Red Lobster — Restaurant in Elgin

I will be writing a letter to headquarters. I will be blasting this all on social media. In my strongest opinion, this restaurant need to be closed down, just like the other ones. It’s sad because it’s the only one left in Columbia SC. I drove almost 25 minutes to get to this restaurant because I live on the other side of town. What a waste of time and gas. The reason for going was to support the young black ceo and eat dinner, since it’s been over a decade plus , since we have been to red lobster. When first entering, it is so nasty and filthy, I started to walk out. Trash everywhere, food all on tables , staff looking confused, and lobster water so dirty and cloudy, you couldn’t even see the lobsters that was in it. Get to the table and wait 15mins before a waiter came. As I was waiting, I see the host who brought us to our table cleaning the tables too. However, they don’t sanitize the table. He was cleaning it with dry napkins that you wipe your hands with, nothing on the dry napkins and throwing food on the floor. Than he goes get people and sit them down at the table that he didn’t use any soap, cleaning material, not even a wet rag to clean the table. So, it let me know mines was the same , thank god for traveling size hand sanitizer. So I cleaned our table and said, no we still going to give it a try because I wanted to try the Lobster dip and support the new CEO. Than I see the host in the back corner, on the other side of the booth, eating away like it’s nobody business, with the cleaning server and another waiter in the corner just talking. I noticed how short on staff they are and it’s slot of young children working, so I make an announcement on social media that they are hiring and need help badly. So now the host is not cleaning tables right, eating , and looking lost to be honest . The waiter finally comes back with the drinks and 3 biscuit for two people 20 mins later. We place our order and the waiter Jason was very nice. So as we wait 30 mins for the food, mind you really waiting for the lobster dip which is an Appetizer to come. We see our water putting ice into a machine or something . Than the host get the dirty behind pale they put dirty dishes in, and proceed to swing it past people and go wipe another table down with out cleaning it the right way. I caught this on video snd thinking about filing a complaint to dhec and showing them it as well. My elderly mother looked at me and said, she want to leave. I convinced her we was doing it for a cause and to support the new CEO. So she said, we’ll give me plastic wear, if we ever get food because the utensils are dirt. So , I say ok and will ask the waiter. Mind you , there is another customer with her teenager complaining about how nasty the crab boil is and not seasoned. So I started to laugh because, I knew not to order that. I saw a couple of videos on social media on how nasty it was and not seasoned good. After waiting the 30 minute to tell me they out of what I order. My story to long but after not being here in a decade plus, I will never return. I will be contacting dhec and showing them the video. The waiter come to the table and say, “We are out of lobster dip and I don’t know why they just telling me”. He apologized and ask me if there was something else I wanted. I tell myself, ok we have drive this long way, I really wanted that dip but we wanted to support the new CEO. The waiter has left and returned 10 mins later. I tell him, ok yes let me get the crab Queso dip. He tells me to hold on let him check to see if they have that . He returns and say no we don’t have anymore of that . (Also they don’t any fish ad shrimp combos either) so now we almost to an hr of waiting, no food, restaurant just nasty and dirty, bus boy just walking around and it’s just a mess. So, I tell the waiter, never mind, this is awful service and what I have seen, I would rather leave. ( mind you cheddar biscuit wasn't cheddar and very salty. Didn’t taste like nothing back in the days very disappointing) will never return and in my opinion...

My family & I dined in tonight. If I could, I would give it negative stars. My husband is a veteran & apparently their Veterans Day deal ended at 4:30. Do veterans stop serving our country at 4:30???? Nope! Was this advertised that they would stop the deal at 4:30? Nope! My review, honestly isn’t even about that. We were seated fairly quickly. Our waitress got our drinks & then that’s when our service pretty much ended. I had to on several occasions, get up & place dirty plates/cups on the table next to us, in order for us to have room to eat. Our food came - no dinnerware. I had to ask the young man at the front for some. They were out, so he had to make new packets. We were there for 2 hours & never had our server ask us if we needed anything. We had to hunt people down. The staff saw that I was having to clear our table & never offered to help. Our server finally brought our bill out & then she disappeared for 45 minutes. I seriously thought about just leaving without paying. They showed no interest in helping us or getting paid for that matter. An older couple was seated behind us. They waited 35 min & no one even took their order. They asked to speak to a manager. The so called manager came over & gave them a $25 credit, however, he had the attitude of not my problem. I was standing there waiting to speak with him, but he walked away without asking if I needed help or if I needed anything. Our waitress was obviously frustrated & stressed. Also, my children never received their sides for their meals. The service was the worst I have ever received out anywhere. I should not even call it service. Lack there of is a better choice of words. No one said, thank you for your service. It was a horrible experience & we will NEVER go back. We will also advise our family & friends to never eat there either. No apologies, nothing! Our waitress did give us a discount & a free desert. I try to extend grace to people & I did extend it to her. The whole staff needs an overhaul & that place desperately needs new management. It is a joke! Horrible, horrible service! When you have a I don’t care attitude in a management position, you will have a staff that follows with the same I don’t...

I had my daughter 18th birthday here and we reserved the back room. I got there before guest and the room was dirty with stuff all on the tables, chairs were tilted to table, a worker was having her break back there. I had to get an employee to remove all the things out of there. I asked for wipes to wipe the tables and the host offered to wipe the tables and I said it was ok bc that wasn’t his job and he needed to be upfront. I wiped the tables down and I’m glad I brought table cloths to go on the table. I fixed the tables and chairs correctly. When guest arrived it to a min to get drink orders and even get silverware and menus so I went and got them. lol I was a Red Lobster worker that night. I think I want to apply part time for real I liked it.my guest thought it was funny. I don’t know what are waiter/waitress names but they took are order and it took sooooo long to get are food. We got are food and several guest had to return the food bc it was not good for ex. Rice was not cooked (rice was hard), mac and cheese was dry and the salmon bowl had issues as well as some other food issues. We didn’t order anything else bc we were afraid it would take along time to get are food like the first time. BUT ARE WAITER/WAITRESS were awesome. She had a brace on her arm but she was moving , had a pleasant attitude dealing with my big party, offered to help with orders and I felt so bad bc it wasn’t their fault that the food wasn’t good. I think need to reteach the cooks, hire some new cooks. I know I tipped her really well and I believe my guest did too. I did say it wasn’t her fault the food wasn’t up to par but she did her job and well. But I think it will be awhile before we return to eat but I maybe working...