I’ve often wondered about Red Lobster, having passed by hundreds of times and never once going inside. Last weekend I thought it was time to see what lies inside the restaurant.
Red Lobster is an internationally recognized name. Although from the looks of things, we’re not sure the two are one and the same here in Jeddah. The logo differs for one thing, as does the menu from that shown on the US restaurant’s website. So perhaps it is different.
Located on Walee Al-Ahad Street, Red Lobster is located among other restaurants, including Pizza Hut, McDonald’s and others. We arrived early one evening and were surprised to find no one at the reception. After a short wait, we decided to make our way through the saloon-type swing doors into the main area of the restaurant where we were finally greeted by two waiters.
The interior of Red Lobster is nothing extravagant. The decoration is quite simple, the “bare necessities” you could say. Wicker chairs are covered in blue cushions; navy tableclothes are partially hidden by paper cards, the odd faux rose on the table and the usual photos of sea food hang along the walls.
Confined to the bachelor section on the ground floor, our window view was limited to the restaurants outside. We couldn’t tell if the view upstairs was better, but we had a feeling it might be. View aside, we had come to try the lobster, and when offered the menu, we were happy to see that the Red Lobster had plenty of dishes made with the delicious crustacean.
The list was endless. Lobster curry, sizzling lobster, grilled, thermidor and it doesn’t stop there! If you like sea food, dishes at Red Lobster include crab, fried, sauced and grilled. Over 10 shrimp dishes are on the menu, and almost 20 fish dishes! We were at a loss at what to choose.
The thermidor soon caught our attention (SR85), and with a side order of green salad (SR10), some grilled shrimp (SR35), and a plate of sayadieh (SR 12) for local rice cooked with spices and cumin), we were all set for our meal.
We didn’t have to worry about getting hungry waiting; the salad came out quickly, along with a basket of bright pink prawn crackers, hot bread, and fried pita bread (similar to what you might find in a fattoush salad).
The chef’s love affair with vinaigrette meant the salad was covered with the dressing; it was quite sharp but then most salads in town are the same.
Not long after, the thermidor, shrimps and rice arrived. The thermidor was bubbling with cheese on top of the mushrooms and green peppers mixed with chunks of lobster. A creamy mix that was both rich and satisfying.
The sayadieh was the usual deep brown color, full of flavor and sprinkled with cooked pine nuts. It all went surprisingly well with the lobster thermidor. As for the shrimps, they were spicy, but just as good.
The food really was very impressive, the only thing one could say is perhaps the interior could do with a refit, and some music might not go amiss; instead we found ourselves listening to the ‘soothing’ hum of an air conditioner.
The bill is topped off with a 15 percent service charge, and the waiter kindly brought out napkins and cologne to freshen up with after the meal.
All in all the food shouldn’t disappoint you. Red Lobster is a decent locale for its seafood and sizzling dishes, well worth a visit for these alone, and a large group or party would surely liven up the place.
Telephone #: 6505050
Location: Walee Al-Ahad Street intersection with Khalid Ibn Al-Waleed Street (Map on Jeddahfood.com)
(Rashed Islam is a food critic who hosts Jeddahfood.com)
