If you like seafood you can’t go wrong in and around the Orlando and Kissimmee areas. There are lots of restaurants offering steak and shrimp and eateries with seafood buffets but one of our favourite restaurants to visit is Red Lobster.
There are several branches of this franchise along the tourist corridors of International Drive and highway 192, two of which we have tried. The one we visited on our most recent trip was the restaurant on highway 192 next to the Splendid China Dragon and I must say it never failed to please. The food was delicious and the service was good at worst, on a very busy Saturday night and excellent at best on a just as busy Wednesday evening.
We visited three times over the three week period which has got to be a first for us. Usually if a restaurant warrants a second visit in one holiday it must be something to write home about, none have ever managed to get us back for a third time before.
I think one of the reasons we were tempted back so often was the specials menu which at the moment includes “endless shrimp” a real favourite with our son. At $14.99 this really was one of the best deals we came across on our trip. You get a choice of garden or Caesar salad along with the most mouth-watering cheese biscuits which really are fantastic. You then get your choice of fries, baked potato, cheesy mash or rice with two types of shrimp. You can choose from fried shrimp, scampi shrimp, garlic Alfredo shrimp pasta, popcorn shrimp or coconut shrimp. When they serve your meal they ask if you would like to order your next choice of shrimp and so it goes on. Our favourites were the coconut shrimp bites which came with a tasty pineapple cream dip. Refills on the cheesy biscuits are also available if you have got room for them but if you haven’t they will give you a box to take them home along with any of the shrimp you have not managed to finish.
A long standing favourite on the menu which I chose on my second visit was the ultimate feast, again you get a salad and the cheesy biscuits along with your choice of potato or rice but you then get five large hand breaded shrimp, a bowl of scampi shrimp, a broiled (grilled) lobster tail and snow crab legs served with pots of melted butter and cocktail sauce for dipping. The ultimate feast was not a disappointment the lobster tail in particular was wonderful and the meal well worth the $19.99 price tag. If you fancy an appetizer Steve recommends the PEI (Prince Edward Island) Mussels steamed in white wine with garlic and parsley but the portion is large enough for two to share.
I’m afraid none of us can recommend the desserts, although they all looked delicious, as we have never had enough room left after our salads and main courses to try one! Maybe next time we will remember to leave room so that we can at least share one.
Why not check out the latest menu’s at www.redlobster.com