Why do some people make jokes about Red Lobster?

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussions' started by Abner, Jun 18, 2016.

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  1. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    Is it because it is kind of sort of nice, but not super fancy? I don't know, I think they have good food there myself. I mean, I have dined at five star restaurants, but Red Lobster is fine with me. It's not like it's McDonald's cheap either.

    I know it may seem like a silly question, but I heard a joke from some stand up guy late at night once, and it kind of flew over my head. What am I missing? My friend and I are going there for dinner tonight. He knows the cook "Pops", so we should get some mighty good vittels. :smile:

    Have a good weekend!
     
  2. RAM PhD

    RAM PhD Member

    I don't know, Abner, I've never heard the jokes. My wife and I enjoy eating at Red Lobster.
     
  3. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    Yeah, they have good food there. My friend and I just got back from having dinner there. I got the admiral special. It was really good. For some reason, I don't understand many jokes, and I am a very poor joke teller. Whenever I try to tell a joke, I mess up something up, and it spoils the joke. Of course, I was half asleep when I heard the joke, so that could be why. I am thinking that some Italian (my wife is half Italian) people might think that a place like the Olive Garden is sort of a joke, since it is not quite authentic. Something like that anyway.
     
  4. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    I think it's just used as an example of a type of restaurant = the big chain restaurant life Chili's or Olive Garden. The quality of their food is fine but their menu is the same across the country. The interior layouts are the same the décor is the same, sot of a coolie-cutter restaurant serving cookie-cutter food. I eat in places like this a lot because 1) they are everywhere, 2) I know there will be things of the menu for me, 3) the price is not bad. Also, I think there are a lot of foody snobs around who look down of these sorts of places.
     
  5. AV8R

    AV8R Active Member

    Don't know why there are so many Red Lobster jokes, but some of them are pretty funny...

    Yo' Mama is so nasty, Red Lobster kicked her out for bringing her own crabs.
     
  6. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef


    For a very long time, Red Lobster was on a great trajectory.
    When I was in the early part of my career, there was a Disney chef who went on to head up a prestigious culinary school called the California Culinary Academy. Chef Keogh ran that school very successfully for a long time, in fact, he was on Team USA (or the manager, I forget) and left to be corporate chef for Dardan. In between then and now, something happened- not sure what or why or how. But, Keith Keogh is long gone and Red Lobster is crap. The last time I went ~5 years ago, my shrimp was served to me in the black plastic microwave tray that it was cooked in. Yeah. The end.
     
  7. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    We have some Red Lobster restaurants in Canada. I hate seafood, so I don't care about them. Last time I was in a Red Lobster here was 34 years ago. My son's 12th birthday - he's the seafood fan, particularly lobster.

    So -- my son asked for lobster - and guess what - there WASN'T any - period. Never went back -- no reason to. :sad:

    J.

    P.S. I find that many American stores - including eatery chains - that open here in Canada do poorly. Too many offer a bleak imitation of what the parent firm offers in the US, or, in some cases, we are sent what appear to be their leftover goods, unsalable in the US market. Perhaps these outfits figure that Canadians are so deprived or unsophisticated that they'll buy anything. Well, they won't.

    Some of the lessons learned have been exceedingly expensive. For example, we have no more Target stores, Krispy Kreme or Ponderosa restaurants here. I can think of several other chains of various sorts that I believe deserve to go over the brink in the next year or two.

    But like 'em or not, verily I say unto Canadians: Lowe's and Home Depot ye shall always have with you. :smile:
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 19, 2016
  8. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    From what I gather, people joke about Red Lobster and Olive Garden because they are overpriced chain restaurants that some people (the joke is low-class people) think are fancy. It's considered an insult to take someone you just started dating to Olive Garden or Red Lobster with the belief that you're taking the person to some place fancy. You'd be better off taking your date to a non-chain, sit-down restaurant even if it is cheaper than Red Lobster or Olive Garden.

    The last time I went to Red Lobster, my lobster tasted spoiled. I'd rather cook lobster at home. In one of Beyonce's new songs, she sings about taking her man to Red Lobster. It temporarily boosted their sales by 33%. But, I'm sure people have found out by now that they're overpaying for mediocre seafood, and the restaurant will go back to struggling.
     
