In 2023, The Tennessean’s Eating Nashville’s dynamic column duo, my colleagues Mackensy Lunsford and Brad Schmitt, ranked Red Lobster 20th out of 20 among Middle Tennessee restaurant chains.
Mackensy decried a shady lobster tank and Brad described the lobster he ordered as rubbery, tough and expensive.
My heart sank, not because I’m the restaurant’s biggest fan, but because it holds a special place in my heart.
My mom has been sending me a Red Lobster gift card for Christmas for years, and it has become an annual tradition to drive to Cool Springs, where the service and food are pretty good. Plus, I agree with Mackensy that the Cheddar Bay is “cookie slammin’.”
On Sunday, Red Lobster declared bankruptcy after closing dozens of stores, including a Tennessee location in Memphis.
The seafood chain’s woes stemmed from a self-inflicted wound: the “Ultimate Endless Shrimp” promotion led to millions of dollars in losses. The Americans’ gigantic appetite became a problem.
Fresh, tasty and affordable seafood is hard to come by in Nashville
When my parents moved from Chicago to Austin, Texas, in 2018, they met me in Nashville and I drove them the rest of the way, via Interstate 40. We stopped for lunch in Little Rock, Arkansas, and my mother insisted on to the Red Lobster.
When I visited them in Austin last year, we made the chain restaurant one of our lunch spots.
On Monday I called my mother to see if there was a story or mystery behind why Red Lobster is so special.
That’s a good thing: Opponents of the Tennessee Titans stadium now guard the East Bank’s vision
In the 1960s, after Fidel Castro came to power, she fled Cuba for Chicago, first via Mexico City and then via San Antonio, Texas. The family didn’t have a car at first, so going to restaurants was difficult.
Most importantly, Red Lobster offered a variety of seafood to eat. In Cuba, her father was an avid fisherman and fresh seafood was a staple. To be honest, it was about the memories that food often evokes.
I can tell from the fourteen years I lived in Fort Myers, Florida: seafood was plentiful, fresh, and affordable. Not so much in landlocked Nashville, where I moved ten years ago.
There are wonderful seafood options in Middle Tennessee, but they tend to be very expensive. The Red Lobster gives families the opportunity to enjoy a seafood experience together.
It was never about the lobster or shrimp; it was about the memories
I can’t say I’ve ever had the trouble of ordering from an all-you-can-eat restaurant as an adult, but I know Americans like a lot.
When I go to Red Lobster, like my mother, I enjoy the variety, including the dishes where you can choose a mix, such as shrimp prepared in different ways – for example in garlic sauce or fried with coconut flake batter – and other items including Scallops and crab legs. I’ve had the lobster tail, but it’s not my first choice.
I really like seafood and have fond memories of visiting my grandparents when they retired to Tampa, Florida, and going to a restaurant on a pier to eat freshly caught mackerel cooked in a wood stove.
Black Tennesseans: We need your votes for the third annual Storytellers live show
I remember going with friends to order fresh Gulf shrimp or grouper at a diner on Fort Myers Beach.
On Sunday I enjoyed seafood caught in Lake Lanier and served at a fish fry at my parents’ church in their new hometown near Atlanta.
My next trip to Red Lobster may not come until after I receive my next gift card, but I enjoy what the experience represents and I will be sad when my favorite location in Middle Tennessee closes.
David Plazas is director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee. He is a member of the editorial staff of The Tennessean. He hosts the Tennessee Voices videocast and curates the Tennessee Voices and Latino Tennessee Voices newsletters. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or find him at @davidplazas.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Is Red Lobster closing in Tennessee? The brand’s bankruptcy stings
