My weekday lunchtime habits have changed as of late. Working at a restaurant group with nearly 2,000 locations, I’ve been thinking about and eating at more chain restaurants than I ever did before. Fueled by a desire to scope out the competition and by genuine curiosity, I’ve been exploring places that I used to pay little mind to.
So while I usually dedicate this space to touting the merits of under-appreciated mom and pop shops, I thought it’d be fun to change things up a bit and shed some light on two permanent fixtures in the American dining landscape: Red Lobster and Olive Garden. Humor me, yes? Thank you.
First up, Red Lobster‘s Endless Shrimp®! For $17.99, I had my fill of six different shrimp preparations: Sriracha Grilled Shrimp, Parmesan Shrimp Scampi, Hand-Breaded Shrimp, Garlic Shrimp Scampi, Shrimp Linguini Alfredo, and Coconut Shrimp Bites.
The offer also included a salad (not pictured and not eaten) and unlimited Cheddar Bay Biscuits®. Whereas the former was anemic and sad, the latter were tasty lil’ carbohydrate bombs. We asked for seconds, thirds, and fourths. No joke.
For my first round of Endless Shrimp, I requested the Sriracha Grilled Shrimp, Hand-Breaded Shrimp, and Garlic Shrimp Scampi. The platter also included rice pilaf and steamed broccoli, both of which didn’t merit any precious gastro-real estate.
The fried shrimp with cocktail sauce was my fave of the trio due to the shrimps’ comparatively large size and relative greaseless-ness. The scampi was surprisingly well-balanced, while the Sriracha was just alright. Truth be told, I’m not a huge Rooster Sauce fan. None of the shrimp were overcooked. Yay!
Round two brought a big ol’ plate of Shrimp Linguini Alfredo. The shrimp were tiny but well-cooked, while the sauce and pasta were solid in a super-rich and indulgent kind of way. Spoiler alert: Red Lobster executes a tastier alfredo than sister restaurant Olive Garden. The irony!
My final course was the Parmesan Shrimp Scampi, which was more or less the Garlic Shrimp Scampi with shredded cheese melted on top. These went down easily, with the parm adding a bit of saltiness to the buttery mix. The only stone left unturned was the Coconut Shrimp, which I stole from my dining mate—Much. Too. Sweet.
All in all, Red Lobster’s Endless Shrimp® met and, dare I say, exceeded my expectations. I’d hit it again.
Olive Garden‘s Never Ending Pasta Bowl® was a homier affair, like a meal set in a rustic Tuscan villa, if you will.
On tap for $9.99 were six types of pasta (spaghetti, angel hair, fettuccine, penne, cavatappi, whole wheat linguine), four standard sauces (Marinara, Alfredo, Five Cheese Marinara, Meat Sauce), two premium sauces that cost a dollar extra (Spicy Three Meat, Roasted Mushroom Alfredo), and four “toppings” that also cost extra (Shrimp Fritta, Chicken Fritta, Italian Sausage, Meatballs).
The deal also included unlimited breadsticks, which were brushed with butter, sprinkled with garlic powder, and served warm. Pro tip: Eat the breadsticks immediately because they taste terrible once they’ve cooled. The window of palatability is approximately 30 seconds.
There was also all-you-can-eat salad dressed in Olive Garden’s signature Italian dressing. I liked how chilled salad plates were thoughtfully served alongside—it’s the little things.
And then there was pasta! My favorite combination was the cavatappi, ridged and tubular corkscrews, topped with the mushroom alfredo and fried shrimp. The pasta’s texture was indifferent—neither al dente nor complete mush. The sauce was tasty, but definitely could’ve used more ‘shrooms.
Round two brought whole wheat linguini with five cheese marinara and fried chicken strips, which was good but not earth-shatteringly so.
And then I was totally and completely stuffed. It turns out I can eat plenty more shrimp than pasta. Wah wah…
For dessert, Andes Mints dressed in Olive Garden clothing.
While I wouldn’t hesitate to return for more Endless Shrimp, Never Ending Pasta probably won’t lure me back in the future, mostly because I can whip up some pretty great noodles at home (see below). Much to my surprise, neither dining experience was an utter bust, which is all I could ask for, really.
Now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, it’s back to exploring mom and pop shops!
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In the mood for pasta? Let me help you out!