  9. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    The nearest Red Lobster to me is in Connecticut, and that one is almost in New York.

    There are none in the prime lobster area of New England (Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts) because we know good lobster, and Red Lobster doesn't have it. I also dislike the Olive Garden, it's overpriced and the portion sizes stink.
     
  10. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Another example of a US chain that (deservedly) fell on its face in Canada. There are only 5 left here. Nearest one is over 1,000 miles from me.

    J.
     
  11. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    I really only like going to the Olive Garden for their soup, salad and bread sticks. All the other stuff basically sucks. The concept of what is authentic, and what isn't is an interesting one. For example, you have Italian pizza, and you have Italian American Pizza. When you go to Italy, there are no meat lovers pizza (unless there are some chain out in Europe now), no pineapple on pizza, no thick crust ...........etc. etc. etc. These are example of AMERICAN Italian pizza. In Italy, for the most part, a pizza mainly consists of a thin crust, with a little bit of cheese, tomatoes, etc. with no meat usually. Very different than the pizza we have here. Another interesting thing. The Europeans always seem to eat in courses. So I'm chillin in Italy, and I order some pizza and ask that my salad be brought out with my pizza so I can eat it at the same time. Holy shite! The waiter made this face like I just insulted his mother or something. Then he walked away, shaking his head in disbelief. Then, they sent out a waitress from London, who asked me in English if it was correct that I wanted my pizza and salad to be brought out at the same time. I said "yes". As an American, I just like to eat whatever I want in no particular order, not in courses. When in Rome, I usually do as the Romans do, but on that day, I just wanted to have a couple of slices with some salad, nothing else.

    I also noticed that in Europe as a whole, they like to drink tiny amounts of water, or sody pop and such. As an American, I like to drink plenty of water or liquid with my food. Boy, the Europeans seem to be less thirsty or something. :smile: No big gulps over there.

    I did have some good Italian American pizza when I was in Boston's North end at a place called Regina's Pizzeria, or was it Pizzeria Regina's?
     
  12. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    When I was in Australia (New South Wales), the most common American fast food place I saw wasn't McDonald's or Burger King, it was Kentucky Fried Chicken. From the Sydney Airport to the suburbs, they seemed to be everywhere.
     
  13. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    Pizzeria Regina, it's a chain with mediocre pizza.

    For the best pizza in Boston, it's got to be Santarpio's in East Boston.

    Santarpios Pizza - East Boston - Peabody, Massachusetts
     
  14. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    Well, the pizza tasted good, but then again, I was mighty hungry. I was told I just had to eat there, as we went to the original location. I will check out Santarpio's next time. What kind of pizza do you suggest?
     
  15. Koolcypher

    Koolcypher Member

    I only know one Red Lobster joke:

    "Yo' Mama is so nasty, Red Lobster kicked her out for bringing her own crabs." That's it :biggrin:
     
  16. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Another chain that has its poorest locations in Canada. Col. Sanders himself (who spent his last years in Canada, IIRC) decried the Canadian operation - said the product tasted like cardboard. He obviously knew his stuff. Long after his demise - it still does - or at least it still smells like singed cardboard. Haven't tasted any in over 20 years.

    J.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 20, 2016
  17. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    It looks like AV8R knows the same joke. See post #5.
     
  18. AV8R

    AV8R Active Member

    Since this thread is moving to some degree to fast food restaurants, I have long been fascinated by the Jollibee chain, a really bizarre fast food restaurant that originated in The Philippines, has spread to other countries in southeast Asia, and is slowly making its way to the United States.

    They have the most bizarre menu I've ever seen. Just about everything they serve comes with a clump of rice on the side. And their mascot is a somewhat psychotic-looking bee. One day I will eat at a Jollibee. One day.

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  19. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Red Lobster? One of my favorite B52s songs.
     
  20. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    I still love the B52s. Of course, I like to go to places like the Echoplex. I can see bands play from all over the world. Anything from Mariachi music to classical sometimes. :smile:
     

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