Endless Shrimp is officially back at Red Lobster, and I was clawing to try it again for the first time in years.
Two years ago, I visited my local Red Lobster in New York City to try the chain’s Endless Shrimp promotion for the first time. I visited shortly after the chain announced it would file for bankruptcy — a decision partly driven by the popularity of the bottomless shrimp deal.
The chain has since exited bankruptcy and has new leadership at the helm. And, despite CEO Damola Adamolekun previously criticizing the bottomless deal and being skeptical about it ever making a triumphant return to menus, it has.
“This is about putting our guests first and bringing back something they truly love,” Adamolekun said in a press release. “Endless Shrimp has been a part of Red Lobster’s legacy for 20 years, and our guests have never stopped asking for it.”
“We’re excited to bring it back, for a limited time, in a way that works for our business today and honors what made it special from the beginning,” he continued.
I stopped by a Red Lobster to see how the deal holds up in a casual-dining landscape where the catch of the day is always “value.”
Two years ago, I tried Red Lobster’s Endless Shrimp promotion for the first time.
A few weeks after Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy, I visited the chain’s Times Square location to try its now-infamous Endless Shrimp promotion for the first time.
Red Lobster’s Endless Shrimp has a complicated legacy. Originally a $20 weekly deal, its popularity led to a daily rollout in 2023. Rising seafood costs and demand pushed the price up, eventually to $25 and as high as $30 at my NYC location in 2024.
However, it’s worth noting that Endless Shrimp wasn’t the only factor behind Red Lobster’s fall from grace. Business Insider’s Emily Stewart reported that changing customer tastes, frequent leadership turnover, and the chain’s decision to switch its real-estate model from owning to leasing restaurants were also to blame for the company’s bankruptcy filing.
In 2024, the Endless Shrimp deal cost $30 and offered customers five shrimp-filled dishes.
The deal was only available on Mondays when I visited. Now, you can order Endless Shrimp any day of the week for a limited time.
To start, I chose three shrimp dishes and a side: grilled shrimp, Parrot Isle jumbo coconut shrimp, Walt’s Favorite Shrimp, and coleslaw. The other options were shrimp scampi and shrimp linguini Alfredo.
The grilled skewers have since been replaced by Marry Me Shrimp, with creamy tomato sauce and breadcrumbs.
I got through three rounds and was most impressed by the coconut shrimp. And after revisiting it after the revamp, the food is much better across the board under Adamolekun.
Still, I went into my second Endless Shrimp experience curious about how it would compare to two years ago.
At the Red Lobster location I visited this year, the Endless Shrimp promotion cost $24.99.
Endless Shrimp prices vary by location, but Red Lobster said on its website that the deal runs from $24.99 to $29.99 per person and is dine-in only.
I started with three kinds of shrimp dishes: two I had already tried, and then the chain’s new Marry Me Shrimp.
I ordered the Marry Me Shrimp, Paradise Isle coconut shrimp, and Walt’s favorite shrimp to start, plus a side of coleslaw.
Once I was done, I was invited to order as many other shrimp dishes as I wanted. The other two options on the menu were shrimp scampi and shrimp linguini Alfredo.
I was slightly disappointed that the shrimp skewers are no longer part of the Endless Shrimp deal, though they are still included in Red Lobster’s other shrimp promotions, like Shrimp Your Way.
I started with the Paradise Isle coconut shrimp, which I almost always order at Red Lobster.
The creamy pineapple sauce brought a bright tang to the coconut shrimp, and the meat stayed tender. Each bite had crisp coconut flakes that added a subtle sweetness to the savory dish.
They were perfectly fried to a deep golden brown, and while they weren’t that different than when I tried them in 2024, I thought they were ever so slightly more fried and flavorful the second time around.
The best part was that if I wanted more, I could get more for free.
I received the same amount of Walt’s favorite shrimp in 2024, but I liked them better the second time.
I also much preferred the shrimp this time — they were more heavily fried and noticeably more flavorful. And they paired well with the other varieties of shrimp I ordered and with the provided cocktail sauce.
Lastly, I tried the new item featured on Red Lobster’s Endless Shrimp menu: the “proposal-worthy” Marry Me Shrimp.
Small pieces of tail-on shrimp are served in an au gratin dish with a creamy tomato sauce and breadcrumb topping.
“Marry me” chicken and similar dishes are typically served in a sundried tomato sauce full of flavor, and I’m typically a big fan.
However, this dish was a letdown for me.
I thought the sauce was a little thick, and I didn’t like that the shrimp still had the tails on.
It made the dish a little difficult to eat, and I found little pieces of shrimp tail flaking off into the rest of the dish multiple times.
However, the sauce was flavorful, and I still finished the entire serving, so it couldn’t have been that bad.
I also ordered a side of coleslaw, just like I did in 2024.
The serving size was about the same as when I tried Endless Shrimp in 2024, but visibly smaller than when I ordered the chain’s Shrimp Your Way ($25.99) a couple of weeks ago.
Every time I’ve ordered it, the coleslaw was fresh and tangy, with a flavorful dressing that didn’t overpower the vegetables. Its light, citrusy notes helped balance the meal.
When I had polished off my first round of Endless Shrimp, I decided to order the shrimp scampi next.
While I was expecting a pasta dish, it’s actually just shrimp served in a buttery garlic sauce. I thought it was rich and flavorful, without stuffing me to the brim.
Of all the dishes I tried, it was probably the most similar to the chain’s shrimp skewers. However, I still preferred the skewers — which were also served with a hearty serving of rice — and wish they were still a part of the Endless Shrimp promotion.
I thought the shrimp scampi was the lightest of the dishes I tried, even though I was thoroughly stuffed by that point.
I’m happy that Endless Shrimp is back on the menu in a more sustainable way.
It seemed to me like the chain made some alterations to cut costs to the promotion, namely by replacing the shrimp skewers once offered in the promotion with richer, more filling dishes that didn’t leave much room for ordering plate after plate.
I was battling my stomach simply to order a second helping after having two kinds of fried shrimp and a creamy, breadcrumb-filled dish.
Maybe that’s the point to prevent customers from going overboard and sinking the chain once again.
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