Think Twice Before Ordering This Popular Seafood Appetizer At Red Lobster

Red Lobster is riding high on a wave of delicious, buttery success after its 2024 bankruptcy. The chain has revamped its menu, and sales have been improving throughout 2025. Things are looking up. Favorites like popcorn shrimp and hush puppies returned, and many staples remain, including Cheddar Bay biscuits. The fried calamari is still on the menu, but if we're being honest, it's one dish you might want to leave behind.

Fried calamari should be a no-brainer for a seafood restaurant. For reasons unexplained, Red Lobster's fried calamari has always been subpar. When we wrote about Red Lobster menu items you should think twice about, the issue was twofold: The breading was often limp, and the squid inside was both chewy and flavorless. The end result was underwhelming and unpleasant at best. Its only saving grace is the jalapeño ranch dipping sauce.

Reviews from several Red Lobster locations show that customer dissatisfaction is widespread. Complaints about the perceived lack of value are common, with diners noting how expensive the chain has become. The calamari is not immune to this critique. Some reviews criticized the $15.99 price tag for an appetizer that was once half that price. Diners have also compared the calamari's texture to rubber bands, which happens more often than you might think. There are multiple reasons to skip this dish.

Even before the bankruptcy, Red Lobster had an issue with its calamari. Reviews on TripAdvisor called it "limp and sad," while others said they had to send the dish back because it was overcooked and had no flavor. You might wonder how this was a problem both before and after the bankruptcy and menu revamp. That's the nature of squid and improper cooking.

Squid is full of collagen, and that means if you overcook it, you're going to get a tough, chewy product. You either have to cook it fast at a high temperature or for a long time at a lower temperature if you want to have something tender and tasty. Fried calamari should fall into that first category because deep frying is relatively quick and easy. Fresh calamari can be deep-fried in just a couple of minutes. We know that some Red Lobster fish is fresh, but most is frozen. Even frozen calamari can be fried in three or four minutes, though. If the Red Lobster kitchen is a little busy and the cooks leave the calamari in the oil for even five minutes, that can account for the chewy quality.

The calamari is coming out overcooked and chewy, but the breading is still soft. That's probably an issue with the oil temperature. Either the oil is not hot enough, or it's being overloaded, causing the frozen calamari to bring the temperature down. That means you don't get the crispy texture you want, and the squid inside is still overcooked. It's the worst of both worlds. Given how common these problems are, you might want to avoid Red Lobster's calamari.