Red Lobster — Restaurant in Sterling

Nope nope nope - never again. The food here is literally terrible and compounded by the below average inattententive staff and condescending management.

Our party of 5 had to wait over 20 minutes just to be seated when the restaurant was less than not busy, with zero apologies. This was just the start.

Our initial waiter took our drink orders and more than 15 minutes later came by to inform us that he was passing us to another server. I have no issue with this but by this time drinks (and stater biscuits) should have been out - they still weren't. The waiter came out eventually with most of the drinks and biscuits, one of the plates was not clean so I requested a new one. It didn't arrive until well after the appetizers ( which came out later ) were gone, which again on its own is not a big deal but the angst was building.

When our food was finally ordered and delivered - again a long delay with minimal attention in between - all of our meals that came with mashed potato were stale. They tasted like they had been made from a box 2 weeks ago and chosen to serve us that night from the back of a dark closet. One of the steaks was ordered rare... It looked like it had been taken from the freezer (after sitting there for a few years) and then put on a hot skillet for 3 seconds on one side - 4 seconds on the other - allowed to thaw slightly and then served (not a proper temperature sear). It was rare with zero juice coming from it like it was still in its frozen state. It was also tough to cut.

The accompanying lobster was so tough and over done that we literally cut it with a STEAK knife. The clam chowder was room temperature and the other meals were disappointing as well. All of the other steaks had poor flavor and were tough and overcooked regardless of the requested temperature. The redtail shrimp was equally overdone but had good flavor so it was somewhat edible. The green beans were limp and tasted like they had been microwaved. All of the food had something off.

We looked for our server many times. When he finally came back to clear our appetizer plates off of the table we just gave him back the meals with most of the food still on them. He asked if we wanted boxes, we said no. He asked if we wanted the manager, we said yes. The manager came, apparently thought we ate the meals and scolded us for not contacting him sooner before taking off 1/5th of the bill...wow.

For the record and to any management reading this - I actually did not care at all to have the bill adjusted ( though for the price vs quality...I should have paid nothing) I even relayed this when requesting the manager. I just wanted you to know exactly what the food you were serving to people tasted like. It was terrible and something is very wrong back in the kitchen if this what you serve to people as dinner.

Never again. We left and went to another restaurant where we were properly serviced and the food was...

Visit was on 21 December at about 7:00pm in Sterling, VA

First off, let me be clear here that our server, Jason, was amazing. He did a fantastic job and should be commended for his work. He worked hard and brought our food quickly and really was engaged in the whole process. Good work Jason! If this were only about Jason, I would give the maximum number of stars and ask if I could give more.

It is with his manager I have an issue.

I made a comment about the salad. It was wilted and I could tell had been sitting out for a while. I mentioned it to Jason only because I felt someone should know. Let’s face it, no one goes to Red Lobster for salad. He apologized and said he would mention it to his manager.

Two minutes later, his manager came over, an older man with a graying beard and thinning hair and he said. “I understand something was not up to snuff?”

I said, “Yes, it is just that the salad was wilted and seemed like it had been sitting out for a while.”

He said. “I am sure that is not the case.”

Now, I have never been a restaurant manager, but I am pretty sure telling your customer that you don’t believe them when they tell you there was something wrong with their experience is likely not anywhere in the managers training manual at any restaurant.

I let it go, but the longer I sat there, the angrier I became about it. If he had apologized and faked genuine concern, I would have been okay with that. I wasn’t looking for free food or anything else, I just simply felt it was good to alert someone to an issue. But the manager dismissed my complaint as something I had simply imagined.

What this tells me is twofold:

1. The manager flat out doesn’t care that his customer had a problem with their meal. I would think that would be the last thing you would want to hear as a manager at a restaurant. When I worked in the restaurant industry, I went to all lengths to ensure my customers had a positive experience and I wasn’t a manager.

2. The manager doesn’t care if there is an issue in their food prep at this location. If he is willing to overlook this issue in something like a salad, then he is willing to overlook it in other aspects of the restaurant is the conclusion I reach. Not something you want in a place that serves seafood.

This is NOVA. We are only 40-60 minutes away from crab places which steam fresh crab and bring it to you in quantities which make your eyes pop out of your head. My wife wanted Red Lobster, so we went there to indulge her craving. Any place offering to sell seafood does have to be a cut above in order to make sure they meet muster out here.

I will not be returning to this restaurant and likely will pass on any Red Lobster experiences in the future. I will also ensure this experience is shared with as many people as possible. At the end of the day, it is about service. This is something this manager...

We celebrated my niece's sweet 16th birthday at RL on July 12. Initially, we had a reservation for 15 guests at 3 PM, but I requested a change to 3:30 PM for a smaller group of 10. The restaurant was very accommodating, which I appreciate.

However, our experience was unfortunately marred by the service, which was disappointing. Upon arriving at the restaurant, we noticed it wasn't particularly crowded and did not appear short-staffed, leading us to anticipate prompt and attentive service. Our server, Alena, greeted us with a lack of enthusiasm—her expression was neutral, and she did not smile at any point during our visit. While we understand that everyone can have an off day, we were there to celebrate a special occasion and hoped for a more cheerful atmosphere.

As the afternoon progressed, it became clear that Alena was relatively slow in attending to our needs. Our orders were taken leisurely, and when the food arrived, there were a few mistakes—some dishes were wrong or incomplete. Given the size of our party, we tried to stay understanding, and fortunately, the staff handled those issues swiftly.

On a positive note, the food was a hit—the flavors were delightful, and everyone enjoyed their meals without complaints. However, the slow pace of service overshadowed the enjoyable food. The most disheartening moment came when we asked for the check; we had to wait nearly 15 to 20 minutes for it to arrive. Additionally, we were disappointed that Alena did not offer to sing "Happy Birthday" to my niece or suggest a dessert or cake to mark the occasion. These small gestures could have added a special touch to our celebration, but were noticeably absent. Overall, while the food was great, the service left much to be desired on what should have been a joyful day. We didn't get to leave the restaurant...