Red Lobster

My boyfriend and I recently went to the Bloomington Red Lobster for dinner on Valentine's day.  To be honest, we would have preferred to go to one of Bloomington's local gems, but a gift card is a free meal, and that is too good to pass up on a college budget!

First of all, the location of Bloomington's Red Lobster is ideal for students and townies--it is close to the College Mall Road City Bus stop, but also a convenient drive taking interstate 46 or 45.  There is plenty of parking, which makes its corner location a-ok.

The service was excellent.  For a stressful Saturday night rush, the front of the house handled the impatient, hungry customers well.  There was even a very unusual situation that the front of the house was tested with--a domestic dispute!  My boyfriend and I sat waiting, and we witnessed the unhappy couple yell and scream profanities at each other.  The manager was quickly called, and she was very expedient about resolving the situation for the other patrons, making the couple leave the building.  She proceeded to apologize to all of us who were waiting for the ugly scene, and stayed outside until the police arrived.  It was an ugly situation, but the employees handled it the best that they could.
Our table's waiter was also an example of attentive service.  She was knowledgable about the menu, never let our drinks run empty, and delivered our food promptly.

When we at last made it in the restaurant, we were seated at a booth with high sides, so as to create more privacy than there actually was.  To my surprise, there were quite a few families with small children eating dinner that night as well--why do parents take their kids out to eat at 8:00PM?  Aside from that, I thought that the chill music playing through the restaurant created a pleasant atmosphere.  The waiters keep the dining room clean and are attentive to their tables.  It was a pleasant dinner for two.

For my entree, I ordered grilled salmon from the "Catch of the Day" menu.  I like this menu because it offers two portion options: half or full filet of fish.  I ordered the half portion, which came with two sides as well as a salad.  It was just the right size and cooked mostly well, but there was a corner of my filet that was charred to a black crisp.  Other than that my food was served hot, and it was served with good timing in proportion to the salad. Also, there are new side options since I've last been to Red Lobster--I tried the roasted vegetables, a mix of artichokes, zucchini, and broccoli and was impressed that it was an option.  To drink, I had their Boston cranberry iced tea, which I admit is my favorite item offered on Red Lobster's menu.  All together my meal was filling and tasty.

The ticket for all of this was reasonable, but not necessarily worth it.  Like I said, we had a gift card, and I wouldn't have spent that much money at Red Lobster any other way.  I would say that the average price per menu item is around $10, but it could range as high as $25.  Also, the drinks are $3 each, and many of the side orders charge an extra $2 or $3.  It was date night, and it was money well spent, but we made up for the commercialism by ordering the desert from a local Bloomington eatery.  

All in all, my experience was great, but not worth more than three stars because of the other Bloomington dining options.

The staff here is very nice. The place is never too crowded, even on Friday nights when you can't get a parking spot within a 1/2 mile of the rest of the chain restaurants in the area.

I really like getting a lobster, and then they "stuff" some stuffing in the body cavity and bake the already-cooked lobster for a dollar or two more. It's quite messy and takes a while to eat, but delicious as well.

Everyone raves about the salty/buttery biscuits. They are pretty good I must say. But if you listen real carefully you can hear your arteries clog & harden with each one you eat. Bad for your developing case of hypertension as well. But what a way to go!

First and foremost, let's remember - this is a RED LOBSTER.  And it's located in the heartland.  We aren't setting the bar very high when it comes to fresh seafood.  If you want it fresh, find a place with an ocean!

Generally, this Red Lobster is above par, with great service and an extremely friendly staff.  Again, you aren't going here for fresh oysters and the like.  BUT if you'd in the midwest and have a hankerin' for some seafood, it will get the job done.

They also do a great job on carryout - quick and nice packaging.