March 21st, 2026 was a big night for our family- my oldest son was back from being stationed in Germany and heading to his new station stateside, my son in law transferred from the Iowa National Guard to active duty Airforce. My daughter helps me with respite care for autistic her autistic sibligs They will be moving in a few short weeks. To top off the last big herrah for my family was that it was my birthday. Because of sound sensitivity, being around people and smell sensitivity for my 2 youngest (18 yrs old and 17 yrs old), we do not go out to eat. Being at Red Lobster the last few years, the staff has always been great in trying to have us sit in quieter areas. All this to say- our server, Andrew was absolutely amazing!! He was patient, kind, and made our last meal as a family of 6 wonderful. The manager, Kim, was fantastic in answering questions and helpful. Tonight was better than I ever could have imagined. We have laughter, stories and a lifetime of memories that I will cherish forever.... and I have all the staff, especially Andrew at Red Lobster to thank. Definitely going back again sooner than later. read more

Red Lobster - My family of 6 - Seafood Near Me - Ames, Iowa

It was decent. Six of us drove 60 miles to the Ames Red Lobster location for a birthday meal. We were disappointed with some of the menu changes but such is this economy. Our server was great. Super attentive and helpful. Our meals will served hot and were enjoyable. While we usually come here once a year, we feel it's time to put it on pause and try another restaurant. read more

Stopped on Sunday afternoon. Very few customers there. Service was good however only one waitress working. Ordered lobster and shrimp linguine. With a side of hush puppies. Hush puppies were good, pasta not so much. Tasted like it came out of a jar. Sauce very thin and watery. Biscuits were delicious. My friend ordered a margarita. He didn't like it and didn't finish it. Things were hit and miss. Plus it was a little pricey. Overall it is a no for me. Premium prices should get you better results. read more

I've been getting some takeout from here more often, lately. Lobster is good, as is the shrimp scampi. But my reason for writing a review, is because I tried the CheddarBayBiscuitStuffing! Omdog, it's very good. They should keep it on their menu. It's also VERY rich, with well seasoned goodness. There are very tiny bits of mushrooms, onions and bacon, that, combined with the biscuits, and other ingredients, make for a rich, delightful stimulation of the taste buds. Eat it slow, to savor every last bite. I'm gonna need a years supply of this stuff(ing)! Typical RedLobster prices, friendly staff, lot parking and warm dining area make for a very family friendly experience. MarcyDiner'sTantrumScale 5/5- NoScreamingKids. CyHawkApproved. read more

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The food was great and the linguini was really good. The service is really nice and fast and the waiters and waitresses are smiling and nice. The ambiance is great and lively. Would come back again. read more

Searching for an Ames restaurant that was open on Christmas Eve, and, as you would imagine, a limited number of options. Luckily, we selected Red Lobster, as they ended up being a positive visit due to their customer service and product, despite a crowded restaurant. Our server, Sarah, was terrific, pleasant, knowledgeable, and positive, despite having a bunch of tables on a holiday. I had blackened Atlantic salmon with a baked potato and it was good! Prepared well, served hot. Had a big chocolate cake dessert that indicated my eyes were not aware of the room remaining, but It all worked out. It's weird being in a restaurant on a holiday but sometimes travels adversely affect your schedule glad that I picked Red Lobster and their positive staff over some of the lesser options. read more

On a VERY busy valentine's night, the food was delicious and served warm and timely. The service was absolutely fantastic! Even though every table was full our server made us feel like we were her only one! We couldn't have chosen a better place to enjoy the holiday with our college student!!! read more

AMAZING LUNCH! Server Hanna was so nice and the lady manager was out talking to all the guest. Food was amazing!! Great lunch.

Service was mediocre at best. Food was fine. Tablets require a tip! Options were 18%, 20%, or 25% and the "custom tip" and "no tip" buttons conveniently don't work. Selecting a tip was required to pay your bill. So irritating to have to tip for unworthy service! read more

This is a Hidden Gem in Ames, Have been here many times and can say I have always been Pleased with the food and service. Same Cozy nautical decor and the classic Lobster tank in the Lobby...think it has gotten smaller though...food is great as expected, cocktails are legit. Only reason for four stars is that they seated us way in the back when there are perfectly good tables, booths near the front...It worked out just fine as the table was near a speaker and they had some good music piped in. All the vittles were delightful and cheddar bay biscuts came hot and on time, yum. If you find yourself in Ames and need a great meal you may want to give Red Lobster another go!! read more

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Food so bad!!! No chowder had no flavor. The lobsters super tough and on the verge of going bad. The service was adequate.

