Reviews of Red Lobster
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Same here
Well im from south texas i work in Red Lobster has a server for 3 years and i have 1 year in Olive Garden, people need to know that Darden has a table rule servers can only take 3 tables to give BETTER service if you go to chilis, applebees, carinos, or any other big name dining place, they take up to 7 tables and they give crappy service.... Darden restaurants (Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Longhorn, Brahma Breeze) they have a 3 table rule to give good service and we do, it doesn't mean if the restarant has like 25 tables empty means its OPEN! it means there isn't enough servers to take those tables, also if the SECTION is CLOSE is because its not a busy day and no need to have so many servers and use that section for nothing. and if u go to eat like at 10:50 and we close at 11 pm at any restaurant then dont expect a great service remember we are trying to go home and sleep we have lifes too at home some of us has kids to take care of and then you all go late to eat!!!
Review by Anonymous from Texas posted July 25, 2009
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Restaurant Misconceptions
I am a waitress at Olive Garden down the street from Red Lobster, and I want to clear up some issues regarding this review through the eyes of a waitress. First, although the restaurant is open until 11 PM, guests need to keep in mind that they are arriving 30 minutes before closing, when honestly the only thing on a server’s mind is getting the hell out of there. It’s just like a 9-5 job and you’re counting down the minutes at 4:30 PM. Not to mention that they may have been on their feet the whole day. Anywhere from 11 AM to 4 PM until the restaurant closes. Also, one thing that no one really understands (and I was one of these people until I became a waitress) is that just because there are empty tables in a restaurant does not mean there will NOT be a wait. There may be plenty of open seats, but not enough servers to take on those seats. For example, a server may only be allowed to take on 3 tables. However, there may be 10 open tables, but, if that server already has 3 tables, of course there are going to be 7 empty tables.
Do you really think you could take table 1’s order while refilling the drinks for table 2 and boxing up table 3’s leftovers and then having table 1 tell you they want extra dressing on the salad and table 2 catching you and saying they changed their order (even though you already rang it in and the chef is making it that very instant) and then table 3 telling you they want dessert, and then going back to table 1 for the extra dressing only to realize that the salad guy accidentally put tomatoes on the salad, and having to go get another salad all the while table 3 decides they don’t like the dessert, it’s too rich, and then having to track down a manager to take the dessert off the check and then table 1 getting mad b/c while you were looking for the manager their food came out before their salad without tomatoes, and then realizing that whoever brought out their food brought out steak that was supposed to be well down and not rare, and then table 2 stating that whoever brought out their food brought out the wrong dish, and then finally getting them the right dish and having them tell you that they want extra sauce, oh, and the breadsticks are now cold and they would like fresh, and then table 1 sucked down their water faster than you can blink so you need to refill their drinks, and then table 3 eventually pays and doesn’t leave you a tip, and then the hostess finally seats you again, but this time it’s a couple who has been waiting 30 minutes for a table and they’re already in a bad mood because they had to wait, and for some unknown reason decides to take it out on their server, who is trying to do his/her best to keep a smile on their face even though it is 10:55 PM at night and they just got sat 5 minutes before close, and by the time table 3 figures out what the hell they want to eat the chefs are mad at you because you didn’t ring in their food until 11:25 PM and they want to get the hell out of there too, but now they can’t because your table couldn’t decide what they wanted to eat, and frankly, felt like catching up on old times over a couple of Long Island Iced Teas instead of looking at the menu. All the while, tables 1 and 2 have cashed out, both leaving decent tips, but keep in mind you still have to wipe down the tables and chairs in your section of three tables, wipe the blinds and window frame, fill the salts and peppers, etc. Oh, and you can’t forget picking up the spaghetti the baby at table 2 threw all over the floor, and the gum you have to scrape off the bottom of the table. And then table 3 doesn’t leave until 12:05 AM, leaving a crappy $3 tip on a $40 bill. It’s always the very last tables that either stiff the servers or leave the most pathetic tips. Hmm, and all the while the server’s foot is aching in blisters from walking for 7 ½ hours straight and they have to get up early the next morning to sing in the church choir and then head to another 8 hour day on their feet, hopefully dealing with good apples, but also getting a few bad ones throughout the day as well. Servers are people too. We all make mistakes. But, in our eyes, we don’t think you could really blame us if you were in our shoes.
I assure you that your race had nothing to do with the unfortunate service (or extreme lack thereof) that you received. I applaud the one server who greeted you (seeing as how technically she did not need to, but it is requested for us to do so if we notice that a table may not have been greeted.) On the other hand, that server could have offered you drinks, but may have been too busy to do so, but still could have taken your drink orders and then tracked down your server to tell him/her the orders (considering he/she had enough time to even stop by to see if you had been greeted.) Something I suggest that you do next time is to not just walk out without a word, but ask a hostess or a server walking by to speak to a manager. By doing so, they will make sure to concentrate on you more to make up for the lack of service previously received, and it also allows them to know that something is going on. Simply walking out of the restaurant did no good for the restaurant or the guest. Your stay at Red Lobster could have been much better if different steps were taken, whereas now you have posted a review bashing the restaurant, when something could have been prevented. Also, if the bathroom was not up to your satisfaction, there is no problem with letting that be known. And I can’t stress enough how upsetting it is for people to tie race into the service they receive at a restaurant. The table that arrived after you and was actually served does not mean that their server was also yours. Just because the tables are close by each other does not mean that one server has all those tables. Their server may have only had that one table to take care of, therefore being able to take their orders before your server was able to even greet you, while your server may have already had three tables, and keep in mind, there are plenty of things that can cause a server to get busy super fast. For instance, receiving a $100 bill on a $30 check and having to get change from the bar; having to search for a manager to take off an entrée for a table’s check; having to argue with the chefs that the steak for table 30 was to be rare and not well done and needing to have it remade causing even more problems for their tables, etc. Also, a restaurant will never ever EVER tell you that they will not serve you because it is late. If they did that, you would probably turn that into some racist critique as well. Tables may be dirty, the busser may be too busy to take on all the tables that need to be cleaned, but that does not mean that a restaurant cannot serve you. If the dirty tables upset you, tell a manager.
Review by Anonymous from Beachwood posted July 29, 2006
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don't fish here
My husband and I arrived at this establishment at 10:30 p.m. on Friday, June 16, after a 6 hour drive from Chicago. We checked the hours, and seeing that closing time was 11p.m., we entered.I remarked to the hostess that I was so happy they were still open and serving. She informed us that there would be a 15 min. wait, which surprised us, since there were so many unoccupied tables, but we waited patiently til our buzzer sounded. We were seated at 10:50. A few minutes later, another couple was seated at the table behind us. The hostess came by and said our order would be taken momentarily. Five minutes after that, the other couple's order was taken, and another waiter came by and asked if our server had introduced himself yet. We replied no, and were assured we'd be served momentarily. During this wait time we were not offered water, a drink order, or a bread basket. We finally walked out without a word at 11:10. As a business owner, I was deeply offended, and I won't play a race card, but as we are of Asian descent, I have to wonder if that entered into our treatment. It was the worst experience I've ever had in a restaurant since 1969, when my "hippie" friends and I were totally ignored at a diner in Alabama. I can understand that now, looking back at our appearance, but I can't excuse the treatment we received last week.
Besides that, reading your grading below, the restroom was one of the filthiest I've ever visited in a dining facility, and the tables around us were strewn with plates and food. I realize the hour was late, but if they were overwhelmed, they should have just explained that we were too late to be served, although they didn't seem to have a problem accomodating the folks behind us.
Review by BJ Fukawa, from Chicago from Re: Beachwood establishment posted June 26, 2006
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