9 Best Chain Restaurant Seafood Pasta Dishes, According To Customers

Seafood and pasta are as natural a combination as peanut butter and jelly or ham and cheese. The starchy pasta can hold a variety of sauces, while the seafood can be briny, sweet, or a bit of both. The combinations are endless, and almost any Italian or Italian-inspired restaurant will have at least one version of a popular favorite like shrimp scampi, linguine and clams, or lobster mac and cheese. The pastas range from incredibly light to very filling, but all have spectacular flavor. 

The chain restaurants on this list have seafood pastas that diners rate highly. Various shellfish are paired with everything from creamy sauces to spicy broths and a huge variety of pasta types, to create memorable meals. If any of the dishes catch your eye, you can also likely use one of these Aldi sauces to make your own version at home. 

Bonefish Grill is an upscale spot with candlelit booths and an emphasis on quality. It was established in 2000 and is known for using a wood-burning grill to cook many of its meals. There are now over 150 Bonefish locations across the country, serving prix fixe lunches, steaks, fish, and a wide variety of sides. There are several linguine dishes on offer, including scallops & shrimp scampi pasta, which comes with diced tomatoes, Parmesan, and a white wine garlic lemon sauce over the pasta, $26.50 at the Pensacola, Florida location. 

Diners say this meal is perfectly cooked, served good and hot. They appreciate the different textures in the scampi from the shrimp, scallops, and parmesan topping. Diners say this dish is nothing short of excellent and comes in portions large enough that it can be hard to finish all at once. One person declared the scampi was super delicious and rated it a nine out of ten on their personal dining scale. Another diner said they were drooling over the pasta, and customers state they'll be back for more. If you're not near a Bonefish Grill location and want to try the dish, these tips can help you get the perfect crust on your scallops. 

Noodles & Company bills itself as the only restaurant dedicated to noodle dishes. The chain started over 30 years ago and is committed to using fresh ingredients and making delicious dishes. It has over 400 locations nationwide and sells a variety of mac & cheese, salads, and high-protein options. The Cajun shrimp fettuccine can be augmented with pulled pork, marinated steak, grilled chicken, tofu, or meatballs to make it more protein-rich. But it's rich and tasty just as it is. The dish is made with a Cajun Alfredo sauce, sauteed shrimp, red peppers, and bacon over fettuccine. It comes in small and regular portions, with a small selling for $12.50, while a regular costs $13.90 at the Middletown, Connecticut location. 

Diners report the meal is filled with Cajun spices and very flavorful, with well-seasoned shrimp. People call it fresh and delicious, saying it's worth coming back for, thanks to the tasty sauce and perfectly cooked ingredients. Customers note that the sauce is creamy and rich, while the shrimp is tender and has just the right amount of spice. Fans highly recommend it and suggest getting extra sauce for an even more powerful kick. 

Established in Chicago in 1991, Maggiano's Little Italy specializes in classic old-world food. There are more than 50 locations, primarily in Texas and Illinois. The menu contains lunch, dinner, and family-sized options, as well as gluten-free dishes, and encompasses everything from calamari and stuffed mushrooms to chicken piccata and baked ziti. One of the restaurant's most popular seafood items is the linguine di mare, made with pieces of lobster, shrimp, clams, mussels, and spicy arrabiata sauce, which goes excellently with seafood. It costs $35 at the Richmond, Virginia location and is only available during dinner hours. 

People overwhelmingly enjoy this meal, saying it's amazing and a highlight of the menu. With al dente pasta and well-seasoned seafood, the portion size is so generous that some people can't finish it in one sitting. Fans call it heavenly and say versions from other restaurants can't compare to Maggiano's. Diners have called it excellent, saying it's their favorite thing in the eatery, remarkably close to what they've enjoyed in Naples, Italy. 

Olive Garden is an expansive restaurant chain with over 900 locations across the U.S. and legions of fans. It was founded in the early 1980s and quickly expanded across the country. Known for its specials, like the bottomless soup, salad, and breadsticks, the eatery's regular menu offers a wide variety of pastas in varying portion sizes. For instance, the shrimp scampi comes in a lunch-sized serving, as a classic entrée, or in a family-sized pan. At a Hot Springs, Arkansas location, the lunch portion is $11.99, while the entrée is $20.79. The pan costs $61.79 and feeds four to six people. 

Many fans appreciate both the dish's taste and its low calorie count, with some bragging that they can get their pasta fix without ruining their diet, reportedly without it even feeling like a low-calorie meal. Diners say it's one of the best things at the restaurant, well-seasoned and plentiful. The shrimp scampi is highly recommended, with customers calling it delicious. Fans say it hits the spot and gets them full, while enjoying the fresh asparagus and shrimp. 

