What was supposed to be a lovely birthday celebration dinner at Red Lobster in Burlington Ontario, turned out to be a bitter disappointment. And though the manager did take one of the dinners off the bill, we left with dinner regret. Originally we had called to try and make reservations as there would be a party of seven of us, but (not sure if this was a sign of things to come this night) we were told that they don’t take reservations at Red Lobster. So we decided to meet for 7 pm and hope for the best. We were running a bit late so the birthday girl and her family had a drink at the bar as they waited to be seated and for us to arrive. We weren’t there at that point, but in conversation after we were told that the bartender was rather rude/non polite. To the point where our friend had to ask if he hated his job and would rather be somewhere else.

Luckily by the time we arrived we already had a table and everyone were digging into the buttery biscuits which Red Lobster is supposed to be so famous for. Personally, I didn’t see the big deal, but they were nice to snack on while we chat and waited for our dinner.

With drinks and dinner ordered, we did enjoy some good conversation and it seems it was a night of celebrations as table after table we could hear “Happy Birthday” being sung around us.  It’s funny how you don’t pay attention to time, but we arrived at around 7.10 and the food didn’t make it to the table until about 8 pm. And then we still had to wait for two dishes to be corrected.

I’ll quickly go though what we ordered, our thoughts and some final words on our dinner at Red Lobster.

Two of us ordered the “Ultimate Feast” which came with “A tender split Maritime lobster tail, steamed Canadian snow crab legs, savory garlic shrimp and Walt’s Favourite Shrimp. @ $29.75“. Caron got the  Grilled New York Strip Steak “A juicy 12 oz. New York Strip, lightly seasoned and grilled to your liking. @ $26.75 “. Which she asked to have medium/well done. The other steak order was the New York Strip and Rock Lobster Tail, “A lightly seasoned, fire-grilled 12 oz. New York Strip and our oven-roasted rock lobster tail @ $39.75” which was supposed to be well done (absolutely no sign of pink). And after seeing hundreds of tv commercials for Red Lobster and this being my first time (those commercials make the food so tempting), I decided on the  Lobster Tail, Skewered Garlic Shrimp, Broccoli and rice pilaf which was about $24.

The two Ultimate Feast platters were beautiful presented and thoroughly enjoyed.. but it went down hill after that. Originally Caron wanted to have the fish and chips, but we were told that they were out of chips (really?), so when  her steak arrived and it was still alive, she was disenchanted. One slice and it was apparent that this was not medium/well done. The other steak order was just as terribly cooked. What was supposed to be well done was medium. Now if I were having steak, I would be in my glory but for a person who can’t stand any pink.. Richard was as mad as Caron.

With a quick signal to our server for the night and she had both steak dinners taken back to the kitchen for improvements. As they waited for the return of their meals, they were presented with some lovely cocktail shrimp to pass the time by the manager. Nice touch.

With eager excitement (still recall those tv commercials) I started on my mini platter. Not to be over critical, but this was absolutely terrible. The lobster tail was rubbery and though the serving portion of the shrimp (2 packed skewers) were plentiful, they just didn’t taste right. With the shrimp placed over the rice pilaf, I think they poured the garlic butter sauce over it and made the rice very soggy. I’m a fan of butter, but Red Lobster got it wrong this time. I could easily squeeze the rice and get butter pouring out like a stream. The only thing I found edible was the steam broccoli, which wasn’t overcooked and still had  a ton of flavor and a bit of crunch to them. Red Lobster is supposed to be a fish specialty (lobster and shrimp) restaurant, so when the steaks came and they were not as expected I didn’t give as much thought to it. However, when my lobster tail and shrimp disappointed me… I had to search deep for a reason why I would ever dine here again. if you can’t get what you’re supposed to specialize in correct, something is very wrong.

As we were handed the dessert menu we were told to ignore the cheese cake, since they ran out of that as well. We ended up with a free slice of key lime pie for the birthday girl… which wasn’t too bad. A good balance of lime flavor and creaminess, with a packed crust which helped this dessert stand out a bit.

Our server did try to be as accommodating, but wasn’t as astute as we’ve come to expect when dining out. Red Lobster must stress on their employees that dining out is not just about the food, but the experience. Whenever we wanted a refill on drinks we had to search out our server, at no time did she notice that my plate was still full, even when she asked if she could clear the table and she was overly apologetic without actually finding solutions. After our experience with dealing with the terrible steaks, I didn’t bother with mentioning anything about my order. Very unlike me, but I chalked this experience up to poor quality and overall dining experience.

