I don't get it, but apparently, black people (yes, I'm black) seem to have some great affinity for Red Lobster. Anyone else heard this?

Probably because it serves stereotypically black food. Or rather, what some people consider to be stereotypically black. Things like fried "skrimp" and ribs, etc.

I have heard that its white counterpart is Long John Silver, which is far lower in sophistication.

Incidentally, lol:

[Edited 4/30/11 0:46am]

I've no idea since we don't eat there and haven't since like 1994.

Are there still long john silvers around?

i have never heard this theory, except for big daddy kane mentioning that in the perfect world, people eat red lobster for free. other than that, i don't know.

Yeah, that's the "thing" we allegedly do. I mean, back in the day anyway. If you graduated, you went to Red Lobster. Same for birthdays, Mother's Day, etc. All special events. I didn't really pay attention to it. My dad and I stopped eating there about 5 years ago once we got hip to Longhorn Steakhouse. The Red Lobster around our area is so lackluster these days, anyway. Salty bread, boring entrees....

I honestly just thought since the area was mostly Black, people just ate there for convenience. And then, I indirectly heard a story about Red Lobster being the "high class" place to eat 20+ years ago. Like it was the ultimate treat to dress up and eat in a fine place, because Black folk weren't welcome everywhere. So maybe that's why there's an affinity.

I dunno. I'd rather eat at my steakhouse, though. They make a mean Martini.

I just know on the long strip of mainstreet near my house,which is considered a very "BLACK STREET" which stretches for about 20 or so miles, red lobster is the ONLY restaurant that isn't a soul food joint or fast food.

thats all im saying.

I decided red lobster was middle class and irrelevent once I discovered Papadeuxs lol

right up until this little bait thread i was not aware they did.

i mean seriously. given the current status of this forum where do you really think this topic is going to go? huh???? someplace good??????

[Edited 4/30/11 5:14am]

maybe it's coz we loves RED!!!

wow...

I've said it before: Red Lobster is nothing but Long John Silver with better decor and a higher price point. I dunno about the history of the alleged stereotype, but I'd ban both those dives were it up to me.

I've never heard this one before. But then again, I live in Iowa.

Spinlight said:

Probably because it serves stereotypically black food. Or rather, what some people consider to be stereotypically black. Things like fried "skrimp" and ribs, etc.

I've never heard of the red lobster sterotype. I know a lot of black people do go there, especially on Sunday's after church. Right after they read from the same bible that says eating shell fish is an abomination (this passage is the one the pastor always conveniently skips over).

There are plenty of other restaurants that serve fried shrimp and ribs. What makes Red Lobster different?

LadyLuvSexxy said:

Yeah, that's the "thing" we allegedly do. I mean, back in the day anyway. If you graduated, you went to Red Lobster. Same for birthdays, Mother's Day, etc. All special events. I didn't really pay attention to it. My dad and I stopped eating there about 5 years ago once we got hip to Longhorn Steakhouse. The Red Lobster around our area is so lackluster these days, anyway. Salty bread, boring entrees....

I honestly just thought since the area was mostly Black, people just ate there for convenience. And then, I indirectly heard a story about Red Lobster being the "high class" place to eat 20+ years ago. Like it was the ultimate treat to dress up and eat in a fine place, because Black folk weren't welcome everywhere. So maybe that's why there's an affinity.

I dunno. I'd rather eat at my steakhouse, though. They make a mean Martini.

I remember Red Lobster being a "high class" place to eat back in the 1970s or at least it may have seemed that way to me because I was a small child back then. But I do remember it was on the side of town where the wealthier people lived during that time and it was always packed with people waiting to get in. All the customers I remember seeing in those days were white also.

When the 1980s came along, a lot of independent owned seafood restaurants opened up and everyone just completely abondoned Red Lobster. However, in the mid 1980s, I started hearing black folks talk about going to Red Lobster like they were going to a fancy french restaurant or something and all I could think about in my head was...."Hell, nobody goes to Red Lobster anymore. Everybody goes to (insert new seafood restaurant's name here)....." But I noticed more and more black people bragging about it every time they got paid and were going out to eat. I even went a few times just to see what all the fuss was about and the food was absolutely horrible....bland with no seasoning or taste. I think a lot of them may have thought Red Lobster was the shit because they had heard white people bragging about it the same way they did a decade earlier in the 1970s but in the 1980s, Red Lobster had already become a thing of the past and was a joke to seafood lovers.

