Is Red Lobster a good company to work for?

Red Lobster has an overall rating of 3.3 out of 5, based on over 6,152 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months. 50% of employees would recommend working at Red Lobster to a friend and 39% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Red Lobster have been left by employees working as Server , Server/Waiter and Bartender .

Does Red Lobster pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Red Lobster employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.0 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Red Lobster. This rating has improved by 1% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Red Lobster?

50% of Red Lobster employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Red Lobster 3.2 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.1 for culture and values and 3.0 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Red Lobster?

Server (1524) , Server/Waiter (635) , Hostess (275) , Server/Bartender (196) , Host (159) , Line Cook (159) , Bartender (148) , Manager (123) , General Manager (103) , Server/Waitress (98) , Restaurant Manager (97) , Food Server (72) , Waitress (71) , Host/Hostess (66) , Server Assistant (51)

What are the pros of working at Red Lobster according to real employee reviews?

"Money is good for a part time job provided it is the busier times of the year." ((in 481 reviews)); "was fun and had good pay" ((in 261 reviews)); "The coworkers are great and very supportive which makes it easy to get through a long shift." ((in 254 reviews)); "This is the perfect job as a primary or secondary job and is great for people in school." ((in 245 reviews)); "Flexible hours for student or those with other time commitments.Hourly money isn't bad for an entry" ((in 210 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Red Lobster according to real employee reviews?

"Management was poor and unreliable" ((in 586 reviews)); "Managers have us clean tables along with hosting even though we don't get any tips at all." ((in 242 reviews)); "Too much favoritism." ((in 56 reviews)); "My managers played favorites and treated the majority of us like crap." ((in 40 reviews)); "Detached upper management and difficult customers who "are always right" according to corporate" ((in 37 reviews))

What are employees saying about Red Lobster layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Red Lobster layoffs and their outlook for job security at Red Lobster in 2026.

What Red Lobster locations have received the highest employee ratings?

Peterborough , Ottawa , Windsor , Barrie

Red Lobster reviews

3.3

50% would recommend to a friend

(6,037 total reviews)

Damola Adamolekun

67% approve of CEO

39% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

3.7

Diversity & inclusion

3.2

Work/Life balance

3.1

Culture & values

3.0

Senior management

3.0

Compensation and benefits

3.0

Career opportunities

Red Lobster has an employee rating of 3.3 out of 5 stars, based on 6,037 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Red Lobster employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Restaurants and food service industry (3.7 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

6K reviews

2.0

Dec 9, 2010

no growth for managers

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

weekly salary, good training, good company

Cons

no life, no growth, life is a hell

4.0

Feb 19, 2017

Good for people who want to get into the service industry.

Alley coordinator/prep/cook

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Make lots of Friends and new relationships. I mean, who else are you going to go out and get drinks with on a Tuesday night? Lot's of room for growth. Experience and loyalty is rewarded through raises. Feels like a family. Learn new culinary skills. Looks good on a resume. Schedules are flexible, For the most part. (see cons) Long hours. Good starting wage. Efficient kitchen most times. Kitchen is setup differently than most other kitchens. 50% off break meals, 2$ soup and salad for breaks and 25% Friends and Family discount. Very Corporate, allowing easy transfers between locations. Free biscuits if there are any left at the end of the night.

Cons

Get weeded easily if other people aren't doing their job properly. Hot. Very Hot. Have to wear latex gloves. Everything you do has to be company approved. Very corporate in its practices. Micromanaged. Mangers usually take customers side even if customer is in the wrong. Dishes must be prepared to an absolute corporate standard. No room for new ideas. Constantly trying to cut costs by under stocking popular, expensive products or by deleting extras off of dishes. Kitchen doesn't make tips.

1.0

Jan 18, 2017

Worst place I have ever worked at!

Server

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The pros for this job was that it was close to home and that the server staff are genuinely great people.

Cons

Very dirty kitchen with constant fruit flies, food preparation was questionable, everything except the toss salad and frozen seafood is microwaved. Very poor management! With all the coupon promotions and shrimp fest's, Red Lobster attracts the "cheap" crowd that don't tip well. Very few servers receive any benefits as management ensures you don't qualify with hours. If you don't have a very flexible schedule, do not apply.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 6,037 Reviews

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Starbucks

3.6★Compensation & Benefits

The Keg Steakhouse + Bar

3.8★Compensation & Benefits

Restaurant Brands International

3.5★Compensation & Benefits

Chick-fil-A Corporate

3.7★Compensation & Benefits

Jobs at Red Lobster

Red Lobster

Red Lobster reviews

Ratings by category

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

no growth for managers

Good for people who want to get into the service industry.

Worst place I have ever worked at!

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Jobs at Red Lobster

Red Lobster reviews FAQs

Want the inside scoop on your own company?

Bowls

Followed companies

Job searches

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Red Lobster reviews FAQs

Jobs at Red Lobster