The manager did come out to ask about the steaks after they were redone, but with his sort of mumbling… we had no clue as to what he was saying. We shook our heads, smiled and agreed with whatever he said at that point.

I waited over 20 years for my first visit to red Lobster and I can say with all certainty.. it will never make my dining list again. Not  even their famous buttery biscuits can get me in a red Lobster again. According to Caron.. the steak was bland and she could make a better steak (someone who doesn’t even grill).

You can check out the Red Lobster menu at http://www.redlobster.ca/menus/default_cn.asp, including their occasional specials and discounts.

To contact Red Lobster Burlington:

2423 Fairview  Burlington, ON L7R 3N6
(905) 637-3454

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Nothing signals that summer is here than feasting on a large plate of  fish and chips at Hutch’s on the beach, after you’ve enjoyed the sights and sounds of all the activity at the beach. We had spent the morning trying to launch our friend’s sailboat and by noon we were getting frustrated, tired and needed to replenish our fuel or risk passing out in the heat of the midday sun. We were 2 minutes walk from Hutch’s, so it was the obvious choice.

Be prepared on warm days to experience long lines to place your order and people hovering over you to claim your seat in the cool 50′s styled dining room as the place gets very crowded. On these beautiful summer days, the beach and boardwalk (paved trail) is usually packed and everyone seems to end up in Hutch’s to cool down, grab a bite or get a frozen dessert from the ice cream store built within the restaurant itself.

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We were lucky enough to find an empty booth, so the girls claimed it before someone else did, while I joined the line to place our orders. The line was rather long and went to the outside of the building, No worries as it moved quickly. Order placed I went back to our table since you’re given a ticket with your order number, which is called over the overhead speakers when it’s up. I think we waited about 10 minutes, which wasn’t that long of a wait considering the amount of people that packed the restaurant.

Marko and Toni each got the large fish and chips plate which goes for $10 (still can’t believe they eat it all). You get two pieces of battered, deep fried fish covered with a pile of fresh cut fries. Since I’ve been trying to eat a little healthier and we knew from our last visit that the large order is huge, Caron and I decided to split one. If you’re like me and like your fries with mayo, be sure to ask the person at the sales counter to include a small container for you. I doubt that it’s made inhouse, but it’s tangy and creamy – perfect for dipping those wonderful fresh cut fries.

The chips are short and thick and I honestly believe that they could have been cooked a couple minutes more. But we were hungry and were enjoying them just the same. The fish on the other hand was VERY greasy and the batter seemed to have been over cooked. However this was probably due to the thickness of the fish, which I’m sure had to stay a bit longer in the deep fryer to cook all the way through. The thickness of the fish is also to blame for the sort of wet or soggy interior when you broke through it with your fork. Just too much moisture for my liking! But I was the only one at the table who felt this way.

The tall cup of orange Crush really help tie this fried dish together and I love the fact that there were no fishy smell or taste to the fries. The tartar sauce comes in little plastic envelopes and though the ketchup comes from one of those pump containers where you serve yourself, it’s fresh and of good quality. There’s the usual salt, pepper and basic vinegar on the tables.I can be a bit nosy (not intrusive)  in restaurants and I noticed on the table across from us they ordered what seemed to be the footlong hotdog and the other person had the cheeseburger. Both looked very tasty and I immediately wished I had gone for the hot dog instead, which looked like of of those tasty all-beef ones.

Done to mimic a 50′s style diner (actually I think the place was built back in the 50′s), there’s a huge juke box at the front where you wait for your order to be called and on each table there’s a miniature version (see pics above) as well. The walls are covered with a tons of sports memorabilia and if you didn’t know better you’d think ti was a shrine to local football and hockey. The bathrooms are clean, but in the ladies vanity area I was told that the taps were installed incorrectly. The ones marked hot is cold and cold is hot.

The best seating option for me are the ones directly facing the paved path of the beach area as you can people watch while you enjoy your meal as well as watch the boaters and on a clear day you can see across the lake to Toronto. Great use of windows to bring a bit of the outdoor activity and scenery in.

The staff at Hutch’s does a great job keeping the dining room clean, as we saw on at least 3 occasions the teenage staff were busy sweeping, wiping and removing garbage… with a smile on their faces.

To recap… be prepared for lines on warm days, if there’s 2 or more in your group (BTW the seating can only accommodate 4 people at the tables) one should place the order while the other secure seating, the large fish and chips order feeds two people easily and ladies don’t forget about the switched taps in the bathroom.

Hutch’s On The Beach Diner.

Address

280 Van Wagners Beach Road,
Hamilton, ON
L8E 3L8

Phone : (905) 545-5508

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