Then, in the late 1980s, my sister worked at Captain D's and her check was issued to her by Shoney's which owned it. Also, in another corner of the check stub was a small Red Lobster logo next to the small Captain D's logo with a huge Shoney's logo so it was apparent that Shoney's owned all three restaurants. And since Shoney's owned it, no wonder Red Lobster's food was so bland because Shoney's is the absolute worst with no seasoning whatsoever.

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[Edited 4/30/11 7:45am]

Lammastide said:

I've said it before: Red Lobster is nothing but Long John Silver with better decor and a higher price point. I dunno about the history of the alleged stereotype, but I'd ban both those dives were it up to me.

My food snobbery is touched.

JuliePurplehead said:

I've never heard this one before. But then again, I live in Iowa.

Hell, I live in Detroit and never heard of it.

debbiedean2 said:

JuliePurplehead said:

I've never heard this one before. But then again, I live in Iowa.

Hell, I live in Detroit and never heard of it.

Cali and never heard of it

Yeah, it's a stereotype around here. And not for nothin'...but go by a Red Lobster on a Sunday and you'll see why!

My friend works at a Red Lobster in a white area and she says that her crowd is mostly white...but her friends in Carle Place (close to a big mall and mixed communities) tell her that most of the clients THERE are minorities for sure. (Yeah, we hispanics love some Red Lobster as well!!!)

Because they are ignorant assholes. Next question.

for whatever reason, the Red Lobsters where I live are flooded by black people with an hour wait list at most times

and this is not really in a black area

so it is not really a stereotype if it is a known fact, is it?

food is pretty shitty, greasy, fried and cheap and causes cancer........that is all I care to know about Red Lobster

LayDownMisty said:

for whatever reason, the Red Lobsters where I live are flooded by black people with an hour wait list at most times

and this is not really in a black area

so it is not really a stereotype if it is a known fact, is it?

food is pretty shitty, greasy, fried and cheap and causes cancer........that is all I care to know about Red Lobster

...explain please...

vainandy said:

LadyLuvSexxy said:

Yeah, that's the "thing" we allegedly do. I mean, back in the day anyway. If you graduated, you went to Red Lobster. Same for birthdays, Mother's Day, etc. All special events. I didn't really pay attention to it. My dad and I stopped eating there about 5 years ago once we got hip to Longhorn Steakhouse. The Red Lobster around our area is so lackluster these days, anyway. Salty bread, boring entrees....

I honestly just thought since the area was mostly Black, people just ate there for convenience. And then, I indirectly heard a story about Red Lobster being the "high class" place to eat 20+ years ago. Like it was the ultimate treat to dress up and eat in a fine place, because Black folk weren't welcome everywhere. So maybe that's why there's an affinity.

I dunno. I'd rather eat at my steakhouse, though. They make a mean Martini.

I remember Red Lobster being a "high class" place to eat back in the 1970s or at least it may have seemed that way to me because I was a small child back then. But I do remember it was on the side of town where the wealthier people lived during that time and it was always packed with people waiting to get in. All the customers I remember seeing in those days were white also.

When the 1980s came along, a lot of independent owned seafood restaurants opened up and everyone just completely abondoned Red Lobster. However, in the mid 1980s, I started hearing black folks talk about going to Red Lobster like they were going to a fancy french restaurant or something and all I could think about in my head was...."Hell, nobody goes to Red Lobster anymore. Everybody goes to (insert new seafood restaurant's name here)....." But I noticed more and more black people bragging about it every time they got paid and were going out to eat. I even went a few times just to see what all the fuss was about and the food was absolutely horrible....bland with no seasoning or taste. I think a lot of them may have thought Red Lobster was the shit because they had heard white people bragging about it the same way they did a decade earlier in the 1970s but in the 1980s, Red Lobster had already become a thing of the past and was a joke to seafood lovers.

