back — and make money this time.
I visited a Red Lobster outside of Washington, DC, to see what dining there is like and what the chain needs to change going forward. Here's what I found:
I visited a Red Lobster in Waldorf, Maryland.
The entrance to the Red Lobster.
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This Red Lobster is located right off of a major highway, about a 50-minute drive from the center of Washington, DC.
I arrived at the restaurant a little after 11 a.m. on a Wednesday.
The host stand at the entrance to the Red Lobster restaurant.
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The restaurant was empty, which wasn't surprising given that I showed up just after opening time on a weekday. While no one was at the host stand when I walked in, an employee appeared a few seconds afterward and showed me to my table.
Red Lobster's nautical decor was everywhere.
Anchors and other nautical motifs are all over Red Lobster.
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Red Lobster's restaurants have long resembled coastal communities where fishing and lobstering dominate. A 2011 remodel of the restaurant chain's stores drew inspiration from Bar Harbor, Maine, and added everything from ship lanterns to Adirondack chairs to the restaurants.
Red Lobster's dining room was a little worn and dated.
The dining room at Red Lobster was dark.
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Seaside decorations aside, the dining room included a lot of dark wood. It made me feel like I was at a Midwestern supper club in the 1970s.
The edges of the tables and booths were scratched and dinged, too.
I started looking at Red Lobster's extensive menu once I was seated at my booth.
There was the main menu and another just for drinks.
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The menu offers different specials depending on the day of the week. Monday's special is endless shrimp, which costs $25, according to the menu I saw.
I ordered the Sailor's Platter to try Red Lobster's shrimp.
Red Lobster's menu includes dozens of choices, from Lobster Flatbread to shrimp.
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While I first considered a steak-and-lobster daily special, I had never tried Red Lobster's shrimp. After my server recommended the Sailor's Platter, which contains two kinds of shrimp and some flounder, I ordered that.
My server brought some Cheddar Bay biscuits to my table after I ordered.
A Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit.
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The four biscuits were complimentary — and very warm.
The biscuits were one of the highlights of my visit.
The Cheddar Bay biscuits didn't last long.
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Besides being warm, you could taste the cheese.
After about 15 minutes, my main course arrived.
My Sailor's Platter came with tartar sauce and cocktail sauce.
Alex Bitter/Business Insider
My Sailor's Platter came with a side. I upgraded mine to Bacon Mac & Cheese for an upcharge.
The popcorn shrimp reminded me of food I've had at fast-food restaurants.
The Popcorn shrimp were one of two fried items that I tried.
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While tasty, these reminded me of shrimp that I've had at Popeyes, Long John Silver's, and other fast-food chains.
I like the shrimp scampi better.
The shrimp scampi came in their own dish.
Alex Bitter/Business Insider
These were my favorite of the two kinds of shrimp.
The fried flounder was nothing special.
The fried flounder from Red Lobster.
Alex Bitter/Business Insider
The flounder was better with some of the tartar sauce.
The Bacon Mac & Cheese was rich.
The Bacon Mac & Cheese came with real bacon.
Alex Bitter/Business Insider
The Mac & Cheese was creamy, though after a few bites, it was a little too rich for me.
I also ordered a Mango Iced Tea.
The tea came sweet by default.
Alex Bitter/Business Insider
My server noticed I was running low on my first tea and brought me another before I even asked.
I finished my platter, and the service was so swift, my plate was gone before I could snap a photo.
Just some of my Bacon Mac & Cheese remained.
Alex Bitter/Business Insider
With tax and a tip, I paid about $35 for my lunch.
I was full after the platter and had trouble imagining what eating dozens of shrimp here would be like.
After paying, I took another few minutes to appreciate all the nautical decorations.
Photos of lighthouses hanging in Red Lobster.
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These two photographs hung over the booths next to mine.
Overall, the food was okay, but I don't feel like I have to rush back to Red Lobster.
The reporter outside Red Lobster after his meal.
Alex Bitter/Business Insider
The Red Lobster that I visited felt worn, dark, and could use a renovation. And while the biscuits were great, the other food was nothing amazing.
On the bright side, the service was fast and friendly — something that can be tough to find even at much more expensive restaurants. (The fact that I showed up at midday on a weekday might have helped.)
Diners are looking for good deals these days thanks to the lingering effects of inflation. Some are even looking to sit-down chains instead of fast-food restaurants due to cost.
If Red Lobster can come up with a more exciting, tasty menu and give their stores a facelift, the chain could be poised to take advantage of that environment.
Do you work at a major restaurant chain and have a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com
