Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay Biscuits is so famous that it even has its own Facebook page.
Well, we can’t exactly blame the fans. After all, who can resist these fluffy, cheesy, and garlicky biscuits, right?
Oh right, that would be us—the people on a keto diet.
But wait, don’t leave this article just yet.
We want you to know one secret: Red Lobster is a keto dieter’s paradise!
Cheddar Bay Biscuits aside, this seafood restaurant’s menu is packed with plenty of keto-friendly dishes.
Case in point: their fantastic steak selection and the most extensive fish and seafood array you’ve ever seen.
In fact, their best appetizer only has 130 calories and zero carbs (when you ditch the sauce) (*).
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
If you want to discover all the keto-friendly dishes you can eat at this restaurant, you need to check out this Keto at Red Lobster dining guide we’ve prepared for you.
So what are you waiting for? Let’s get the ball rolling!
what can you eat at red lobster on keto diet?
Are you ready to find out the best and worst Red Lobster dishes to order on keto? Here’s the lowdown that you need!
Best Keto Food Options To Order
Let’s start with the best keto dishes you can find on their menu.
Appetizers
Here are the best appetizers to jumpstart your sumptuous meal:
Shrimp Cocktail
Appetizers are generally rich in carbs, but this one is an exception. The shrimps themselves contain zero carbs. The carbohydrates in its nutrition facts are all from the cocktail sauce.
Tip: Skip the cocktail sauce and go for lemon and a side of butter instead.
- Nutrition facts per serving: 130 calories, 0g fat, 11g total carbohydrates, and 21g protein.
Seafood-stuffed Mushroom
Mushrooms + seafood? What a perfect keto combination! (*)
As if that’s not enough, they even threw Monterey Jack cheese into the equation.
So imagine this: the combination of creamy oozing cheese, chewy baked mushrooms, and flavorful seafood stuffing. A single bite certainly packs lots of flavors and textures, which is the best way to start your meal.
- Nutrition facts per serving: 73 calories, 5.1g fat, 3.2g carbohydrates, and 3.4g protein.
Soups
Check out these soups that will fill and warm you up the keto way!
New England Clam Chowder
A creamy soup with savory clam flavor is always a good idea.
But to be honest, their clam chowder contains more carbohydrates than the standard keto guidelines.
Tip: Practice proper portion control. Don’t finish the entire serving.
- Nutrition facts per serving: 480 calories, 33g fat, 26g carbohydrates, and 20g protein.
Lobster Bisque
If you want a smoother, more flavorful, and creamier soup, their Lobster Bisque is the one for you.
Bonus: it has higher fat content too!
However, please keep in mind that it contains higher amounts of calories and carbohydrates too.
Tip: Go for the cup instead of a bowl. Share the serving with other people.
- Nutrition facts per serving: 600 calories, 40g fat, 27g carbohydrates, and 18g protein.
Sides
Take a look at these side dishes that will complete your well-rounded meals.
Side Caesar Salad
It’s a smaller salad serving containing parmesan shavings, lettuce, and Caesar dressing.
Tip: Skip the croutons.
Pro Tip: Boost the salad’s fat content by ordering their protein add-ons.
Some of the choices are:
- Chicken: 2g of fat and 24 g of protein
- Salmon: 19g of fat and 32 g of protein
- Shrimp: 4g of fat and 13g of protein
- Nutrition facts per serving: 290 calories, 25g fat, 12g carbohydrates, and 5g protein.
Coleslaw
This creamy blend of carrots and cabbage is the perfect accompaniment for your steaks.
Nutrition facts per serving: 260 calories, 20g fat, 17g carbohydrates, and 2g protein.
Side House Salad
Get your much-needed fiber on keto with this salad. (*) It contains a lettuce blend, diced tomatoes, onion slices, and grated cheese.
Tip: Skip the croutons.
Nutrition facts per serving: 110 calories, 6g fat, 10g carbohydrates, and 5g protein.
Seasoned Broccoli
Balance off your seafood or steak meal with perfectly seasoned broccolis.
