Red Lobster

On June 21, 2006, my wife and I went to 2400 South Pleasant Valley Road and the new Red Lobster Restaurant, which had just opened on Monday. As I had expected, there was a waiting period and we were given a pager to be called when it was our turn. It took only 12 minutes before we were seated.

We had been looking over the menu while we were waiting, and I was disappointed in the selections it offered. There were no fried oysters listed; the only oysters were on the half shell as appetizers. The only clams available were fried strips, and the crab selections were somewhat limited. The greatest variety was in shrimp dishes.

Of course, the menu also had lobsters. A tank in the waiting area held live lobsters that you could select for your dinner, at $21.99 per pound. There was also a lobster pizza available as an appetizer, and several types of fin fish entrees. Non-seafood items were a few steak and chicken dishes.

My wife ordered an apple walnut chicken salad, while I had half a dozen steamed oysters on the half shell, followed by a popcorn shrimp order. It took the food a long time to come, and I was disappointed in the oysters. Only one of the six was full size, and two of them were not as fresh as I would have liked. However, the shrimp platter was good. As usual, neither one of us had room for dessert.

In retrospect, I believe that the Red Lobster is overrated, and I don't believe we'll be going there often. My favorite local seafood place is still the East Side Raw Bar and Grill on Route 50 East.