Just left. Waited a solid hour for our food. Clam chowder was watery. Tasted "off" Almost no clams or potatoes. Had an oily substance floating on top. Fish tasted "off" didn't finish. Biscuits were doughy. And the silverware was filthy. We used to frequent this restaurant. Never again. read more

If I could just rate the biscuits and service, I would give Red Lobster 5 stars! The biscuits were fresh out of the oven; the outside was just a little bit crispy and the inside melted in your mouth. Our waitress was wonderful and took excellent care of us. The Baja Shrimp Bowl is a new item on their menu and it was great. It had a nice kick to it with a jalapeño ranch sauce. The atmosphere was perfect for great conversation. read more

First red lobster experience I was pleased. Tried a pasta, lobster tail and snow crab. Everything was cooked correctly and the prices points very fair. Atmosphere was good and drinks were made correctly and nothing was a long wait. Seems to be well managed, catch me coming back! read more

Wonderful meal, suggest the seafarers feast if you love seafood. Steak is very tender. Fantastic waitress Hanna.

The amount of food received for the cost was not worth it. Very small portions. However, biscuits be bussing read more

The shrimp Alfredo pasta is to die for! I went to this Red Lobster for my anniversary and we had a lovely time. The server was prompt, nice, and very professional. read more

It's been more than seven years since I reviewed this restaurant so I thought an update was in order, especially to comment on how well this branch of Red Lobster deals with the ongoing virus situation. Although the dining room is now open, I gather, my wife and I still stick to takeout, and the takeout service here is impeccable. Orders are always ready on time and are accurate. The food remains as good as always. The people we deal with on the phone are always cheerful and pleasant. One negative comment, though, that is not the fault of this location: the (standardized) menu now offers much less in the way of food for non-seafood types like me than it did in 2013 (in particular, no more pork chops or hamburgers), but there's still enough available to make things worth my while. Their peppercorn-seasoned sirloin steak is excellent, and I also like the Cajun Chicken Linquine Alfredo. Even the chicken tenders are quite good. And of course the cheddar bay biscuits remain phenomenal. read more

I am super picky and indecisive. The waitress was able to come up with a plate for me where I could get little bits of everything I was craving! I must say the Lobster tail never disappoints! The food was super delicious and full of flavor! The staff was super welcoming and friendly! read more

Red Lobster - Topped Maine Lobster Tail with Shrimp Wood-Grilled Shrimp Skewers and two sides. Delicious and full of flavor! - Seafood Near Me - Ames, Iowa

This is our favorite seafood restaurant in Ames. We go as often as we can. We have never had a bad meal there and the service is always great. read more

I never absolutely loved Red Lobster before, but then again I've never been so limited in my seafood options until I moved to Ames, Iowa from Chicago. It is really comforting to know that there is at least a Red Lobster in Ames to provide, albeit not the fanciest and most decadent fresh seafare, at least better than satisfactory perfectly cooked and consistent lobster, crabs, scallops, shrimps, and fish. The service at this particular location is the best I can ever remember receiving at any Red Lobster. And of course, the cheddar biscuits are still to die for... and probably could die from a heart attack due to the calories of these things. read more

I came here around 7PM for dinner last night. It was a convenient dinner choice after a movie. My mom and I were seated right away. It took awhile to get waited on, maybe like 10-15 minutes. Once she came, she took our drink orders and disappeared for awhile again. We were starving so the wait was definitely annoying. Once she took our food orders we had Cesar salads and biscuits in no time at all. Our order came shortly after. We both ordered the lobster bake and substituted our sides. I ordered broccoli and the lobster baked potato, mom ordered green beans and a baked potato. Our meal was SO good and the service really picked up in the last half of our dining experience. Our total bill was around $50. So worth it! This only the second time I've been to a Red Lobster and it's blowing my mind. When our waitress brought the ticket she drew a cute turkey on it :) points for creativity! read more

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This Red Lobster location is pretty good. We tried the lobster pizza which is great! The lobster artichoke dip is a nice appetizer to get before your meal. I would recommend the Ultimate Feast, you get a lobster tail, crab legs and shrimp for a great price. Also love the biscuits here too. If you like seafood this will feed your hunger for it quite well. read more

