Red Lobster — Restaurant in Bloomington

We were at the Bloomington IL location last night, and it was the single worst restaurant experience I have ever had. It started off well, we we seated right away - no wait, were greeted quickly. L** asked what brought us out. I told her I’d very recently lost my dad and that he had gift cards, so we were there to honor him. She asked his name, said she’d tell the kitchen, that they’d make sure everything was great and do something special for him with cake.

It then took 20 minutes to get our drinks - a glass of wine and 2 iced teas, and another 25 minutes from that point to receive stuffed mushrooms. Our order hadn’t been taken, and I received a message from a friend who was 45 minutes away asking if we wanted to meet up. Told her we were at Red Lobster and our order hadn’t been taken yet, so we’d still be there.

There were many empty tables around us, but for the table behind us, we could see and hear they were having the same experience. It was now approaching us having been seated for 90 minutes and I didn’t yet have my salad. Our friend arrived, shocked we didn’t have anything yet. Then.,, a different server brought our food. I asked about my salad and he said he’d send a manager over. One didn’t come over. The Admirals Feast was very sickly looking, not at all worth $21.

Our server L** showed up, took a drink order from our friend and I asked about my salad. She apologized, said she’d make sure it was really special, and would bring one to go, too.

There was nothing special about the side salad. When the bill was finally brought, about 3.5 hours after arriving, I said I didn’t feel we should have to pay. I said i would pay for the alcohol. She left and came back, saying the manager took off the appetizer. I said that wasn’t good enough, that the experience wasn’t worthy of it. The manager came out / said she understood there was a problem with the Admirals Feast. I had said nothing about the entree. She left the table.

L^ came back, said the manager took off the entree. We weren’t delivered the cake that had been so hyped at the beginning, either. At this point, another table who was having the same experience, offered to pay for the remainder of ours. We told them it wasn’t necessary. L* apologized again, said she’s new and knew she bombed with every table. I told her that the management let her down.

It was obvious L** was new, but she is not fully to blame for the complete failure. Management needed to step up and manage. It wasn’t that busy. There wasn’t a wait, and there were always open tables in every section during our 4 (yes, it was THAT bad) hours there. They put a new server in the far back corner where where wasn't an aisle that other servers or managers frequented. Where were the managers to at least greet a table, bring a basket of biscuits and ice water to appease the patrons? Why weren’t they checking on a new servers section, offering help, working the floor? Why weren’t they aware? This experience was a complete and utter disaster.

I was a first time server before - in this exact building. This was many, many years ago, but our management had our backs. I’m sure L* is too green to confront the management, but they let her down. They let the patrons down, and throughout L*’s shift, didn’t have one happy table in her section....

I recently visited Red Lobster and had a very positive experience. From the moment I walked in, the staff was welcoming and attentive without being intrusive. Our server checked on us regularly, kept drinks full, and made helpful menu suggestions that matched what we were looking for. The customer service stood out because everything felt efficient and well‑coordinated, which made the meal smooth from start to finish.

The food quality was consistently good. The seafood tasted fresh, portions were appropriate, and everything came out at the right temperature. The cheddar bay biscuits lived up to their reputation, and the entrees were seasoned well without being overly salty or heavy. The menu offered a range of choices, so it was easy to find something for everyone in our group.

Pricing felt fair for what was served. While it’s not the least expensive option, the value matched the quality and service provided. The combination of good food, reliable service, and reasonable cost made it feel worth the visit.

Overall, Red Lobster delivered a solid dining experience with attentive staff, well‑prepared dishes, and prices that felt appropriate for a casual seafood restaurant. I would return and recommend...

My wife and I had previously ordered curbside service from the Bloomington IL, on Eldorado Rd, location without issue. Tonight we placed a large dinner order online and our credit card was charged. I took a picture of the receipt and drove to Red Lobster.

When I got to Red Lobster they indicated they had no record of our order. I asked for the manager and showed her a picture of the order receipt showing the Bloomington IL location as the pick up location, and the credit card charge.

The manager indicated that there was nothing she could do, "it was a Corporate problem". No one said they were sorry for the inconvenience, offered to refund my money, or complete my order. I was told that I would have to call Corporate tomorrow when they opened to work it out.

I spent about half hour at Red Lobster trying to get the problem resolved. The result is I'm currently out almost a hundred dollars and we didn't get dinner.

Just putting this out there to warn others to be aware of the risk of order online from Red Lobster. The local Bloomington IL store takes no responsibility for orders placed online and will do absolutely nothing to resolve...