The Capital Grille is an upscale steakhouse and seafood restaurant that's among the most expensive seafood chains in the nation. While it isn't easy on the wallet overall, there are still items on the menu that won't empty your wallet either, such as the lower-priced lunch options. The dinner menu is costlier and has dishes like porcini mushroom-rubbed ribeye steaks, pan-seared sea bass, and lamb rib chops. There's also the eatery's famous lobster mac 'n' cheese, which is technically a side dish but comes in what many people consider a meal-sized portion. The dish sells for $25 at the Milwaukee, Wisconsin location and is made with a blend of four cheeses, topped with white Cheddar and Grana Padano. 

Reviewers love the mac 'n' cheese, calling it rich and decadent. The lobster comes in large chunks, and the pasta is perfectly cooked, while the cheese sauce is creamy and flavorful. Diners call the item the star of the show on the chain's extensive menu, praising its exceptional taste. Fans have no shortage of praise for this dish, with one diner on Trip Advisor calling it "The BEST lobster mac & cheese ever to grace this planet."

Landry's Seafood House has been bringing a taste of the Gulf Coast to diners since 1947. The chain only has 14 locations but is seen as a reliable upscale spot for steaks, oysters, and cocktails. The penne Alfredo comes with a choice of blackened chicken or shrimp, and while customers enjoy both versions, the shrimp is highly praised. The dish costs $23.90 at the St. Louis, Missouri location and is made with the diner's protein of choice, tomatoes, peas, grated parmesan, and Alfredo sauce. 

Customers call the item delicious and say it doesn't disappoint, leading them to want to revisit the restaurant for another meal. It tastes great, and people say it comes with a good amount of shrimp. The creamy sauce also given generously over perfectly cooked pasta. Some find the portion large enough to take home leftovers and note that it reheats well. This is a fan favorite, tasty and fresh that people return for again and again. 

Texas might not be the first place you think of when Italian food is mentioned, but Italians have been a part of that state since the 1700s. In fact, people claiming Italian ancestors were Texas' sixth largest ethnic group in the 1990s. Bringing that heritage to the masses was one reason two descendants of Sicilian immigrants decided to found Carrabba's Italian Grill in 1986. The chain has since spread from coast to coast with over 200 locations. 

As with any Italian restaurant, pasta is a big part of the menu, and Carrabba's is well known for its lobster ravioli. The dish has lobster and cheese-stuffed pasta covered in diced tomatoes and white wine cream sauce. At the Hilliard, Ohio location, it costs $26.49 per plate. 

For some fans, this is their absolute favorite thing to order there, saying they'll protest if it's ever removed from the menu. The white wine sauce perfectly complements the lobster, with some diners asking for extra. In the slightly sweet filling, you'll find visible pieces of lobster when the ravioli is cut open. One diner on Trip Advisor praises this dish highly, saying, "Their lobster ravioli is the best I have had anywhere," and they aren't the only one saying so. If you're not near a Carrabba's location, you can use this lasagna sheet hack to make your own at home. 

BJ's Brewhouse was founded in 1978, on deep dish pizzas and craft beer. It's since grown to over 200 locations across 31 states and has expanded its menu offerings to include steaks, tacos, gluten-free options, burgers, and pastas. The shrimp scampi is made with jumbo shrimp, garlic butter sauce, spaghetti, tomatoes, garlic, spices, and Parmesan cheese, and costs $24.99 at an Albuquerque, New Mexico location. 

Fans say this is a top-tier dish at the restaurant, in generous portion sizes, with one diner on Yelp saying, "The shrimp scampi was phenomenal — large shrimp in a yummy buttery garlic sauce." Others recommend this item, noting it's very flavorful, with some saying that it's always perfectly cooked. If you'd like to make a similar simple pasta dish at home, Ina Garten has tips on how to choose the best shrimps to make an incredible meal. 

Red Lobster is one of the most famous seafood chain restaurants in the country. Established in 1968, it's spread from Lakeland, Florida, into more than 500 locations globally. It might be best known for the famous cheddar bay biscuits it serves, but the eatery has a lot more than that on the menu. In addition to its signature feasts, the chain has seafood boils, soups, family meals, and sandwiches. There's also a variety of pasta dishes, including the shrimp linguini Alfredo, made with sautéed shrimp on a nest of linguini mixed with Alfredo sauce. At a Chesapeake, Virginia location, it costs $20.99 for a full portion.

Diners say this dish is delicious, with a good portion of shrimp and the perfect amount of sauce. Diners rate this dish highly, particularly praising the amazing value of the restaurant's Endless Shrimp deal, particularly because, for some customers, it's one of their favorite items at the restaurant. Reviewers elsewhere note the sauce is mild and creamy, unlike some competitor restaurants that oversalt their Alfredo. If you decide to take some of the shrimp linguini to go, or make your own at home, you can add a bit of spicy gochujang paste to give it an extra kick. 

Deciding which seafood pasta dishes should be on this list involved narrowing down dozens of different restaurant items. We had to examine multiple factors, such as the overall customer experience, the value and taste of the item, whether they were regularly available, and the prices.

We then searched through social media posts, comment threads, professional reviews, and user review sites. Only the pastas with the most positive customer reviews across several platforms were chosen for the final list.