Red Lobster opens at Irvington

Gastronomically, the ocean and the sea just came closer to Green Valley and Sahuarita bringing a

tempting menu of shrimp, scallops, crab legs, lobster and other flavorful seafood choices plus steak and chicken.

The latest in a chain of more than 680 Red Lobster restaurants opened on August 31 at the Tucson Spectrum in So. Tucson where Home Depot, JC Penney, Olive Garden, Target and other major retailers are located off Irvington and I-19.

Though local restaurants feature seafood items on their menus, as the name suggests, Red Lobster is primarily about seafood—fresh seafood.

“Our fresh fish menu is updated every day, is cooked on an oak wood-fired grill and includes trout, tilapia, cod, mahi mahi and salmon,” said General Manager Jason Trenkler.

Red Lobster’s popular “Endless Shrimp Promotion” that began August 25 and runs thru November 9 includes a choice of two of the following: teriyaki grilled shrimp, garlic shrimp scampi, Cajun shrimp and coconut shrimp bites.

Hungry for more after the first serving? In addition to unlimited refills the promotion includes a salad and Red Lobster’s popular Cheddar Bay biscuits… 1.1 million are baked and served every day.

For seafood aficionados who can’t decide on their favorite the “Ultimate Feast” features a split lobster tail, steamed snow crab legs and garlic shrimp scampi.

Trenkler said the restaurant features a bar and a tempting dessert menu that includes tangy key lime pie; warm chocolate chip lava cookie with a molten center, vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce; New York-style cheesecake with fresh strawberries; warm apple crumble a la mode; and chocolate wave—warm, rich chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.

In the current economy Red Lobster is an employment boon to the South Tucson region. Trenkler said the 256-seat restaurant has created 173 new jobs.

Operated by Darden Restaurants Inc., which also owns Olive Garden restaurants, Communications and Media Manager Erica Jaeger said the company tends to locate the two restaurants close to one another.

“Our staff is knowledgeable; our restaurants are clean and comfortable and we’re known for choosing the right seafood. Anyone craving a seafood experience can have that at Red Lobster,” Jaeger said.

Trenkler added, “We look forward to giving people a refreshing seaside dining experience.”

Ellen Sussman is a freelance writer in Green Valley and has requested that Red Lobster add lobster rolls to their menu. Contact her at ellen2414@cox.net.

If you go

This week: Serving dinner only, from 4 p.m.

Starting Sept. 7: Serving lunch and dinner every day. Lunch served 11 to 3; dinner starts at 3.

Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Where: Red Lobster’s location at The Spectrum is south of Home Depot near Harkins Theaters, Irvington, west of Interstate 19.

Lobster trivia

The lobster is built funny. Its brain is in its throat, its nervous system is in its belly, it listens with its legs, it tastes with its feet, its teeth are in its stomach and its kidneys are in its head.