Red Lobster — Restaurant in Richmond

Went here for my Birthday dinner, Don't know what it is about trying to have a decent meal for your Birthday but seems impossible to go have a decent experience for a birthday dinner..Tried Cheddars last year with pretty much same results as this one. (But this review is not about Cheddars.) Have ate here many many times used to know the waiters and manager by name (Robert) before they remodel and changed managers, at the Richmond location. Arrived at the resturant somewhere around 2 pm was seated up front by the window With only one other table occupied in that area, And maybe 4 or 5 other tables occupied in the rest of the resturant. Definitely was not their busy time, and was on a Friday. Our waiter finally appeared after a 10 -15 min wait. It had to be this dudes 1st day or I would think he would not still be there. Ordered a Lotta Colada which has been on Red Lobsters menu for a long long time. Waiter came back 10 mins. Later and ask me what that was. I told him a Big Pina Colada with a side of Capt. Morgan rum. Off he went 5 mins. Or so back he came with my Lotta colada Tasted it, It had NO rum at all in the drink only the side of Capt. Morgan with very little rum in the shot glass. Wife said send it back, I said no way our food would be here by the time it came back. My order was - Ultimate with Lobster tail, Crab Legs, shrimp scampi and walts favorite shrimp, Baked potatoe And a salad. My wife's order- Shrimp scampi Baked potatoe and salad. We waited and waited and Did not see our waiter to tell him to bring our salads (which you should not have to do) I told my wife looks like another screwed up Birthday dinner. About that time here comes our waiter with 2 of the best looking salads I have ever saw at any Red Lobster along with someone from the kitchen I assumed, carrying all our food on trays. (Guys what is so hard about taking an order and bringing people their salads before bringing your food??) People want time to enjoy their salads before you throw their food at them.... It's not like our waiter was to busy.. And as stated above they were the best looking salads I have ever been served at any Red Lobster. So we try to gobble down some of the salad before all the other food sits there and gets cold, which of course did not happen. My wife and I both ate a few bites of the salads then started on our food. My crab Legs were cold as well as my Lobster tail. Both, my wife and my shrimps were at best warm and the Baked potatoes would BARELY melt butter. This was the worst experience I have ever had at the Richmond Red Lobster and I have ate there often for probably the last 20 plus years. No we did not complain to the waiter or ask for the manager.. WHAT GOOD WOULD IT DO?? The day was screwed up already, what they gonna do? can't turn back time and get it right.... We arrived there somewhere around 2-2:15 simply because it is not normally that busy and it was not that busy that day and we left the restaurant somewhere between 3:30 and 4. Truth be told this is probably the last time we will try and go out for a Birthday dinner or any special occasion. Just seems impossible Nowdays to get a decent meal when you really want it to be special. Will have to stay at home where you know what you will be getting. I have ate at this Red lobster many times with hardly any complaints, Maybe a cold Baked potatoe that won't melt butter every now and then or wrong dressing on a salad but nothin major and it was always taken care of and was nothing that would ruin the whole meal. Seems since covid hit you cannot go anywhere for a special occasion and expect to have a decent meal without something being messed up. Had we gotten our salads in time to eat them and then gotten our food and it be hot I would give 4 or 5 stars. On this trip I am gonna rate it ONE STAR mainly because we had a (very slow and sorry waiter.) That screwed up yet another Birthday dinner. I have never ate at this location before that I would not rate at least 4 stars. If your there for a special occasion tell management and cross...

Very good food and service was decent. I will definitely bee back as soon as possible. Thank you You should bee very proud of your staff and all the attention they give patrons.NOTE: It's important you read first review. I had finally got my girlfriend to come there after 15 or 20 years.( How ever long we've been together and she does like sea food) Anyways I came back the other day and ordered a steak medium well and lobster. The steak was rare and blood squirted out all over plate w/lobster and mashed potatoes. I brought it to waiters attention. He said it was. Just protein. I said could you have it cooked some more. He did and brought plates back to me with same food in the blood squirted out on. Manager was alerted of complaint. He dismissed Iit as what they marinated it in.bHe said he'd cook me something else or something on menu.i told him I have no time to wait so he grabbed plates off table( like I was gonna eat some of it or snatch it up or something) Would you have asked a lawyer, nurse,etc... to wait? No you wouldn't. Either directly or indirectly you did yourself a favor. If a someone comes in trying to pull a fast one on you and reads this. Then they need to know your not going to put up with it no more. I realized you have people coming in wanting free meals or something for nothing. News flash I'm not some people. You all did me wrong and you know it. I should've gotten a card for a meal on you guys. I'm truly disappointed in this place and management. Why would you not do something to accommodate me when I wasn't up to no good? I've never complained about All the poor service at all the restaurants I've been to. The other messed up my orders. It's honestly sad that you showed your true colors.I should've gotten a whole new plate the first time. When manager alerted and I had to go and couldn't wait for something else to be cooked. You do whatever you can not what you want I'll probably try to complain to the company as a whole.Not that it'll do any good. Don't do this to anyone else please. Wow it was really a trip and not a good one either. I got your number though and how you don't got your priorities straight. I won't be returning ever. Zero Stars for you guys. I won't be returning EVER!!! Please read this you all. This place has issues....

We have been to this location a couple of times. We were there Friday afternoon, and started with drinks which it was Happy Hour at the time. I had a strawberry daiquiri which lacked something to be desired. It had hardly any strawberry flavor or sweetness and was a LOT of alcohol. I had my husband try it to make sure it wasn't just me and he agreed it was terrible. He had a margarita which he said was extremely sour. We got the smaller sizes not the large and 2 drinks was over $24 in Happy Hour. I hate to see what the larger sizes cost. I ordered the Admirals Feast because I like having leftovers and he had the Surf & Turf Maine Lobster Tail & 7 oz. Sirloin. The Shrimp in mine was so over cooked and was sitting in some liquid like oil or something and was terrible. I couldn't even eat but one. The clams and scallops I could eat along with my baked Potato. The Fish was a bit overdone, and I ended up giving it to my husband. Out of my meal I ended up eating my house salad, baked potato and some clams and scallops. His meal the Lobster tail was so TINY and not worth the price we paid. We've had Maine Lobster Tail many times at different places and this one was like a baby compared to the rest. It was like maybe 3oz if that. I joked with him and told him it was apparently a juvenile. Our trip was over $100 and prob one of the worst meals I've had in a while. I would like to blame it on being crowded but there were maybe 8 vehicles if that in the parking lot and very few in the restaurant. I'm hoping just a bad day, but we won't be going back for a while. On a side note, our Waitress was spectacular and...