Complete Red Lobster Gluten-Free Menu For 2025
If you’re dreaming of cheddar biscuits or buttery lobster tails, let our Red Lobster gluten-free guide reveal which appetizers, entrées, sides, & more are safe.
If the name ‘Red Lobster’ isn’t clear enough already, their menu is synonymous with indulgent seafood, from their iconic loaded shrimp appetizers to decadent surf-and-turf entrées. 🦞🍤
However, for those of us here managing celiac disease or a severe non-celiac gluten sensitivity, the allure of seafood requires navigating ever-so-deadly crispy coatings and buttery sauces.
It’s choppy waters ahead if you’re a celiac or intolerant to gluten, but Red Lobster might offer some reprieve, with a handful of items that omit wheat and gluten altogether. 👉🚫🌾
Namely, Red Lobster’s special Crabfest menus could be ordered gluten-friendly, as are some of their starters, lobsters, shrimps, other fishy dishes, and a few sides, dips, and dressings! 🦀🦐
Nevertheless, while many fish and shellfish are naturally gluten-free, Red Lobster uses a lot of breaded components and wheat-thickened sauces that ultimately make them unsafe for celiacs.
So, with that in mind, our Red Lobster gluten-free menu guide is here to make sure you won’t accidentally order anything at Red Lobster with gluten in it, and let’s check out what’s safe.
Table of Contents
Disclaimer
That said, it’s worth bearing in mind that even with those gluten-friendly Red Lobster items, it isn’t a 100% guarantee that they’re free of wheat and gluten, so do approach with caution. ❗
This is mainly due to Red Lobster’s use of a shared kitchen environment, and they don’t have a dedicated gluten-free kitchen space, not to mention their use of shared equipment, too. 🍴🔪
You could get a trace of gluten transferred via shared tongs, fry baskets, sauce ladles, and more, subsequently posing a potential risk of cross-contamination with everything you order.
As such, every menu item at Red Lobster, even those without wheat or gluten in their recipes, may touch common fryers, grills, and prep stations, thus introducing gluten into the mix. 🐟
Plus, Red Lobster doesn’t test their ingredients, recipes, or menu items to meet the FDA’s very strict <20 ppm threshold for something to be considered ‘certified gluten-free’, either! 🧪🔬
In short, I’d suggest treating even the most ‘gluten-free’ Red Lobster dishes more like ‘gluten-friendly’ and/or ‘gluten-sensitive’, as it’s not a guarantee that they’ll be 100% gluten-free. ⚠️
Red Lobster Allergen Policy (Gluten-Free)
On the bright side, at least Red Lobster makes it super easy to see which menu items feature wheat or gluten ingredients, and it starts by heading to the official Red Lobster website. 🌐
Once you’re on the front page of the Red Lobster, scroll all the way down and click or tap the buttons down there on the page that mention ‘Allergen Guide’ and ‘Nutritional Information’.
Now, the latter link, which opens up a PDF file that showcases Red Lobster’s official nutrition guide, doesn’t really tell you which menu items don’t contain gluten, but it’s a nice bonus. 🦞
- Using their nutritional guide, and especially if you’re super conscious about your diet or your daily intake, you could check out what’s inside every single menu item at Red Lobster. 🦀🍤
- This includes calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbs, fiber, sugars, proteins, and more. You could then tally these up and figure out what you should eat. As for us celiacs, though…
What you’re really after is Red Lobster’s official allergen guide, which also opens up in a new tab on your browser as a PDF file, and this is where we could filter down their entire menu.
- As a celiac, or if you have a severe non-celiac gluten sensitivity or intolerance, all you need to do is avoid anything here that’s been marked as containing ‘Wheat’ or ‘Gluten’ allergens. 🌾
- On top of that, Red Lobster includes all the key allergens there, as well, so if you’re allergic to anything else, such as nuts, shellfish, soy, egg, dairy, and so on, you can filter them out, too.
- Additionally, as an added bonus, Red Lobster goes the extra mile and added another column here just for cross-contamination risks during the cooking or prep, so be sure to use this. ⚠️
Crabfest & Seafood Boils
Our first stop on the Red Lobster menu isn’t, in fact, lobsters, but their famed Crabfest menu, which seasonally brings the sweetest, juiciest crab meats onto their classic seafood dishes. 🦀
Alas, for celiacs and folks with severe gluten sensitivities and intolerances, most of these are downright hazardous, with wheat and gluten aplenty, though there are a few exceptions. 🌾
✅ Mariner’s Seafood Boil
✅ Sailor’s Seafood Boil
✅ Crab Your Way
❌ Steak or Salmon Oscar
❌ Crab Carbonara
❌ Crabby Stuffed Mushrooms
❌ Crab-Topped Asparagus
❌ Crab-Topped Baked Potato
❌ Crab-Topped Mashed Potatoes
For context, let’s check out why most of these Crabfest dishes are unsuitable for celiac diets:
Mariner’s Seafood Boil: Snow crab clusters, wild-caught shrimp, mussels, Andouille sausage, and baby red potatoes tossed in garlic-butter and Red Lobster’s Old Bay seasoning, with no breading or flour-thickened sauces, making it naturally wheat-free and gluten-free.