Then, in the late 1980s, my sister worked at Captain D's and her check was issued to her by Shoney's which owned it. Also, in another corner of the check stub was a small Red Lobster logo next to the small Captain D's logo with a huge Shoney's logo so it was apparent that Shoney's owned all three restaurants. And since Shoney's owned it, no wonder Red Lobster's food was so bland because Shoney's is the absolute worst with no seasoning whatsoever.

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[Edited 4/30/11 7:45am]

EXACTLY! The Red Lobster I'm talking about here in Chicago is on a side of the city that used to be part of the "wealthy" area. It's actually a little sad now, because you hardly see people going to it. But when my dad was in his 30s and 40s, that was his little treat spot. I've actually had better crab legs and lobster from Sam's Club. Red Lobster has become so generic!

scriptgirl said:

I don't get it, but apparently, black people (yes, I'm black) seem to have some great affinity for Red Lobster. Anyone else heard this?

Why do you associate Red Lobster with Black people?

This seems based on what you've heard rather than know.

Have you been to your local Red Lobster and asked the Black people there?

Nvncible1 said:

I just know on the long strip of mainstreet near my house,which is considered a very "BLACK STREET" which stretches for about 20 or so miles, red lobster is the ONLY restaurant that isn't a soul food joint or fast food.

thats all im saying.

I decided red lobster was middle class and irrelevent once I discovered Papadeuxs lol

Pappadeaux's? Much much better than Red Lobster could ever be.

LayDownMisty said:

for whatever reason, the Red Lobsters where I live are flooded by black people with an hour wait list at most times

and this is not really in a black area

so it is not really a stereotype if it is a known fact, is it?

food is pretty shitty, greasy, fried and cheap and causes cancer........that is all I care to know about Red Lobster

Where you live . . .

It may ONLY be fact- where you live. Keep that in mind.

kitbradley said:

Spinlight said:

Probably because it serves stereotypically black food. Or rather, what some people consider to be stereotypically black. Things like fried "skrimp" and ribs, etc.

I've never heard of the red lobster sterotype. I know a lot of black people do go there, especially on Sunday's after church. Right after they read from the same bible that says eating shell fish is an abomination (this passage is the one the pastor always conveniently skips over).

There are plenty of other restaurants that serve fried shrimp and ribs. What makes Red Lobster different?

Good question. Red Lobster really isn't that cheap (again, compared to LJS) so the assumption that minorities eat there due to their low income wouldn't make sense. I assume its just because Red Lobster is a pretty popular joint, there's tons of 'em around. lol, I think some people are trying to look for an insult or a slur somewhere in all of this and, really, it's just not there. There's nothing shameful about eating an $18 plate of endless shrimp because lemme tell you how much fried shrimp and cheddar biscuits I eat when I go to Red Lobster.....

LayDownMisty said:

for whatever reason, the Red Lobsters where I live are flooded by black people with an hour wait list at most times

and this is not really in a black area

so it is not really a stereotype if it is a known fact, is it?

food is pretty shitty, greasy, fried and cheap and causes cancer........that is all I care to know about Red Lobster

Not to me. I don't eat there and we don't have one at our neighborhoods here where I live at anyway. Fuck a Red Lobster.

Posted by a proud black man.

[Edited 4/30/11 11:05am]

Isiah Thomas is the reason.

Timmy84 said:

LayDownMisty said:

for whatever reason, the Red Lobsters where I live are flooded by black people with an hour wait list at most times

and this is not really in a black area

so it is not really a stereotype if it is a known fact, is it?

food is pretty shitty, greasy, fried and cheap and causes cancer........that is all I care to know about Red Lobster

Not to me. I don't eat there and we don't have one at our neighborhoods here where I live at anyway. Fuck a Red Lobster.

Posted by a proud black man.

[Edited 4/30/11 11:05am]

Whatever, you guys are on crack.

Red Lobster is much more bougie now than it used to be.

Spinlight said:

Timmy84 said:

Not to me. I don't eat there and we don't have one at our neighborhoods here where I live at anyway. Fuck a Red Lobster.

Posted by a proud black man.

[Edited 4/30/11 11:05am]

Whatever, you guys are on crack.

Red Lobster is much more bougie now than it used to be.

[img:$uid]http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz261/blkbuttuhfly/receipts.gif[/img:$uid]

Vendetta1 said:

Because they are ignorant assholes. Next question.

Skip the next question.