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Not as good as it used to be. My blackened catfish was mush. Scallops were very small. Coconut shrimp was ok. Definitely not worth the money. read more

Fabulous food, exceptional service! If anything isn't up to par, they staff and management will go above and beyond to rectify the situation. Very impressive. We will be returning soon. read more

I decided to treat myself, and was NOT disappointed ! I tried the shrimp scampi and the new crusted crab bites, well worth it ! Service was excellent ! read more

Pricey but very good seafood as well as land food for those who aren't a fan of fish. We reserved a table for eight people and the service was excellent. I ordered the 4-course feast which was more than enough food for me and the coconut shrimp was amazing. But the best part of every Red Lobster trip is the delicious biscuits. Great service and food. read more

Absolutely the worst dinning experience we have had in Ames. That is 30 years. Server tried but 2 meals came on the same plate. Vegetables were not edible. Shrimp was larger than the overcooked lobster. You now can pay at the table which also allows for a review but no one came to check. We just sat there with an annoying green light flashing for the 5 minutes it took to bring us the receipt. We didn't want to make a scene and didn't but that's the last time we will ever go to this one. read more

No matter what you order here it is always good! I love this place, it tends to be a bit on the pricey side but is always good for a night out. read more

They messed up my bill and I did the ultimate feast and they added 21 dollars to my bill for no reason. Then took an hour to fix it. We had so look at the menu to prove it. They brought us a recipt with the charged we didn't know off and it was more then the originals freaking pieces of shit. They freakin ruined our night n every one before us was charged that read more

It's been a while since I've been to Red Lobster. I love their cheddar biscuits! Sad thing, deathly allergic to seafood. I can only get the Cajun Chicken Alfredo. Sad to say, there was no Cajun flavor at all & pasta was over cooked. My fiancée on the other hand got steak and lobster. Lobster was rubbery and way over cooked. She said her steak had more flavor then my dish! They over seasoned it. This was the first time in years since my fiancée has been... Was a disappointment. Good thing was, the waiter did keep our water full. read more

Enjoyed a very relaxing meal. Environment was comfortable and clean. Waitress was spot on. Ordered a Lobster bake (cant remember name). Entree was phenomenal! read more

Red lobster The Red Lobster restaurant is my favorite restaurant in Ames. I have several reasons why this restaurant is my best choice. First, the seafood is fresh and delicious, and no restaurant in Ames has fresh fish or any fresh seafood. Second, it has more choices than just seafood. There is Italian food, Asian food and American food. Third, it has very good service. You don't have to wait long after placing your order. I think Red Lobster is the most delicious restaurant in the United States. read more

I absolutely love red lobster and I was in town for business so I couldn't wait to check it out. Unfortunately it was not good. My food was lukewarm and only had 3 small pieces of lobster in the langostino lobster artichoke dip appetizer and very bland. The servers were fighting over who was gonna take the next table. Also the host would not let me have the vacant table I wanted. Lots of bickering could be heard. Not professional at all. read more

I remember that I used to really love Red Lobster, but the last couple times I have been there the food hasn't been the best. The cheddar biscuits are amazing, but really it seems everything else is pretty tasteless and bland. I even deviated from my usual ultimate feast to get one of their specials the last time I was there and that was even blah. The service was nice and friendly, a bit slow, but ok. I'm sad to say I won't be going back anytime soon. read more

All I'm going to say is very good. Great staff, warm environment, fast service, clean, and will go back very soon.

I'm giving this Ames Red Lobster 5 stars for exceptional service my husband and I received last Sunday night. We arrived about 5:40 or so and were told we would have a 20 minute wait. We decided to take our chances that the wait time was accurate since we had tickets for a 7:30 pm show at CY Stephens Auditorium. Our wait grew and I became anxious that we'd never get in as I watched other diners sitting long after their meals were either finished or they were waiting for their entrees. Eventually a young man took drink orders for those of us waiting. Finally, after about a 45 minute wait, we were seated. I explained to our server, Erica I think her name was, that we really needed to be done with our meal in about 30 minutes to allow us enough time to get to the auditorium, park, etc. Thankfully, she was empathetic and since our food order wasn't complicated, we had our salads and entrees in no time. Thanks to our exceptional and caring server, along with the rest of the overworked and probably understaffed waiters, and the excellent kitchen staff, our dinner and our night at the comedy show at the auditorium was a positive one. Thank you! read more