This season Red Lobster is offering a whole new concept on lunch. You may have already seen some of the commercials for it on TV, but in case you haven’t the restaurant has launched their new Seaside Express Lunch here in Orlando. Red Lobster is putting a whole new spin on quick meals that are gourmet and easy on your wallet.
I was able to experience the Seaside Express Lunch at Red Lobster on East Colonial Avenue. A specially crafted menu has been created specifically for this new dining experience. You can check out menu options on either a traditional fold out or on the digital menu located above the Seaside Express kiosks. These kiosks are put in place to create a faster and more efficient ordering process. The express lunch concept boasts that you will receive your food hot, fresh and ready within 7 minutes of placing your order.
To create an even more efficient process Red Lobster has set up a dining area for Seaside Express diners. What I like about this is those looking to eat more in a hurry can be better served, and those wanting a more leisurely experience will not have servers constantly whizzing by them with food. Designated servers are trained specifically to handle this new express lunch in order to help customers get the quality fresh food they expect in the timely manner that they need.
This is a great way to dine out during the week for those among us who want some time away from the office, but don’t have the hours or dollars to spend. It’s a much better alternative to fast food or order-at-the-counter establishments because you can still get the sit-down restaurant experience as well as the sit-down restaurant food, but in almost half the time and at half the cost.
As I sat in the Seaside Express dining room I could envision men and women in their business attire enjoying meals together without the worry of a huge time crunch. The prices of the Seaside Express lunches are what make this concept even more attractive. You get to order a main course as well as a side item such as New England clam chowder or garlic parmesan fries with a drink for $10 or less. That’s right, $10 or less. Some meal options are as inexpensive as $6.99.
There are a number of delicious items you can order such as lobster flatbread, BBQ shrimp flatbread, sweet and spicy tacos, Mahi-Mahi tacos and even a mouthwatering lobster lover’s grilled cheese. They also offer inexpensive appetizer platters of fresh steamed edamame ($1.99), sweet coconut chili shrimp bites ($2.99) and corn fritters ($0.99). For those looking to satisfy a sweet tooth you can order strawberry shortcake, chocolate peanut butter crunch or gourmet cookies.
Overall, Red Lobster has created a relaxed and sociable atmosphere that provides good food as well as quick and attentive service. I had an incredibly enjoyable time and am already making plans to go back and try something else on the Seaside Express menu. You can check out the Seaside Express Lunch experience at either the East Colonial Drive location or the Sanford location.
