Seafood Haters Can Still Order Decent Menu Items At Red Lobster

As you might expect from the name, Red Lobster is a restaurant specializing in seafood. As such, it's likely not your first choice if you're not partial to eating anything that lives underwater. However, you may wind up dining there if you have any friends who are seafood fans. While you may wish to make a meal from its famous Cheddar Bay biscuits, the restaurant undoubtedly frowns upon that, so you do need to order something. Luckily, Red Lobster has decent options for seafood haters. 

If you're a meat eater, Red Lobster's menu offers a selection of steaks, although some menu items should never be ordered since they may not be as well-prepared as dishes you'd find elsewhere, like at a steak house. It also offers a cheeseburger and a few chicken entrées, such as tenders, a maple-glazed, bacon-topped breast, and Cajun chicken alfredo pasta. Numerous copycat recipes speak to how good this last-named item is. You can also get grilled chicken as an add-on to its Caesar salad. 

If you're a vegetarian, it's trickier to find anything to eat at Red Lobster. A Reddit AMA led by one of the company's servers suggested the Caesar salad is vegetarian, although they couldn't say for sure whether the dressing is anchovy-free. They also recommended a meatless pasta dish that no longer appears on the menu, although you could try ordering the Cajun alfredo sans chicken.

Fortunately, non-seafood eaters have plenty of options when they venture off the main menu at Red Lobster. The appetizer list looks pretty fishy, but its mozzarella sticks and fried green beans are made with land-based ingredients. Both items are vegetarian, but neither is vegan, as the batter used for the beans contains dairy. If you are vegan, you may be limited to ordering nothing but sides: The broccoli, quinoa rice, plain baked potato, brussels sprouts, and fries are all fish, meat, and dairy-free, but the latter two may be cooked in the same oil that's been used to fry seafood.

If all else fails, you can fill up on desserts, as these are some of the most popular items on Red Lobster's menu. If your main meal is less filling, you'll potentially have room to enjoy an indulgent dessert, such as its Brownie Overboard sundae or a slice of cheesecake. The server from the Reddit AMA also recommended frozen drinks like the mudslide, piña colada, and strawberry daiquiri, noting that these cocktails can be made without alcohol, so you can enjoy one even if you are the designated driver.