Nutrition facts per serving: 170 calories, 14g fat, 10g carbohydrates, and 4g protein.
Crispy Brussels Sprouts
Red Lobster knows how to prepare their veggies, and this side dish is excellent proof. The brussels sprouts are roasted and then tossed in a mixture of butter and olive oil. It’s then topped with crispy onion strips.
Keto Tip: Ask them to skip the sweet glaze and the crispy onion strips.
Nutrition facts per serving: 380 calories, 17g fat, 48g carbohydrates, and 11g protein.
Sauces
The truth is, all Red Lobster sauces are low carb. Here they are with their net carb content:
- Melted Butter: 0g net carbs
- Sour Cream: less than 1g net carb
- Caesar Dressing: less than 1g net carb
- Blue Cheese Dressing: 2g net carbs
- Pico de Gallo: 2g net carbs
- Ranch Dressing: 2g net carbs
- Marinara Sauce: 4g net carbs
- Tartar Sauce: 4g net carbs
Entrees
And finally, the best part of the meal—the delicious yet low-carb entrees.
Surprise: Almost all of Red Lobster’s entrees are keto-friendly.
Tip: Just avoid the fried and breaded dishes. Also, skip the carb-rich sides like rice and potatoes.
Garlic Shrimp Scampi
The first thing that would come to mind when you hear garlic shrimp scampi would be pasta. That’s understandable since garlic shrimp scampi and pasta noodles go well together.
But we’ve got some amazing news for you. Red Lobster’s Garlic Shrimp Scampi has no noodles, so it’s perfectly safe for your diet.
This is the dish to order if you want your shrimp tossed and cooked in a rich garlicky butter sauce.
- Nutrition facts per serving: 440 calories, 35g fat, 5g carbohydrates, and 24g protein.
Lobster, Shrimp, and Salmon
Try their Grilled Lobster, Shrimp, and Salmon offering for a seafood fest you can’t forget.
All seafoods are finished with a low-carb brown butter sauce. It also comes with your choice of sides.
The jumbo shrimps, salmon, and lobster are all keto-friendly, so you have nothing to worry about. But of course, you need to choose your side dishes suitably.
Once again, stick to the veggies and salads and avoid rice and potatoes as much as possible.
- Nutrition facts per serving: 940 calories, 61g fat, 39g carbohydrates, and 57g protein.
Garlic Grilled Scallops
Do you know what to love about Red Lobster? Well, they allow you to add more seafood to your dishes!
Our favorite seafood add-on is no other than garlic grilled scallops.
After all, they are succulent. They are delicious. They are affordable. But above all, they are low carb.
We love pairing it with our steaks to create the ultimate surf and turf meal.
- Nutrition facts per serving: 100 calories, 5g fat, 4g carbohydrates, and 12g protein.
Wild-caught Snow Crab Legs
If you’re looking for a low-carb and tasty dinner, look no further because Snow Crab Legs are here.
Yes, eating crab legs involves hard work. But we assure you—it’s worth it!
After all, you get the sweet and juicy crab legs you can dip in a rich butter sauce. Cravings satisfied indeed!
Also, you can get this with your choice of two sides.
- Nutrition facts per serving: 440 calories, 34g fat, 0g carbohydrates, and 32g protein.
Salmon New Orleans
Red Lobster found a way to make salmon extra delicious and flavorful! Their New Orleans Salmon is a blackened Atlantic Salmon topped with shrimps tossed in a tasty Cajun butter sauce. It’s served with tomato and cilantro relish on the side.
Nutrition facts per serving: 580 calories, 41g fat, 9g carbohydrates, and 42g protein.
Steamed Maine Lobster
And finally, we get to the best part, the star of the show—the Maine Lobster!
Aside from its succulent texture and delicious flavor, lobster has good amounts of fats and zero carbs—perfect for ketogenic diet! (*)
If you want to keep it low carb, go for their steamed lobster. But if you want a more filling and tastier version, choose their stuffed lobsters.
Pro Tip: For a fat-packed meal, go for their surf and turf meals comprised of Lobster, your choice of steak cuts, and 2 types of side dishes.
