Red Lobster — Restaurant in Chula Vista

First attempt at visiting red lobster after many years I ordered online a crab stuff baked potato. Takes me 20 minutes to get to the eighth Street location after ordering. I go up to the bar standing there. No one helps me. I have to flag down the waitress that was working in the bar area. She said she was gonna go check continue to do her work and put orders into the system . After about 15 minutes, I’m asking again about this one lonely, baked potato how long it will take she said I will go check. I’m there 30 minutes and I asked the waitress that’s working in the bar hey would you be able to tell me how long it’s gonna be for my baked potato she said oh they’re waiting on the crab sauce I said OK but can you find out how long it’s going to be? She says no I don’t know. So I go and ask for the manager he apologizes doesn’t understand why it would take 30 additional minutes for a baked potato give me a couple of biscuits. He asked it to please come back and visit again. So I did come back today and it was another horrible experience. Got the Mon special shrimp scampi with the lobster the waitress she was great The cooks not so much. When she brought the lobster to the table, there was a large piece of black curly hair that was baked into the lobster tail . Then she asked if I wanna keep the scampi which I assumed had pasta, but did not and the broccoli while I waited for the lobster tail. So I ate the broccoli the shrimp scampi is sitting there and what looks like a bowl of oil. It’s getting colder by the minute and 20 minutes later. The lobster tail comes out. I haven’t really seen anybody in that time to request a small side of pasta. I had to walk over to the side of the bar to do that. So I’m brought back a bowl of shrimp scampi pasta that might have well been mashed potatoes because it was so overcooked and squishy. I asked my server at the end of my mail if I could have the check. And did the manager happen to do any adjustments on the check just due to all the issues that I had. I had been there for 45 minutes and at the end, a total an hour to have a light lunch That turned into an hour. She brings me the check and it has a 20% off, which is five dollars. If you have a customer with hair on their plate as the waitress is handing it to them as a manager, you should come over and apologize for the situation and find out what you can do. And let me tell you folks none of that happened. So I don’t think the 20% is appropriate from what I just went through. So I asked for the manager to please come to the table 8 minutes later he shows up he’s already annoyed. I can tell by his body language that I’m even questioning anything. He tells me the most he can do is a family discount, which is six dollars and some change. I advise him OK this is as much as you can do because I just wanna know before I go forward. He said that’s all the discount that he is allowed to do as a manager. I have to get some side eye on that because that doesn’t sound correct and true. So I told him I didn’t think that the five dollars was appropriate. I feel like half of the check should be taken care of and I’ll pay the other half no problem. Then he became very annoyed and he said fine then just leave everything and don’t pay anything and I will just take everything off the bill and next time when you come ask for a manager and I will be your server and I will cook your food. I said my server was fine. She was great. The food had left a lot to be desired . He said well I’m a chef and I will cook it next time you come but not in a welcoming way whatsoever, it was more of an annoyed tone. Red lobster is struggling so I don’t understand why they have people that are employed that have a total lack of Customer Service and how to treat customers in order for them to come back. I gave you two tries red lobster and both times I was disappointed. So everybody take a good look at your food when it is delivered to your table with your waitress, still standing there because you might have surprises that are baked into...

To whom it may concern,

I’m writing to express my deep disappointment and frustration with the experience my family and I had at your location recently. We arrived at 7:00 PM with a reservation for a party of 10, prepared to celebrate a very special occasion — my daughter’s 10th birthday. From the moment we arrived, the experience began to unravel in a way that was both upsetting and unexpected, especially considering the years we’ve spent visiting and enjoying meals at this location.

Upon checking in, we were informed that the wait time for our table would be approximately one hour. While not ideal, we understood and patiently waited. I observed families of 6-7 check in after me and being sat before me. After a full hour had passed, I returned to the host stand to check in on the status of our table. The host informed me that the table was still not ready but that she would speak with a manager and get back to me. I stood nearby and waited another 10 minutes before she finally returned to the desk, and when she did, she said nothing — no update, no explanation.

Shortly after, a manager approached, pointed at me, and asked if I was with the party of 10. I confirmed, and he responded by saying it would be another 15 minutes. I expressed that we had already waited over an hour, but his response was dismissive — he told me that “typically it’s an hour and a half anyway,” and that we could wait the extra time. There was no apology, no ownership of the situation, and no acknowledgment of the inconvenience or lack of communication we had experienced so far.

At that point, we had already invested our evening into this celebration and didn’t want to disappoint my daughter, so we waited another 15 minutes. When we were finally seated, we were led to a table that had been visibly empty since we arrived — the same table we could have been seated at from the beginning. This added to our frustration, as it made the wait feel even more unnecessary and mismanaged.

Unfortunately, the disappointing service didn’t end there. As mentioned, this dinner was for my daughter’s birthday — her 10th, no less. In past visits, the staff has always made the effort to acknowledge her birthday by singing or at least offering a cheerful gesture. This time, there was no such acknowledgment. She was brought a sundae that was already half melted by the time it reached the table, which only added to the overall sense of neglect and carelessness.

We’ve been loyal customers for years, and this restaurant has always been one of my daughter’s favorite places to eat. What should have been a joyful and memorable birthday dinner turned into a frustrating and disappointing evening, marred by poor communication, disorganization, and a noticeable lack of care from the staff...

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Search reviews Bud's Louisiana Cafe

Cajun/Creole, Breakfast & Brunch, Wine Bars Kearny Mesa, San Diego

Jun 24, 2024 9 photos WOW! What a hidden gem in San Diego, and a very delicious, flavorful, and beautiful gem! Definitely check this place out for your next Cajun craving!

Tucked away and hidden in an industrial complex, Bud's Louisiana Cafe serves amazing southern dishes for reasonable prices! Interior is elegant with nice artworks, but still casual enough for everyone. Service was great all around. $8.50 Cup Seafood Bisque...creamy, tasty, and filled with seafood! $8.50 Cup Seafood gumbo...fragrant, tasty, and filled wit seafood!

$26 Taste of New Orleans...a huge generous portion of Crawfish Etouffee! There were a solid 12-15 crawfish tails, all tender and juicy, over rice, and covered in the flavorful sauce, that was a perfect amount of spiciness.

$22 Blackened Catfish...perfectly cooked with the sweet, juicy, gamey catfish meat, with a lovely butter Cajun seasoning on top, so good! Nice green beans and rice along side it.

See all photos from Chun P. for Bud's Louisiana Cafe

Red Lobster

Seafood, American Midway, San Diego

Jun 24, 2024 9 photos Red Lobster still lives!

But the infamous Endless Shrimp Special is only on Mondays, but still a fantastic deal at $27! So its technically alive as well!

For normal humans eating normal sized meals, Create Your Own Shrimp Platters can be had for $18 for 2 picks, and $22 for 3 picks and a side. This is plenty enough food for most people. The deep fried Walt's shrimp, coconut shrimp, shrimp scampi, and shrimp fettuccine are all still delicious and fantastic.

My $47 Admiral's Feast with Snow Crab, Lobster, and two Shrimps was great too! (My grandma paid, so I splurged!)

Also note that the tasty, buttery, cheesy, and addictive Cheddar Bay Biscuits are still wonderful, and unlimited!

Restaurant was clean, and the service friendly all around. I hope they stay in business so I can come back on a Monday for...