Lobsterfest 2010 is over - now onto something suckier

If you have worked for Red Lobster for a couple of years, you begin to know the cycle of promotions pretty well.  This year isn't anything different.

Lobsterfest - the best promotion of the year - always ends a bit after Easter (depending on when Easter falls, it does vary some).  The very next promotion is ALWAYS craptacular.  We frequently go from the best to the cheapest promotion of the year (though this year we are just barely above the cheapest promo).

And this year they have foisted upon us:  Create your own Festival of Shrimp!

From the web site:

Get everything you want in a night out during Red Lobster’s Festival of Shrimp. For a limited time, you can combine two or three of your favorites, from decadent new creations like NEW! Garlic-Cream Shrimp or NEW! Wood-Grilled Pecan-Crusted Shrimp to classics like Cajun Shrimp and Garlic Shrimp Scampi. During our Festival of Shrimp you can get more of the shrimp you love in more ways than ever.

This offer is only available for a limited time. Hurry in today!

The one thing I will credit Red Lobster with on this promotion is that they have included some tasty shrimp options.  This again is something they often do following Lobsterfest.  They try out new things and see what hits and what misses, and they then carry those hits over through the summer and often into the fall.  And if it is a good enough item, and there is enough profit margin, it might even become a permanent menu item.

Both the Garlic-Cream Shrimp and the Wood-Grilled Pecan-Crusted Shrimp are awesome.  Thankfully they weren't options during our nightmare called Endless Shrimp (its all you can eat shrimp and it's not a buffet!). And Bacon + any seafood (especially Scallops) is always good, so there are at least 3 kinds you'll find me fattening up with over the next few months.  And for the record, I hate the coconut bites.  They have a nasty after taste that lingers in your mouth for hours.  It is kinda like an artificial sweetener taste gone bad.  I don't care if they are popular, that just means lots of people eat so quickly that they don't actually taste their food, no surprise there.

Some people will love the crab stuffed shrimp, but I think they actually love the sauce, and if you just eat the shrimp without it, you probably wouldn't like them nearly as much.  Try the sauce on some of Walt's Fried Shrimp, and I'll bet you like it better that way.

The full options for this promotion are below:

Create Your Own Festival of Shrimp from 11.99

Choose two or three preparations from these new and classic chef-inspired shrimp creations.

Choose Two 11.99     Choose Three 16.99

Garlic-Cream Shrimp

Wood-Grilled Pecan-Crusted Shrimp

BBQ Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp

Crab-and-Seafood-Stuffed Shrimp

Cajun Shrimp

Garlic Shrimp Scampi

Walt's Favorite Shrimp

Shrimp Linguini Alfredo

Coconut Shrimp Bites

All entrées come with choice of salad and unlimited
Cheddar Bay Biscuits®.

Thankfully all these shrimp are quick to cook.  We lose some in ticket prices, but by being able to turn and burn our tables a bit faster we can hopefully soften the blow that is the end of Lobsterfest.

Lobsterfest, you were a good mistress, we will miss you.