If you're craving a quality seafood dinner but don't feel like breaking the bank,
Red Lobster has your back. The restaurant chain has been serving delicious comfort
foods to hungry customers from every walk of life for nearly a century.
"Lobster, snapper, clams, flounder." "Shrimp!" "Generous platters of America's favorite seafood."
Over the years, Red Lobster has broken boundaries not only by creating new dishes
that have become American staples, but also by welcoming people of all kinds to its tables.
And the decades-long history of Red Lobster is as rich as its appetizing fare.
In fact, this seafood chain is to thank for a classic American seafood dish.
Back in 1938, a 19-year-old Bill Darden founded his first restaurant in Waycross, Georgia.
The eatery was a small lunch counter named The Green Frog,
which prided itself on its "service with a hop." After a successful run
with his first luncheonette, Darden decided to expand his hotel restaurateur enterprise
by purchasing a number of eateries all over the southeastern U.S. — including a handful of Howard
Johnson's franchise locations and Gary's Duck Inn in Orlando, Florida. Finally, in 1968, Darden
founded his own seafood kitchen in Lakeland, Florida, and named it the Red Lobster Inn.
Soon after, the "Inn" was dropped from the name, becoming known simply as Red Lobster.
Of course, Red Lobster has come a long way from those early days — and it has even made a few
innovations along the way. Since its genesis, Red Lobster has grown its menu to include
dozens of family seafood favorites. Indeed, one of the restaurant's top-selling orders of all time
is its popcorn shrimp: battered, deep-fried, crunchy cuts of shrimp that are crafted to
be eaten like bite-size pieces of popcorn. The munchable seafood snack was actually invented
by Red Lobster, according to one businessman, who spoke to the Orlando Business Journal in 1998.
Darden Restaurants Inc. chair and CEO Joe Lee told the outlet:
"We [...] invented popcorn shrimp and introduced snow crab and calamari to middle America."
In the 1970s, shrimp was on the rise as a highly-sought-after seafood grub in America.
Catching sight of this consumer trend, the innovative minds at Red Lobster
decided to put their stake in the ground and dream up something new and exciting.
After its initial introduction to the culinary world by Red Lobster in 1974,
popcorn shrimp has become a permanent menu item at several other restaurants,
including Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Popeyes, and Long John Silver's. Bloggers and chefs around
the globe have also shared popcorn shrimp recipes for fans to make at home. All in all,
it's probably safe to say that Red Lobster crafted a food trend that is built to last.
One huge benefit of popcorn shrimp is that it's a ton of fun to eat. Whether you enjoy
a platter of this bite-size seafood as a shareable appetizer or your main entrée,
it's a satisfying, dish that's sure to please a crowd. And Red Lobster
arguably does it better than anyone else. As one Twitter user put it:
"Bring me Red Lobster popcorn shrimp so I know it's real."
Although the oceanic, bite-sized fritters taste amazing by themselves,
popcorn shrimp is commonly served with a side of tartar sauce, ketchup, or sweet-and-sour cocktail
sauce for dipping and dunking. It never hurts to throw in a lemon wedge for a citrus kick, either.
But like most deep-fried treats, popcorn shrimp is generally considered more of an
occasional indulgence than an everyday dish. Per the Red Lobster website,
one serving of Red Lobster popcorn shrimp packs in 49 grams of carbs, 19 grams of fat,
90 milligrams of cholesterol, 11 grams of sugar, and 430 calories. A serving
of popcorn shrimp does, however, provide 5 grams of fiber and 16 grams of protein,
but that hardly off-sets those other stats. Then again, a little indulgence never hurt anybody.
Clearly, Red Lobster has proven that a simple idea can set off a major wave of influence in
the world of food. And it's clear that popcorn shrimp is here to stay — no matter how,
where, or with whom it's eaten.
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