Red Lobster Maplewood - New Menu Item: Wood Grilled Tacos

Last Saturday we went to one of our standard lunch restaurants, Red Lobster in the Maplewood Commons, so I knew I would have to try to find something new on their lunch menu. I just read this week how their parent company, Darden, (the same corporation that owns Olive Garden) is not doing very well, so they may continue to try to change up their menus. I am always excited to see new menu items, so I looked for anything marked "NEW" to see if anything sounded good. The Wood-Grilled Tacos came in both a shrimp and a tilapia version, so I thought I would try the fish version, since I thought the shrimp would be falling out of the shrimp version of the tacos all the time. So that was my pick for the day.

The three tacos I received came in a neat little metal "rack" which held them all in place in a decorative fashion with a very small pile of rice pilaf sitting next to them. I am pretty sure the rice pilaf I have ordered in the past with the blackened catfish used to be more generous than that tiny mound, but perhaps that is part of their cost cutting measures. The rice pilaf tasted the same as always, but after three or four forkfuls it was all gone. Poof! No more rice pilaf! The tacos were also not very large, so I was glad I gorged out on two of their always decadent cheddar cheese biscuits, but even they seemed a little smaller that day than usual. Are they cutting back on everything? They sure will not win that many customers that way!  My tacos actually tasted pretty good, with the jalapeno ranch adding a nice flavor to the grilled tilapia and the assorted salad mixture inside. I enjoyed them although I definitely could have eaten another one!

Overall the meal was not bad for another trip to Red Lobster, but if they keep skimping on their portions I may have to stop by Dairy Queen or somewhere else on the way home. At least I am never tempted my the kettle corn they always try to sell in front of the Maplewood Lowes across the parking lot. Who actually wants kettle corn with their lumber and garden supplies?