You can still eat Cheddar Bay Biscuits despite Red Lobster closures. Try these DIY recipes

John Tufts, Indianapolis Star
·4 min read

The first thing to disappear off the table at Red Lobster isn't usually seafood — it's the Cheddar Bay Biscuits.

They've been wildly popular since 1992, when the company first introduced its signature, savory appetizer as "freshly baked, hot cheese garlic bread."

Now that Red Lobster looks poised to shutter dozens of locations in 27 states, you might wonder where to get your Cheddar Bay Biscuit fix. The exact recipe has been a closely guarded secret for years, but Red Lobster still sells a pre-made mixture you can buy at most grocery stores.

Signage on the front door of the Baymeadows Road Red Lobster restaurant informs customers that it has closed. All three Jacksonville locations closed Monday, May 14, 2024, along with dozens of others nationwide.
Signage on the front door of the Baymeadows Road Red Lobster restaurant informs customers that it has closed. All three Jacksonville locations closed Monday, May 14, 2024, along with dozens of others nationwide.

Here's what we know about this foodie-favorite, as well as a few DIY copycat recipes for Cheddar Bay Biscuits you can put to the test at home.

Who invented Cheddar Bay Biscuits?

The invention of Cheddar Bay Biscuits in 1992 is credited to Kurt Hankins, then-head of Red Lobster's culinary development team, writes food enthusiast site Tasting Table. Hankins, inspired by Texas Toast and French Bread, substituted sugar for garlic and added cheese.

By 2017, a news release from Red Lobster claimed the company was baking nearly one million biscuits a day, putting a fresh batch in the oven every 15-20 minutes.

Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Is Cheddar Bay a real place?

No, not at all. Red Lobster coined the term "Cheddar Bay" roughly 4-5 years later, the company said, "to reflect the seaside atmosphere" of its restaurants.

Cheddar Bay Biscuits weren't originally served at the table

Red Lobster first served its signature biscuits on trays to hungry patrons waiting in the lobby, according to a news release. But servers couldn't keep up with requests for more biscuits, the company said, and demand became so high Red Lobster began serving them as table appetizers.

Vintage 1996 Red Lobster TV ad with Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Fun (weird) facts about Cheddar Bay Biscuits

At its height, Red Lobster had roughly 700 locations spread across the globe. A recent article by Restaurant Business listed the company's U.S. locations in 2012 had reached an all-time high of 679 restaurants.

That's a lot of Red Lobsters making a lot of cheddar biscuits. In 2017, here's what those numbers looked like:

  • Food staff baked more than 8,000 pounds of cheddar cheese to create roughly one million biscuits a day.

  • Stacked up, the number of Cheddar Bay Biscuits served daily would tower 137 times the height of the Empire State Building.

  • In one year, the number of biscuits served could stretch coast to coast in the United States about five times.

  • In 2017, the number of Cheddar Bay Biscuits served equaled 17 times the population of Florida, which had roughly 21 million people

  • Can't get the taste off your lips? As part of a promotional deal seven years ago, Red Lobster released a limited-edition Cheddar Bay Biscuit-flavored lip balm.

Recipes: How to make Cheddar Bay Biscuits

The foodie community at Food.com has recipes for just about everything — from simple meals like mac and cheese all the way up to preparing turducken. A popular community favorite is their variation of Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits, which uses Bisquick, milk, garlic powder and Old Bay Seasoning.

Find the recipe here: Food.com/recipe/red-lobster-cheddar-bay-biscuits-31206.

Cheddar Bay Biscuits recipe with Italian seasoning

According to her website, SpendwithPennies.com, food blogger Holly Nilsson is passionate about creating cost-efficient meals from her suburban home in Vancouver. Nilsson's recipe for Red Lobster's signature biscuits calls for garlic powder, all-purpose flour, shredded cheddar cheese and optional Italian seasoning.

Find the recipe here: SpendWithPennies.com/red-lobster-cheddar-bay-biscuits/.

Make Cheddar Bay Biscuits using buttermilk

A variation on Cheddar Bay Biscuits from TheCozyCook.com calls for using buttermilk as a substitute. Food blogger Stephanie Melchione gives readers step-by-step instructions with ingredients that include dry parsley, granulated sugar, cold buttermilk and cayenne pepper.

Find the recipe here: TheCozyCook.com/copycat-red-lobster-cheddar-bay-biscuits/

Cheddar Bay Biscuits - TikTok personality Jordan Howlett of 'Fast Food Secrets Club' has these tips

Red Lobster sells its classic Cheddar Bay Biscuits in a mix you can buy at grocery stores such as Walmart, Meijer and Target. If you buy the mix, TikTok personality Jordan Howlett at Fast Foods Secrets Club says to add way more cheese and substitute buttermilk for water.

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John Tufts covers trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com. Follow him on X at @JTuftsReports.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits: Their history and how to make them