Red Lobster Is Launching a Revamped Menu and Bringing Back 2 of Its Best Discontinued Menu Items

Red Lobster has been through one hell of a year.

In May, the company officially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Food & Wine reported at the time that the filing included 166 pages of creditors to whom the company owed money, including everyone from lawn companies to aquarium techs who kept their live seafood fresh. This was also all after an absolutely disastrous Ultimate Endless Shrimp offering, which caused the restaurant chain to post an operating loss of more than $11 million in the third quarter of 2023. But now, it appears the popular seafood chain is turning things around — and even bringing back some old-school menu favorites that are sure to delight diehard fans. 

"With decades of serving up memorable dining experiences, the new menu features seven mouthwatering new dishes, welcomes back beloved fan favorites, and adds a festive flair with limited-time holiday-inspired sips," Red Lobster shared in a press release this week. As it noted, these items will be available at all 545 Red Lobster locations across the United States, so everyone will get a chance to try them. 

The new items include Lobster Pappardelle Pasta, Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops, Lobster Bisque, Lemon Basil Mahi, Simply Prepared Mahi, Parmesan-Crusted Chicken, and Roasted Asparagus. It's also launching a Snowglobe Sangria and festive Ruby Mule and Mocha Espresso Martini to pair with your meal. However, we're here for the nostalgia items: Hush Puppies and Popcorn Shrimp. 

"For those who love a good comeback story, Red Lobster is serving up just that," the brand explained when it revealed that Popcorn Shrimp and Hush Puppies are back on the menu. 

"I expect a stampede into our restaurants because we’re bringing back the hush puppies," the company's CEO Damola Adamolekun shared with Today. "I stopped going to Red Lobster because they stopped the hush puppies. Since I was in college, I love the hush puppies. I’m glad they’re back."

But hang on, there's more. The company also explained that it's giving guests the option of customizing their meals with the new "Create your Own Ultimate Feast" offering, which allows diners to get two premium picks, including Maine Lobster Tail or Snow Crab Legs, with two classics, "such as Walt’s Favorite Shrimp and Garlic Shrimp Scampi, for a seafood experience that’s truly their own." 

What you definitely won't see on this menu is Endless Shrimp. As Adamolekun told Today, he decided not to "because I know how to do math." He did, however, offer up this tease: “I never want to say never, but certainly not the way that it was done … We won’t have it in a way that’s losing money in that fashion and isn’t managed." So, we'll just have to wait and see.