Red Lobster Sailor's Boil Review | Coalition Eats

Today, we review the Sailor’s Boil from Red Lobster. This is one of two seafood boils introduced by Red Lobster in June 2025, coinciding with the restaurant’s CrabFest promotion. Over the past year, our food reviews have primarily focused on sandwiches, pizza, and soups. This assessment of the Red Lobster Seafood Boil marks the first time what could be considered a full meal (or entree) is being assessed.

Red Lobster was established in 1968 by Bill Darden and Charley Woodsby in Lakeland, Florida. As of 2025, the chain comprises approximately 545 restaurants. Since 2014, Red Lobster has experienced multiple ownership transitions. On April 16, 2024, the company sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, subsequently initiating the closure of several underperforming locations across the United States and Canada. On September 16, 2024, Red Lobster was acquired by RL Investor Holdings, a private investment group. Following this acquisition, the restaurant chain successfully emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy on the same date.

As for the Seafood Boils, it was unclear whether this was a limited offering or not. Since CrabFest tends to have limited items as part of the promotion, it’s very possible that these could be done when CrabFest concludes in September 2025.

Finally, for this assessment, the Sailor’s Boil was reviewed as a takeout option, rather than being reviewed in the restaurant. Evaluating at a restaurant is much more complicated, so I opted to use the Cigar Coop studio to do it.

The Construction

The following are the main components of the Sailor’s Boil.

Shrimp (24)
Smoked Sausage
Red Potatoes
Corn (on the Cob)
Roasted Garlic Butter (No additional spice)
Entrees Eaten: 1
Location: Matthews, NC
Length: n/a
Weight: 2 13/16 lbs
Price: $28.99

There is also a Mariner’s Boil option, which essentially substitutes a lobster tail and crab legs for the Smoked Sausage. Both Boils are available in three options: Roasted Garlic Butter, Cajun Butter, or Old Bay Seasoning. There is an option to further customize and combine the seasoning options. There are also spicy and extra-spicy options available for each.

I opted for simplicity, and for the Sailor’s Boil, I chose the Roasted Garlic option with no added spice. The Boils come in a hot “shake and serve” bag.

The Experience

Since there was no baseline for Coalition Eats for a Seafood Boil, the following scoring was incorporated for the Red Lobster Sailor’s Boil.

Shrimp: 2.5 points
Smoked Sausage: 2.5 points
Vegetables/Condiments( Potatoes, Corn, Garlic Seasoning): 2.5 points
Intangibles: 2.5 points

Shrimp

The shrimp had a good firmness and a satisfying “snap” when bitten into. I would describe their flavor as mild, with just a hint of briny saltiness. These shrimp can be classified as medium-sized. They were plentiful—I didn’t take a precise count, but I’m confident there were around 24. The shrimp come with their tails still attached, so you’ll need to remove them yourself. Given the generous portion, it will take a bit of effort, but it’s worth it!

Score: 1.50 out of 2.50 points

Smoked Sausage

The smoked sausage in the Sailor’s Boil are sliced. There was a nice casing around the sausage. The sausage itself delivered a great combination of saltiness and smokiness. I found the flavors of the smoked sausage to be bold and quite enjoyable.

Score: 2.00 out of 2.50 points

Vegetables/Condiments

Red potatoes tend to be firmer than most potatoes, and with the Sailor’s Boil, that is the case. The potato is quite tasty and has a subtle natural sweetness to it. I found that, when tasting leftover portions the next day, the potato had softened a bit more.

The corn included is on a small cob that is about 1/3 to 1/2 the length of a whole ear of corn on the cob. The corn on the cob was a little softer than I prefer, but not overly mushy. Like the potato, it brought a nice, subtle natural sweetness to the table.

The Roasted Garlic Butter seasoning is on the bold side. It’s definitely dominated by the garlic, which will have a nice mix of pungency and sweetness. Much like the corn and the potato, the sweetness isn’t too much. If you like garlic, this is definitely the sauce for you.

Score: 1.75 out of 2.50 points

Intangibles

Like my other assessments of Coalition Eats, the significant factor is whether the overall experience exceeds the sum of its parts. With the Red Lobster Sailor’s Boil, the answer is a resounding “yes.” The Roasted Garlic Butter seasoning/sauce is the magic ingredient here. It brings out the flavors of all the components —shrimp, smoked sausage, corn, and potato—much better. There is plenty of Roasted Garlic Butter, so you can easily dip your components in it while eating. In particular, dunking the potato made it a little softer.

Removing the tails from the shrimp and the corn from the cob was a little work, but it was definitely worthwhile. Finally, the portions are plentiful. This will more than fill the needs of one person, and could be enough for two. The proportions seemed just right, but if there was one thing I would have wanted more of, it was the smoked sausage.

Finally, I love the bag option. It’s a little tricky to plate the Sailor’s Boil from the bag, but it’s still worth the effort. You will need a large bowl or serving dish to empty the bag into before consuming the food.

Score: 2.00 out of 2.50 points

OVERALL EXPERIENCE

The Sailor’s Boil is an absolute winner. Personally, I think the Roasted Garlic Butter was the best choice, but in fairness, I have not tried the Cajun or Old Bay options. A Seafood Boil does require a little work to eat, but I would definitely say it’s worth it. I look forward to trying the Mariner’s Boil, even though I know it will require more work to deal with the additional shellfish.

At just under $29.00, the Sailor’s Boil is not an inexpensive proposition, but the dish was delicious, and there is plenty for seconds or leftovers. In the end, the Sailor’s Boil does its job and does it well. I sincerely hope this becomes an ongoing menu item because it was quite good.