- Bolognese Sauce with Cloves and Cinnamon
- Braised Rabbit with Pappardelle
- Dorie Greenspan’s Beggar’s Linguine – Pasta with Brown Butter, Dried Fruits, and Nuts
- Fusilli in Cream Sauce with Peas and Bacon
- Noodles with Squid and Vegetables
- Nui Lòng – Grandpa’s Spaghetti with Offal
- Pappardelle in Lemon Cream Sauce with Peas and Smoked Salmon
- Pasta alla Norma
- Pasta with Caramelized Onions & Blue Cheese
- Pasta with Corn, Burrata, Pancetta, and Chilies
- Pasta with Eggs and Pork Floss
- Pasta with Three Peas
- Red Curry Peanut Noodles
- Scott Conant’s Spaghetti with Tomato and Basil
- Seared Gnocchi with Green Olive Sauce
- Skillet Noodle and Sausage Supper
- Soba Noodles with Kale, Tofu, and Furikake
- Spaghetti alla Carbonara
I wouldn’t eat at either of these restaurants.
You’re supposed to humor me, Michelle ;-)!
You’re going to have to hit Bubba Gump as a comparison. (Disclosure: there’s a Bubba Gump next to the Aquarium so we end up eating there relatively frequently)
That was strangely satisfying to read! I’ve actually heard very very good things about the cheddar bay biscuits at Red Lobsta’ – I’d hit ’em!
I used to eat at Red Lobster much more than I liked because my boss at the time loved the place. My go-to was the lobster pizza appetizer and a caesar salad.
Lobster pizza? Get out, Justin! Okay, I’m slightly intrigued…
I went to Red Lobster in the ‘burbs early last year. I remember the cheddar biscuits fondly, but I think everything else was too salty. Love this honest review, Cathy!
Cheddar bay biscuits are insanely easy to make at home. Google for recipes.
An adult should not consume more than 2,300 mg of sodium a day however “chain restaurants” have not received the word and adults are consuming between 3,000 mg to 4,000 mg of sodium a day eating out which leads to obesity and heart attacks.
Red Lobster’s Admiral’s feast, with creamy lobster topped mashed potato, Caesar salad with dressing, just one of the complimentary Cheddar Bay Biscuits, and a lemonade: At 7,106 mg of sodium, it is one of the saltiest restaurant meals in America; over three days’ worth of salt.
Olive Garden is not that far behind with Tour of Italy (lasagna) with a Breadstick, Garden Fresh Salad with House Dressing, and a Coca-Cola: 6,176 mg of sodium.
You have an open mind and an open heart as well as an open mouth. That’s one of the reasons why I love your blog so much.
Thanks for getting it, DF.
I’ve never been to Red Lobster and must check out the endless shrimp feast while out in the burbs.
LOCATION: Olive Garden – 3125 Crater Lake Hwy Medford, OR 97504
WORST SERVICE EVER!!!
I would give a ZERO rating… but it is not an available option.
I have lived in Medford for over 25 years, and I decided to take my wife out for our 32nd Wedding Anniversary to The Olive Garden… But that was a terrible idea. I should have known better than to take my wife to a “chain restaurant” for our anniversary.
First off… I advised the greeter at the door it was our anniversary, and we wanted a nice quiet table. She said she would pass it along to our server, and we were told it would be a 35 min wait time… (it’s 5 pm on a Saturday). So, we waited in the bar. We ordered 2 Long Island Ice Teas at $10.75 each. The screen at the bar showed they were supposed to be $9.50 each. WTF!!! The bartender was not happy I questioned his pricing, and asked for the difference back. It’s NOT the money that was the problem… it was being overcharged for drinks advertised at a lower price. It was the principle of the thing.
While we were sitting at the bar, I noticed a large amount of empty tables in the restaurant. OK.. no big deal. After almost 30 mins waiting, a server moved us from the bar stools to a booth IN THE BAR. This is NOT what we wanted. She was very rude and said she would find us a quiet booth. After another 10 mins of waiting, she finally came back and said there was a table ready. She was rude and totally not aware of the request we had made for a booth for our anniversary.
Finally, we got the booth we requested. After sitting in our booth for another 10 mins, I asked a passing waitress if anyone was working this section…. she was very rude and said “You have drinks, then you have a server”. I advised her we purchased these drinks while waiting 30 mins in the bar, and that she should not assume things.. She immediately changed her tune, and became confrontational. I cannot believe they have these rude, obnoxious people working in the hospitality business.
We got up and left, and saw the manager ON OUR WAY OUT to complain about the poor service… (that was a pure waste of time!!) As my wife was explaining the entire situation, he kept interrupting her to make excuses. He just let it go and didn’t even seem to care or apologize for the “Comedy Of Errors” that took place just trying to go out to a restaurant for dinner.
It was a funny thing that when we first arrived, we were talking with a man in the lobby who also experienced poor service… but we did not heed his advice. We just sat around and waited to experience the poor service ourselves.
THIS IS THE WORST RESTAURANT I”VE EVER BEEN TO..!!!
Save yourself the headache of poor service and go elsewhere.
We decided on Rosario’s on West Main instead… It was definately the better selection for a fine meal and great service!