THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 2, 1994 TAG: 9409290066
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F2 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Restaurant review
SOURCE: BY BROWN H. CARPENTER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 93 lines
IT'S CURIOUS THAT a restaurant chain specializing in seafood would be popular in a coastal community with a large fishing industry.
But the Red Lobster's six Hampton Roads outlets are usually packed with customers.
When our party of four checked out the Lobster at Chesapeake Square Mall one recent Saturday night, we waited a half-hour to be seated. Calling ahead would have put us on the seating list early.
The nationwide chain is operated by General Mills, which also owns the Olive Garden restaurants and the new China Coast dining spots, which will soon have outlets at Chesapeake Square and Greenbrier Mall.
The Lobster restaurants are big, with petitioned areas that create a bit of intimacy and keep the noise low. Nautical prints and maps adorn the walls at Chesapeake Square and a tank filled with live lobsters occupies space in the lobby.
The price of a fresh lobster is based on market factors. When we were there, the bill would have been $22.59, about double the typical entree.
The Red Lobster menu lists 18 dinners for under $10. In addition, the combination entrees, ranging from $10.99 to $14.99, can easily be split by two diners. You may even create - and share - your own combination for $11.65 (two selections) or $14.65 (three selections).
We picked two appetizers: mushrooms stuffed with crabmeat ($4.99) and mushrooms stuffed with lobster ($5.99). The cheese and bread stuffing overwhelmed the shellfish flavor.
A third appetizer, shrimp cocktail, came with one of our entrees, Shrimp, Shrimp & More Shrimp. The cocktail was fine, a venerable offering made with a ketchup-horseradish sauce and a half-dozen medium-size cold shrimp.
The Shrimp, Shrimp dinner ($14.99) also contained fried shrimp, shrimp scampi and grilled shrimp. The garlicky scampi and skewered grilled shrimp were excellent, but the fried were bland, neither crisped nor seasoned enough.
Four fresh fish were on special this evening: trout, swordfish, salmon and snapper. The fresh catches are about $12 and can be ordered grilled, blackened, broiled or fried. We opted for two snappers ($12.99 each), one grilled and one broiled.
The Lobster knows how to grill. This snapper was succulent and tasty. But the broiled fish, dusted with a mild paprika seasoning, didn't draw raves.
Our fourth entree was Catfish Santa Fe ($9.65). The Southwestern seasoning was zesty but was wasted on catfish, an overrated culinary trend. It has little taste and is one of those foods that should be fried.
All the accompaniments - salads, rice, coleslaw, french fries, veggies - were very good. For dessert, we chose a Key Lime Pie ($2.65) and a Sensational 7 ($2.99), a chocolate concoction. The pie was good, the concoction filling very good, but the cake itself a little dry.
A local seafood lover can't help noticing that blue crab and oysters are missing from the Lobster's menu, although admittedly oysters are scarce everywhere these days.
The Red Lobster, however, knows how to keep its customers coming back. It's dependable and inexpensive. We found the service efficient but more correct than friendly.
For non-seafood lovers, the restaurant also offers chicken and steak.
Kids get a menu designed like a comic book, offering fun meals such as popcorn shrimp, burgers and chicken fingers, from $3.39 to $3.99. In addition, the Lobster gives away pamphlets explaining how to eat healthfully and how to preserve the leftovers you'll take home.
The chairs with rollers are a great finishing touch. After dessert, they're easy to push away from the table to relieve your full stomach. MEMO: Reviews are based on a single, unannounced visit by a party of two or
three, unless otherwise noted. The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star
pay for the reviewer's meal and those of the guests. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
ROY A. BAHLS
Red Lobster restaurants like this one in Chesapeake Square Mall are
usually packed, despite the large local fishing industry.
Graphic
CHAIN REACTION
Red Lobster: 4115 Chesapeake Square Blvd., Chesapeake. 465-0627.
Hours: from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, 11 a.m.
to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Prices: Regular entrees from $7.65 to $10.99; pastas and dinner
salads from $6.65 to $10.99; combination plates from $10.99 to
$14.99. Fresh fish dinners average about $12. Live lobster is
based on the market price.
Owned By: General Mills Restaurants Inc., Orlando, Fla. The 680
restaurants in the United States and Canada include two in Virginia
Beach and one each in Chesapeake, Newport News, Hampton and
Williamsburg.
by CNB