We spent $145 at Red Lobster on a meal for 2 to see if its viral new seafood boils live up to the hype

You probably know Red Lobster for its Cheddar Bay Biscuits and its (possibly economically disastrous) Endless Shrimp deal, but its CEO is banking on a buzzy new offering to help resuscitate the ailing chain: seafood boils.

CEO Damola Adamolekun took the reins in September, shortly after the company exited bankruptcy proceedings, and quickly made a series of high-profile changes.

One such change was the June launch of seafood boils. The boils have gone viral on TikTok, with users filming mukbangs — videos of themselves eating large amounts of food — and reviews, so much so that Adamolekun made his own video thanking patrons for their enthusiasm and unveiling a new flavor and spice levels.

@redlobster

We’ve seen your comments. Spice it your way. Boils just got personal! #seafoodboil #seafoodlover #ceo

♬ Assumptions – Sam Gellaitry

Naturally, we had to see what all of the buzz was about.

We’re approaching this taste test from two very different perspectives: Sarah has never been to Red Lobster; Jordan has. Sarah has also never had a seafood boil; Jordan is a seasoned veteran.

One thing we have in common is that we’re both allergic to seafood. (Kidding.) We actually both love seafood, so we went to see if the new boils live up to the hype.

Here’s what we thought:

First, some context: Red Lobster hired a new CEO in 2024 after a series of setbacks.

Adamolekun’s mission since September has been to turn Red Lobster around from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which it filed for in May 2024, with over $1 billion in debt. The new CEO slashed the Endless Shrimp deal, which he said had exacerbated the restaurant chain’s financial problems.

More recently, he introduced customers to Red Lobster’s take on seafood boils, a steamed seafood dish popular in Cajun cooking.

We headed to our local Red Lobster to try the new seafood boils.

Our closest Red Lobster is in Times Square.

The message of the giant ad above the store — “Making the Impossible, Possible” — felt comically inspirational in this context.

Yes, we can eat an inordinate number of shrimp and crab legs!

We walked in and were given a slip with a table number and instructed to go upstairs.

On the way, we passed the lobster tank.

We went around 3 p.m. on a Thursday, and there was a decent showing for a relatively off-hours lunch.

Don’t expect Red Lobster’s $5 cocktails at this location, however. Times Square is one of the chain’s few locations that doesn’t offer happy hour, much to our surprise and disappointment. (We would’ve indulged for research purposes only, of course.) We went with a pair of strawberry lemonades instead.

An insert in the menu prominently advertises Crabfest offerings, including the new seafood boils.

Crabfest, a yearly event with limited-time crab offerings, started on June 23 and runs through September 14 this year.

We started our meal with the chain’s famous Cheddar Bay Biscuits, of course.

When I (Sarah) told my friend we were going to Red Lobster, she was quick to remind me, “Don’t forget to try the crab bread.” (Close enough, I guess.)

The Cheddar Bay Biscuits were very warm, soft, and buttery, but could’ve had a stronger cheddar flavor. They were fine, but I wasn’t blown away by them. My editors and friends had all said beforehand that they were excited for me to try the iconic biscuits, so perhaps it was a tall order for anything to live up to that much hype.

For the appetizer, we got the lobster dip.

It was $18.49 and included Maine and langostino lobster, spinach, artichoke, and a three-cheese blend topped with pico de gallo, along with a side of tortilla chips. There was very little artichoke, and we could’ve done with a bit more spinach as well, but the dip had pretty sizable pieces of lobster.

Now for the main attraction: the seafood boils.

We got one of each. For $54.99, The Mariner’s Boil includes a Maine lobster tail, a dozen shrimp, snow crab legs, corn, and red potatoes. The Sailor’s Boil, priced at $39.99, comes with two dozen shrimp, smoked sausage, corn, and red potatoes.

We added Old Bay and Parmesan flavors to the Mariner’s Boil. The flavor additions weren’t marked well on the menu — it’s listed under an option for the “Crab Your Way” deal, which is different from the seafood boil.

You can also customize for additional spice; we got the Sailor’s Boil extra spicy with the roasted garlic butter, which our waiter said was the most popular flavor. Our waiter mentioned we could also get a flavor on the side, so we got the Cajun butter in a separate bowl.

Jordan’s Mariner’s Boil was appropriately spicy.

True to the added Old Bay and Parmesan flavor, I (Jordan) got the spice and herb taste I hoped for with a rich layer from the cheese. I made sure to dip each bite in the bottom of my bag to soak up as much sauce as possible.

The lobster tail that we shared was more than a little overcooked, though.

The Sailor’s Boil was a garlic lover’s dream.

There was a slight tingle on the tongue with this boil (remember that we ordered it extra spicy). But overall, it wasn’t particularly hot to me (Sarah), though I should note I’m a spice fiend, so very few foods ever are.

The sausage was incredibly salty, which felt like overkill when the rest of the boil and its seasonings were already heavily seasoned.

Though Red Lobster has stopped its $20 Endless Shrimp promotion, it felt alive and well with this boil; two dozen shrimp is no joke, and my stomach wasn’t prepared for it.

But what most struck me was how much minced garlic was in this boil. Garlic lovers, this is definitely the flavor for you.

The Cajun butter was a little acidic for our taste.

It was sour and reminded Sarah of a vinaigrette. It tasted too much like lemon for Jordan’s idea of a Cajun butter.

The portions were more than we could eat, so we took leftovers to go.

For reference, this is how much of the Sailor’s Boil Sarah had left over.

Our waiter kindly offered us a to-go container for our largely untouched side of Cajun butter. We politely declined.

In total, we spent $145 with gratuity included.

Our subtotal for one appetizer and two seafood boils came out to about $113. In true Times Square fashion, gratuity was included (thank you, tourism). Jordan concluded that it’s an affordable price point for two seafood boils.

The $54.99 Mariner’s boil, in particular, is a great deal. It allows you to get crab, shrimp, and lobster without paying as much as you would at many Cajun restaurants.

And for the road, we left with warm bags of Cheddar Bay Biscuits!

When our waiter brought us our to-go containers, he gave us some biscuits to take home, and I (Sarah) have to say, I liked these a lot more than the ones we ate in the restaurant; these ones seemed better flavored and seasoned, and also had a better texture. So it’s possible it was just a “bad” batch that disappointed me in-restaurant.

Either way, who can say no to free bread?

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