I'll start by saying that I normally avoid chain restaurants..... But a Christmas Gift card is a Christmas Gift card. The Red Lobster in Castleton does hold some sentimental reverence for me. Growing up as a kid in Fishers in the late 70s & 80s, Red Lobster was considered quite the treat at the time as any sort of "finer dining" was scarce back in the day. Having said that, it's probably been 30 years since my last visit. While the Northeast corridor has grown and changed, and our choices have exponentially multiplied..... Red Lobster remains the same! While I'm sure they have remodeled the building several times over the past 3 decades...the dark and dingy decor is just how I remembered it.
We were there at lunch time and were not looking to gorge ourselves with the dinner time combination platters....we ordered from the lunch menu. I was surprised that they really had no lunch specials to speak of but the normal lunch items were reasonably priced. I ordered the shrimp tacos with a side salad and rice pilaf. (Fish tacos are one of my favorite snacks so I thought this might be a good choice). The salad was ok, one step above a bagged salad with good croutons. The rice pilaf was dry and bland and the shrimp tacos completely missed the mark. The small salad shrimp were over cooked and chewy and were served over basically the same green mix that comprised my side salad. The sauce for the tacos was pretty good but there was so little of it that it couldn't save the dish.
On the plus side: The cheddar biscuits were as fabulous as ever... full of buttery, garlicky, cheddary goodness!!! They saved at least one additional star on this review.
Our server was very nice and attentive. (Maybe too attentive)
The crowd was older (50s & 60s) thought for a moment I was at an MCL cafeteria.
On the whole, Red Lobster serves as a reminder to me as to why I try to patronize locally owned and operated establishments. As I browsed the menu the prices of their dinner items are competing with local restaurants that I know are much better so the value aspect is also a fail for this chain.
Unless I receive another gift card from someone who doesn't know me very well.... I doubt I would ever go again. And even then I might be tempted to regift it.
For a solid 10 year stretch of my life, I thought that Red Lobster was the fanciest and most amazing restaurant in the world. I asked my parents to go there for my birthday supper every year and was usually allowed to order something that (gasp) came with lobster! Lots of great memories of RL when growing up means it'll always have a special place in my soul. I don't visit often anymore, but when I do, I'm generally surprised at how much I still like the food.
The woodfire-grilled trout is one of my favorites these days, although it was slightly overcooked and not quite as tasty at this location as I've had at other RLs in Indy (3.5 stars of 5). Baked potato was fine (3 stars) and the asparagus was just mediocre (2.5 stars). Cheddar biscuits were superb as usual (4.5 stars). One odd thing is that they've stopped including a salad with your meal ...if you want one now, you have to order it as one of your sides. Weird.
All in all, a good but not great experience. Friendly (but slow) service, solid food, reasonable prices and portions. This location is decent but if given the choice, I'd rather visit the Avon or 38th St locations instead.
What can I say? Â It's a chain I have been going to since I was a child, and it's dependable. Â Much as I make fun of it and deride people for eating at Red Lobster, when circumstances place me there, I always have to admit that it really isn't so bad. Â For chain seafood in this price range, I would probably go for Bonefish, though.
My main problem with Red Lobster is really not their problem at all:  their overabundance of shellfish, much of it fried.  I really can't fault a restaurant with the name "lobster" in its name for serving shellfish.  But I prefer other fish, and they do have daily specials.  The rice is kind of like Uncle Ben's, and that is definitely frozen broccoli; I know it is.  But  it's OK.  And the bread really is quite good.
I can't stand a restaurant with smelly stale carpet. Wet and musty. It's just nasty. Red Lobster needs a major over haul! The food isn't special either. I prefer the simple boiled or steamed lobster and crab a baked potato and veggies/salad. That's it. I keep it simple so they can't mess it up. I realize you have to eat it in. It doesn't travel well. My husbands loves the Admiral's Feast. Yuck!
Review Source:OOOOK, I will start by saying that I'm embarrassed to be writing this review, b/c I feel like I have really good taste in food and restaurants, but I'm pregnant, so my cravings control my life. Â I find this to be the only acceptable reason it is OK for me to have enjoyed such a fabulous (though overpriced) meal!!
First of all, I have not been to Red Lobster since 2001, in Bloomington, IN where my college boyfriend used to take me for "special" occasions. Â Um, yah...exacccctly!! Well, today, I was reading a Yelp review and it mentioned those fabulous cheddar biscuits and I immediately called my hubby to tell him I wanted Red Lobster for date night. Â He was driving and said he nearly went off the road...
He thought for SURE I had seen a commercial (as this is where my biggest cravings come from). Â I told him it was Yelp and he said "Ok, babe, whatever my babies want". HA!
I was NOT disappointed. Â After waiting nearly 30 minutes (!!! Yes, it was PACKED at 8:00 p.m. but I guess it IS Friday night - what do I know??), we were seated in the bar. Â Nick waited on us (and I saw a guy from high school who I hadn't seen in about 11 years waiting on a table nearby - he didn't recognize me but whatev) and was great! Â He was attentive even though he was really busy, kept our iced teas full and biscuits coming.
The biscuits were PERFECTION and beyond my expectations and memories of "special occasion" night with my ex. :) Â I ordered the pick two for $15.99 (jeezum) and got snow crab legs, grilled shrimp, house salad and baked potato (they were out of broccoli - BOO!). Â It was great!
My hubby got the surf and turf and though his steak was perfectly cooked, he said the lobster was bland and unseasoned. Â Either way, I was VERY pleased with my meal. Â I doubt my hub will agree to take me back anytime soon (too many kids, too crowded, too much waiting for a chain restaurant) but I thought it was well worth it!!
All I can say is YUUUUMMMMY to the biscuits and crab legs. Â I would have ordered some to go but our bill was already $54 and we weren't drinking (wow! Â for chain food? UGH). Â
I would still go back. Â Yah, I'm pretty easy!!
My husband and I initially went here because we had a coupon, but we were pleasantly surprised. Â The garlic cheddar biscuits were very yummy...I didn't expect so much flavor from a "starter" biscuit. Â We had their coconut shrimp and the lobster, scallop & shrimp sampler over rice pilaf. Â The flavors were very good (although the meats were a tad overcooked).
What also surprised us was that there were people waiting to get in (15 minute wait) on a Wednesday night at 7 pm! Â That's highly unusual in this area. Â Apparently a lot of other people think this restaurant's pretty good, too!
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