Sailor’s Seafood Boil: Littleneck clams, mussels, shrimp, crab legs, smoked sausage, corn, and potatoes steamed in a lemon-garlic broth, with no wheat ingredients in the boil itself, which makes this another gluten-friendly menu item that celiacs like me could consider.
Crab Your Way: Choice of Snow, Dungeness, or King crab, which is simply steamed and served with drawn butter and lemon. There’s no added flour and breading, but watch out for shared dipping bowls to avoid any potential cross-contact that introduces trace gluten.
Steak or Salmon Oscar: Grilled filet or salmon filet topped with lump crab meat, asparagus, and Béarnaise sauce, which is then finished with seasoned breadcrumbs, although the flour-based Béarnaise and breadcrumb toppings contain wheat, making this unsafe for celiacs.
Crab Carbonara: Linguini pasta tossed in a Parmesan-cream sauce with crispy bacon, egg yolk, and lump crab meat. However, both the wheat pasta and the cream sauce thickened with flour make this unsafe for celiacs, with no gluten-friendly substitutes available.
Crabby Stuffed Mushrooms: Mushroom caps filled with some cream cheese, lump crab meat, and green onions, which are then baked with a golden, seasoned breadcrumb crust, but those wheat breadcrumbs render it off-limits, so celiacs ought to avoid ordering this.
Crab-Topped Asparagus: Steamed asparagus spears crowned with some lump crab meat and a garlic-white wine sauce that’s been thickened with wheat flour, making this entirely unsuitable for gluten-free diets, as well as folks with any severe gluten intolerance.
Crab-Topped Baked Potato: A twice-baked potato filled with butter, cheddar, and green onions, then smothered in lump crab meat and a flour-thickened cream sauce, though both the sauce and any added bread crumbs contain gluten, making this another no-go for celiacs.
Crab-Topped Mashed Potatoes: Silky mashed potatoes blended with butter and cream, topped with lump crab meat and a gravy-style sauce thickened with wheat flour, making it unsafe for celiacs, and as of right now, there are no gluten-friendly alternatives, either.
So, if you’re trying to order from Red Lobster’s Crabfest menu as a celiac, your options can be quite limited, and that’s before you take into account the cross-contact risks, too. 🦀🌽🥔
Signature Feasts
If you have a sizeable appetite, Red Lobster’s Signature Feasts menu is the perfect match, but celiacs beware, as sadly, most of these items here contain gluten components. 🦞🎣🍤🦐
These here are Red Lobster’s ultimate surf-and-turf indulgences, for steak or lobster fans, but most of these platters rely on battered or pasta-based sides, and sauces that contain wheat.
⚠️ Create Your Own Ultimate Feast
❌ Admiral’s Feast
❌ Grilled Lobster, Shrimp, and Salmon
❌ Surf & Turf Maine Lobster Tail & 7 oz. Sirloin
⚠️ Surf & Turf Maine Lobster Tail & 6 oz. Filet Mignon
Let’s take a closer look at these indulgent feasts to figure out what makes them unsafe:
Create Your Own Ultimate Feast: Build your own combo from choices like Wood-Grilled Lobster Tail, Parrot Isle Jumbo Coconut Shrimp, Walt’s Favorite Shrimp, Shrimp Linguini Alfredo, Grilled Shrimp Skewer with Orzo Rice, and more. However, several of these variations, specifically the Shrimp Linguini Alfredo, Grilled Shrimp Skewer with Orzo, Parrot Isle Jumbo Coconut Shrimp, and Walt’s Favorite Shrimp, contain wheat (in the pasta, the batter, or the sauce), so be very careful to avoid those options that contain gluten.
Admiral’s Feast: A sampler platter of golden-fried shrimp, Bay Scallops, Clam Strips, and wild-caught Whitefish, served with hush puppies and choice of two sides. All the fried components are coated in a wheat-flour batter, and the hush puppies use enriched wheat flour, rendering this entire feast off-limits for celiacs or anyone with gluten intolerance.
