The Best Dishes From Red Lobster's New Menu

Lauren Torrisi

After announcing plans to revamp its seafood-centric menu, many fans of the Red Lobster chain wondered what would happen to old favorites such as coconut shrimp and cheddar bay biscuits.

RECIPE: Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits

The new menu, which landed on plates Monday, kept old favorites but added more affordable prices and non-seafood dishes. Portion sizes for the new items are large with "Maine Stay" options less than $15, a great value for those dining out on a budget.

Dishes such as a blue cheese sirloin and a wood-grilled chicken with Portobello wine sauce are some of the "Maine Stay" items that are both affordable and would make any meat-lover happy. The company also added a roasted vegetable entrée with a beurre blanc for vegetarian customers.

The new appetizer add-ons are by far the best. The sweet chili shrimp, featuring a dozen battered and fried shrimp in a spicy chili sauce, is crispy and crunchy and will disappear off of the table. Another appetizer worth trying is the Southwest chicken pizza, topped with BBQ chicken, roasted corn and Poblano peppers and drizzled with a jalapeno ranch.

The entrees aren't all as enticing but the Parmesan-crusted chicken Alfredo is one that will keep picky eaters happy. Served on a bed of creamy pasta and broccoli, the dish is large enough to serve as an entree for two.

For those watching their waistlines, the "LightHouse" menu includes several healthy choices such as a 260-calorie salad and a BBQ-glazed chicken dish. The tilapia with roasted vegetables is served in a parchment bag and is flavorful and light without the extra calories and cream.

If you can't leave without trying something sweet, the carrot cake is the star dessert item. The salted caramel and cream cheese icing sandwiched in between three layers of carrot cake is a treat worth indulging in.