Red Lobster — Restaurant in Toms River

Secaucus Red Lobster 3/22/2024 We were a party of four, we were there to celebrate two family birthdays. Red Lobster is my sister’s favorite place to go on her birthday. Well she boldly said NOT AGAIN adding this was a terrible dinner. All of us have the same overall assessment it was no higher than a two star , and giving three stars was me being generous. The food was average. There was no seasoning or flavor beyond the taste of the shrimp, Scallops , lobster or steak. My daughter ordered the ultimate feast with potatoes and broccoli as her two sides, she did not ask for rice she does not eat rice they put rice on her plate. Which clearly was a mistake because my sister ordered rice and didn’t get it. The service was average. The server Alan seemed a little overwhelmed. We were only drinking water and soda and we were never asked if we would like a refill. I had to ask for more water after a long period of time waiting to see if we were going to be asked. I over heard a comment made by a server “Drinking Only Aqua take your time” The establishment was not overly busy at the time we were there around 5 pm. 3/22/20240 I would like to address our main concern beyond the average food and service. The hostess was yelling across the room to the servers that were up on the mezzanine level by the bar. This must be where they hang out. Well, this is where we were sitting in the restaurant. It was very unprofessional. It continued the entire time we were in the restaurant. The servers only interaction was to yell back. A lot of this was done in Spanish, and we couldn’t understand what they were yelling about. We felt it was a very rude and crude atmosphere, very non-professional behavior in a restaurant. If this was done by patrons, I’m sure they would’ve been asked to leave. At one point a server walked next to my sister, to yell back at the hostess over the mezzanine wall. When we were leaving, we asked to speak to the manager and was told yes she’s in the back but she is busy! So I decided I was going to put in a review And advise you of the situation of...

I have never been so disappointed when placing an order. After 1 hour of trying to place a curbside order, orginally to be ready at 4:30, we had to call our order in because we couldnt get our sides or additional appetizers added to order. When we finally were able to call the order in, automated, our order was now going to be ready for 5:30 curbside pickup. We arrived at 5:15, called and texted our arrival. By 6pm we went inside to check on our order to be told there were still quite a few people ahead of us. At 7pm we went back inside to check on our order, not ready yet. As we were walking out the door, our 2nd time, our order arrived. We realize it was Valentine's day and everybody has been itching to get out due to the pandemic, but getting your order one and a half hours after your scheduled pickup time is not ACCEPTABLE! Actually 2 1/2 hours from original order pickup time. This is not the 1st time we were dissatisfied with the service from Red Lobster. We have waited during inside dining over an hour for our meals. Going by the cost of our meals and service we would have been better off going a real seafood restaurant. The service and food would have been better and appreciated. The response when we went inside the 2nd time was we are not taking anymore curbside or pick up orders. Heck, they weren't answering the phone either. We proceeded to bring our meals home, which weren't bad, but we lost our appetite and never even ate 1/2 of it. Needless to say we will need a better incentive to continue patronizing Red Lobster...

Normally, I avoid dining out or ordering on Mother’s Day due to how hectic it gets—but this year, my sweet 89-year-old mother requested a takeout dinner from Red Lobster as a special treat. My husband and I were fine with leftovers, but I wanted to make her happy.. I placed the order by phone and was told it would be ready at 5:15 PM. When I arrived, it was understandably busy, so I expected a short delay. What I didn’t expect was to wait nearly an hour past the promised time, finally receiving my order sometime after 6:00. Other customers were visibly frustrated and sharing the same complaint—they too had been told 5:15 pickup and were still waiting. I understand Mother’s Day is a high-volume day, but that’s exactly why better planning and staffing should have been in place. If you can’t handle the orders, don’t overpromise. When I finally got the food, I opened the bag right outside because something didn’t look right. It turned out to be the correct order, but the portion size was shockingly small—a serious letdown. Thankfully, my mom has a small appetite, but if this had been for me or my husband, we would’ve been left hungry. I also requested extra sour cream over the phone, which wasn’t included. Minor, yes, but the kind of detail that adds up in a disappointing experience. Bottom line: I won’t be ordering from Red Lobster again—not on a holiday, and honestly, not even on a regular day. When a special meal for a beloved mom turns into over an hour of waiting and a meal that barely qualifies as dinner, it’s just...