Red Lobster Macros: Complete Nutrition Guide for Seafood Lovers

Red Lobster is a macro counter’s paradise if you order right. Seafood is naturally the best protein source—high in protein, low in calories, and packed with omega-3s. The challenge is navigating past the fried platters, creamy sauces, and those irresistible Cheddar Bay Biscuits.

This guide breaks down the entire Red Lobster menu so you can enjoy quality seafood without derailing your nutrition goals.

Quick Reference: Red Lobster Best Macro Options

Here are the top protein-to-calorie ratios at Red Lobster.

Item	Calories	Protein (g)	Carbs (g)	Fat (g)
Snow Crab Legs (1 lb)	90	19	0	2
Live Maine Lobster (1.25 lb)	140	29	0	2
Rock Lobster Tail	120	26	0	2
Grilled Salmon (full)	510	54	4	31
Garlic Shrimp Scampi	360	37	7	20

Macro champion: Snow crab legs—19g protein for 90 calories is unbeatable.

Red Lobster Lobster Options

Lobster Entrees (Without Butter)

Lobster Item	Calories	Protein (g)	Carbs (g)	Fat (g)
Live Maine Lobster (1.25 lb)	140	29	0	2
Live Maine Lobster (1.5 lb)	170	35	0	2
Live Maine Lobster (2 lb)	220	45	0	3
Rock Lobster Tail	120	26	0	2
Twin Rock Lobster Tails	240	52	0	4
Lobster Lover’s Dream	580	64	15	28

Butter Matters

Addition	Calories	Fat (g)
Melted Butter (1 tbsp)	100	11
Melted Butter (2 tbsp)	200	22
Melted Butter (3 tbsp)	300	33

Key insight: Lobster itself is incredibly lean. The butter you dip it in can easily double or triple the calories.

Red Lobster Crab Options

Crab Entrees

Crab Item	Calories	Protein (g)	Carbs (g)	Fat (g)
Snow Crab Legs (1 lb)	90	19	0	2
Snow Crab Legs (1.5 lb)	135	29	0	3
King Crab Legs (1 lb)	130	26	0	2
Crab Linguini Alfredo	1,150	40	102	65
Crabby Cheese Fries	1,020	36	79	62

Best crab choice: Snow crab legs. Nearly pure protein with minimal calories.

Red Lobster Shrimp Options

Shrimp Entrees

Shrimp Item	Calories	Protein (g)	Carbs (g)	Fat (g)
Garlic Shrimp Scampi	360	37	7	20
Grilled Shrimp	130	25	2	3
Shrimp Linguini Alfredo	1,200	45	104	69
Crispy Dragon Shrimp	580	21	52	32
Walt’s Favorite Shrimp	490	22	42	26
Shrimp Your Way (steamed)	150	30	2	3
Popcorn Shrimp	490	17	40	29

Best shrimp: Grilled shrimp or Garlic Shrimp Scampi. Avoid fried preparations.

Red Lobster Fish Options

Fish Entrees

Fish Item	Calories	Protein (g)	Carbs (g)	Fat (g)
Grilled Atlantic Salmon (full)	510	54	4	31
Grilled Atlantic Salmon (half)	260	27	2	16
Pan-Seared Tilapia	310	44	5	13
Sailor’s Platter	1,160	47	93	66
Fish & Chips	1,040	40	86	58
New England Clam Chowder (bowl)	400	11	28	27

Best fish: Grilled salmon or pan-seared tilapia. Both offer excellent protein for moderate calories.

Red Lobster Signature Feasts and Combos

Feast Platters

Feast	Calories	Protein (g)	Carbs (g)	Fat (g)
Ultimate Feast	610	74	8	30
Admiral’s Feast	1,500	62	113	91
Bar Harbor Lobster Bake	750	60	42	38
Create Your Own Combo (avg)	600-900	50-70	varies	varies

Best feast: Ultimate Feast at 610 calories with 74g protein is actually solid.

Surf & Turf Options

Combo	Calories	Protein (g)	Carbs (g)	Fat (g)
Steak & Lobster Tail	530	62	2	30
Sirloin & Lobster Tail	420	55	2	21
NY Strip & Lobster Tail	680	68	2	43

Surf & Turf winner: Sirloin & Lobster Tail—55g protein for 420 calories.

Red Lobster Sides

Low-Calorie Sides

Side	Calories	Protein (g)	Carbs (g)	Fat (g)
Steamed Broccoli	45	3	5	2
Side Salad (no dressing)	90	2	10	5
Fresh Asparagus	60	3	6	3
Coleslaw	200	1	12	17
Wild Rice Pilaf	180	4	34	3

Higher-Calorie Sides

Side	Calories	Protein (g)	Carbs (g)	Fat (g)
Baked Potato (plain)	210	5	46	0
Loaded Baked Potato	450	12	50	24
French Fries	380	5	50	18
Mashed Potatoes	180	3	24	8
Caesar Salad	350	7	16	29

Best sides: Steamed broccoli, side salad, or fresh asparagus.

Cheddar Bay Biscuits: The Macro Trap

Let’s address the beloved biscuit situation.

Biscuits	Calories	Protein (g)	Carbs (g)	Fat (g)
1 Biscuit	160	3	17	9
2 Biscuits	320	6	34	18
3 Biscuits	480	9	51	27
4 Biscuits	640	12	68	36
5 Biscuits	800	15	85	45

Reality check: A basket of 5 biscuits has as many calories as some entire entrees. They’re unlimited—but your macros aren’t.

