The Chain With Shake & Serve Seafood Boils In More Than One Flavor

An old-fashioned seafood (or low country) boil is a staple in many Southern Atlantic coast households and restaurants, where the modern hearty ingredients that fill it are representative of the traditional ones that enslaved people, from whom the low country boil originated, sourced both from the land and from the ocean. Its tastiness cannot be overstated, but if you can't get down to South Carolina or Georgia for one, one seafood chain is bringing the flavors to a restaurant near you. Red Lobster, as part of this year's Crabfest, has introduced two new limited-time seafood boils, with multiple flavor options.

Despite its financial woes in 2024, Red Lobster is business as usual, having revamped its regular menu and now offering the Mariner's Seafood Boil, as well as the Sailor's Seafood Boil. The former comes with a Maine lobster tail, a dozen shrimp, snow crab legs, corn on the cob, as well as red potatoes, while the latter features two dozen shrimp, smoked sausage, corn on the cob, and red potatoes. Both come to your table in a shake-and-serve bag, and can be customized with one of three flavors: Roasted Garlic Butter, Cajun Butter, and Old Bay Butter.

Customers are also able to mix and match flavors, amp up the spice level, and add Cajun Sausage to either boil bag. However, as mentioned, these seafood boils are limited-time, available from June 23 to September 14.

Red Lobster's seafood boil bags aren't all that's new this year for Crabfest. The new CEO, Damola Adamolekun, who was appointed in August 2024 and is the youngest ever to step into the position within the company (he was born in 1989), is on a roll introducing original dishes into the Crabfest line-up. These include the very crab-forward appetizer Crabby Stuffed Mushrooms, and two premium sides, Crab-Topped Asparagus, and a Crab-Topped Potato. The entrees include Steak Oscar and Salmon Oscar, both of whose proteins come topped with lump crab meat and a creamy sauce that's described as decadent. The seafood chain has also introduced a new Old Bay & Parmesan flavoring for the old returning favorite, Crab Your Way.

Not to be outdone by Crabfest is Red Lobster's new "Festival Summer of Sips" beverages, with concert-themed names, like Opening Act: Passion Star Spritz, a mix of Tito's vodka, Wycliff Sparkling Wine, passionfruit, and a dried star fruit that has been dusted with gold. Follow that up with Headliner: Purple Haze by Dre & Snoop, which is flavored with desert pear and lemonade, gets its kick from STILL G.I.N. by Dre & Snoop, and gets its Instagram-worthy good looks from a sparkling gold shimmer. And you can finish off your meal with the Encore: Starry Eyed Surprise, made with tequila and blue curaçao, Starry Lemon-Lime soda, and finished off with sugar sprinkles on the glass rim.