- Nutrition facts per serving (steamed): 440 calories, 34g fat, 0g carbohydrates, and 33g protein.
- Nutrition facts per serving (stuffed): 570 calories, 38g fat, 11g carbohydrates, and 44g protein.
NY Strip Steak
In addition to their delicious seafood offerings, Red Lobster also has a great selection of steaks. That’s why it doesn’t come as a surprise that keto dieters flock to this restaurant.
Make sure to pair this juicy steak with a low-carb side dish like brussels sprouts or broccoli. You can also go for their side salads. Just make sure to ask the servers to remove the croutons, and you’re good to go.
- Nutrition facts per serving: 580 calories, 35g fat, 2g carbohydrates, and 66g protein.
Filet Mignon
Another excellent steak on their menu is their 6 oz. Filet Mignon.
The best thing about Red Lobster is they let the quality of their steaks take center stage. To highlight the steak’s natural flavor, they season it with only peppercorn and nothing else.
This meal is served with two sides of your choice, so make sure to choose your sides wisely. For example, shy away from rice and potatoes and opt for salads and other vegetable sides instead.
- Nutrition facts per serving: 250 calories, 12g fat, 2g carbohydrates, and 34g protein.
Sirloin
Last but not the least, Red Lobster also has 7 oz. Sirloin. Same with all the other steak options, their Sirloin steak is seasoned only with peppercorn, too, so you get to enjoy all that natural meaty goodness.
Sirloin is the perfect choice for those looking for a leaner yet tender cut of steak.
- Nutrition facts per serving: 260 calories, 11g fat, 1g carbohydrate, and 41g protein.
Bonus: Today’s Catch
Okay, this is not one dish. Red Lobster offers different fish dish types that change daily based on location.
In general, today’s catch dishes are all low carb. Some of the usual suspects are:
- Atlantic Salmon,
- Rainbow Trout,
- Gulf Snapper,
- Pacific Snapper,
- Cod,
- Flounder,
- Tilapia,
- Tuna,
- Walleye,
- Haddock,
- Halibut,
- and many more.
Learn more: Olive Garden Keto
Worst Red Lobster Dishes to Avoid on Keto
If you want to stay on keto, here are the Red Lobster dishes you should never order:
Appetizers
- Crispy Green Beans
- Hand-breaded Calamari
- Lobster and Langostino Pizza
- Crab-stuffed Shrimp Rangoon
- Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Pastas
- Bar Harbor Lobster Bake
- Kung Pao Noodles with Crispy Shrimp
- Kung Pao Noodles with Chicken
- Shrimp Linguini Alfredo
- Cajun Chicken Linguini Alfredo
- Crab Linguini Alfredo
- Lobster Linguini
Bowls and Sandwiches
- Bacon Cheeseburger
- Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich
- Crunch-fried Flounder Sandwich
- Sesame-Soy Salmon Bowl
- Baja Shrimp Bowl
Hot Platters
- Crunchy Popcorn Shrimp Platter
- Walt’s Favorite Shrimp Platter
- Parrot Isle Jumbo Coconut Shrimp Platter
Side Dishes
- Cheddar Bay Biscuits
- Orzo Rice
- Baked Potato
- Creamy Lobster Baked Potato
- Creamy Lobster Mashed Potatoes
- Mashed Potatoes
- Sea-salted French Fries
Classics
- Fish and Chips
- Hand-breaded Chicken Tenders
Desserts
- Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
- Meyer Lemon Cake
- Chocolate Wave
- Brownie Overboard
The Bottom Line
Yes, Red Lobster is one of the best keto restaurants out there. Thanks to their surf and turf offerings, you can indeed find a dish that will suit your personal preference and diet in this restaurant.
However, maneuvering their sides menu can be a bit tricky. To help you out, here are the two simple tips you must keep in mind when eating keto at red lobster:
- First, avoid potato side dishes and rice.
- Don’t order breaded and fried dishes.
So that’s it. If you wish to enjoy Red Lobster’s Keto menu, just stick to these tips and this list, and you’re good to go!
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