Biscuit strategy:

• Have 1-2 max if tracking
• Ask the server to bring only what you’ll eat
• Or skip entirely and spend calories on protein instead

Best Red Lobster Orders by Goal

For Fat Loss (High Protein, Low Calorie)

The Lean Seafood Feast

• Snow Crab Legs (1 lb)
• Grilled Shrimp
• Steamed broccoli
• Side salad (light dressing)
• No biscuits, no butter

Macros: 355 calories | 47g protein | 19g carbs | 10g fat

Exceptional macros—47g protein for under 400 calories.

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The Lobster Lean

• Live Maine Lobster (1.25 lb, steamed)
• Fresh asparagus
• Side salad
• 1 tbsp butter (controlled)

Macros: 390 calories | 34g protein | 21g carbs | 16g fat

A special occasion meal that won’t break your macros.

For Muscle Building (Higher Protein, Higher Carbs)

The Seafood Builder

• Ultimate Feast
• Wild rice pilaf
• 1-2 Cheddar Bay Biscuits
• Steamed broccoli

Macros: 1,035 calories | 81g protein | 70g carbs | 48g fat

Solid post-workout meal with quality protein and carbs.

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The Protein Stack

• Twin Rock Lobster Tails
• Grilled Salmon (half)
• Baked potato (plain)
• 2 biscuits

Macros: 970 calories | 85g protein | 82g carbs | 34g fat

Over 85g of protein from multiple seafood sources.

For Low-Carb / Keto

The Zero-Carb Seafood

• Snow Crab Legs (1.5 lb)
• Grilled Shrimp
• Extra melted butter (2 tbsp)
• Steamed broccoli
• No biscuits

Macros: 540 calories | 57g protein | 7g carbs | 32g fat

Perfect keto meal—virtually no carbs with butter as your fat source.

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The Keto Lobster

• Live Maine Lobster (1.5 lb)
• Garlic Shrimp Scampi
• Caesar salad (no croutons)
• Butter for dipping

Macros: 780 calories | 74g protein | 12g carbs | 48g fat

Restaurant-quality keto feast.

For Maintenance / Balanced

The Smart Feast

• Sirloin & Lobster Tail
• Steamed broccoli
• Baked potato (plain)
• 1 biscuit

Macros: 815 calories | 63g protein | 68g carbs | 30g fat

A celebratory meal with balanced macros.

Red Lobster Ordering Hacks

Ask for Steamed Over Fried

Any shrimp or fish can usually be prepared grilled or steamed instead of fried. This cuts calories dramatically.

Control Your Butter

Ask for butter on the side in a measured portion. One tablespoon is 100 calories—you don’t need a swimming pool of it.

Pre-Decide on Biscuits

Before the basket arrives, decide exactly how many you’ll have. Tell your server “just bring us 4” if you’re sharing, or 1-2 if alone.

Build Your Own

The “Create Your Own” option lets you pick exactly what you want. Choose all grilled/steamed proteins and low-calorie sides.

Lunch Portions

Lunch portions are smaller and cheaper. The lunch salmon or lunch shrimp dishes can have 30-40% fewer calories.

Skip the Alfredo

Any “Alfredo” or “creamy” preparation adds 400-600 calories. Always choose grilled, steamed, or scampi preparations instead.

Common Red Lobster Macro Mistakes

Mistake 1: Biscuit Blindness

“I only had a few”—but those few are 320-480 calories with minimal protein. The unlimited basket is dangerous.

Mistake 2: Butter Bombs

Lobster and crab themselves are incredibly lean. Drowning them in butter can triple the calories of your meal.

Mistake 3: Admiral’s Feast Assumption

It sounds balanced, but Admiral’s Feast is 1,500 calories with mostly fried items. Ultimate Feast (610 cal) is the better choice.

Mistake 4: Ignoring Preparation

Grilled shrimp: 130 calories. Fried shrimp: 490 calories. Same shrimp, 3.5x more calories. Preparation matters enormously.

Mistake 5: Alfredo Everything

Shrimp Linguini Alfredo has 1,200 calories—more than double a steak dinner. The cream sauce is the killer.

Red Lobster for Different Calorie Budgets

Daily Calories	Recommended Strategy
1,200-1,400	Snow crab + grilled shrimp + veggies (355 cal)
1,500-1,800	Lobster tail + side salad + 1 biscuit (470 cal)
1,800-2,200	Sirloin & lobster + potato + broccoli (680 cal)
2,200-2,800	Ultimate Feast + 2 sides + 2 biscuits (1,035 cal)
2,800+	Enjoy the feast selections

Macros for Weight Loss to determine your daily targets.

Use our free Macro Calculator to see how Red Lobster fits your nutrition plan.

Red Lobster vs Other Seafood/Casual Dining

Restaurant	Best Macro Option	Calories	Protein
Red Lobster	Snow Crab + Grilled Shrimp	220	44g
Joe’s Crab Shack	Steamed Crab Bucket	280	52g
Bonefish Grill	Grilled Fish	400	48g
Outback	Grilled Salmon	520	52g

Verdict: Red Lobster offers some of the best protein-to-calorie ratios in casual dining.

The Bottom Line

Red Lobster is genuinely one of the best restaurants for macro tracking—seafood is naturally lean and protein-rich. The key is choosing grilled/steamed preparations, controlling butter, and limiting those addictive biscuits.

Key takeaways:

• Snow crab legs are the macro MVP (19g protein for 90 cal per pound)
• Steamed or grilled preparations beat fried every time
• Butter adds up—use sparingly or skip
• Limit biscuits to 1-2 (or skip entirely)
• Ultimate Feast is surprisingly macro-friendly at 610 calories

Enjoy quality seafood without the macro guilt!

Related Guides:

• What Are Macronutrients? — Understand the basics
• Eating Out on Macros — Restaurant strategies
• High Protein Foods List — Best protein sources

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• Outback Macros — Steakhouse comparison
• Olive Garden Macros — Italian casual dining
• All Restaurant Guides — Browse all dining guides