Grilled Lobster, Shrimp and Salmon: A wood-grilled Maine lobster tail paired with seasoned wood-grilled shrimp and Atlantic salmon, plus your choice of any two sides. While the proteins themselves are naturally gluten-free by recipe, the accompanying drawn butter and the shared grill surfaces pose a high cross-contamination risk, and Red Lobster’s allergen guide also flags this item as containing gluten.
Surf & Turf Maine Lobster Tail & 7 oz. Sirloin: A wood-grilled Maine lobster tail alongside a 7 oz. choice-cut sirloin, with two sides. Despite consisting of simple grilled proteins, the steak is basted with a garlic-butter glaze that’s thickened with wheat-flour roux, and the grill prep surfaces see heavy sauté and sauce crossover, so this pairing is marked unsafe for gluten-free diners, or if you have severe gluten intolerance.
Surf & Turf Maine Lobster Tail & 6 oz. Filet Mignon: A wood-grilled Maine lobster tail served with a 6 oz. center-cut filet mignon, plus two sides. Both the lobster tail and the filet are seasoned and grilled without any wheat-containing marinades or batters, and the melted butter accompaniment is simply clarified butter, and as such, it contains no gluten, at least from what I could tell, though be wary of cross-contamination.
With that in mind, if you’re planning to order from Red Lobster’s Signature Feasts menu, a bit of caution is advised, even for those two items that could be made gluten-friendly. 🍖🔥🥩
Shrimp
Meanwhile, Red Lobster’s shrimp offerings span everything from crispy coconut bites to garlic butter classics, but unfortunately, if you’re a celiac, this entire menu is off-limits to you. 🍤🦐
Most of Red Lobster’s shrimp dishes are either battered or they are served with wheat-based sauces, and even the grilled options carry a pretty significant risk of cross-contamination. 🔥
❌ Seaside Shrimp Trio
❌ Parrot Isle Coconut Shrimp
❌ Grilled Shrimp
❌ Walt’s Favorite Shrimp
❌ Shrimp Scampi Linguini
Let’s take a deeper dive into these shrimp dishes to see why they’re a bad match for celiacs.
Seaside Shrimp Trio: A sampler of three shrimp styles, so it’s either their crispy golden coconut shrimp, garlic-butter scampi shrimp, and Southern-style popcorn shrimp, which are all coated in a wheat-flour batter and then fried in shared oil, making the entire trio unsafe for celiacs.
Parrot Isle Coconut Shrimp: Jumbo shrimp dipped in a wheat-flour and coconut batter, then fried until crispy and served with pina colada dipping sauce. The batter’s wheat flour and the shared fryer oil render this off-limits for anyone avoiding gluten, including celiacs like me.
Grilled Shrimp: Eight wood-grilled shrimp skewers marinated in a garlic-herb butter sauce that includes a wheat-containing thickener. Despite being grilled, the marinade and the shared grill surfaces pose both ingredient and cross-contact risks for gluten-free diners, as well.
Walt’s Favorite Shrimp: Six shrimp hand-breaded in a seasoned wheat-flour coating, then fried and drizzled with Walt’s signature garlic-butter sauce. The breading’s wheat flour, in addition to the shared fryer, makes this entire dish downright hazardous if you’re a celiac.
Shrimp Scampi Linguini: Linguini pasta tossed in a rich, flour-thickened Parmesan-butter sauce with garlic, parsley, and tender shrimp. Both the wheat pasta and the sauce’s flour roux make this dish entirely unsafe for celiacs, and there are no gluten-friendly substitutes, either.
Suffice it to say, if you’re a celiac, consider avoiding the entire shrimp menu at Red Lobster to make sure you’re not heading straight to the ER, and maybe order something else instead!
Starters
On a similar note, the Red Lobster appetizer menu doesn’t give you a lot of celiac-safe options, either, featuring everything from breaded bites to chilled seafood dishes and more. 🥔🍄🥓
Most of these appetizers and starters are fried and baked, and rely on wheat-based batters, crusts, or dippers, before we even consider the moderately high cross-contamination risks. 🦑
❌ Crabby Stuffed Mushrooms
❌ Popcorn Shrimp
⚠️ Bacon-Wrapped Sea Scallops
❌ Seafood-Stuffed Mushrooms
❌ Crispy Dragon Shrimp
❌ Hand-Breaded Calamari
⚠️ Black Tiger Shrimp Cocktail
❌ Parrot Isle Jumbo Coconut Shrimp Appetizer
❌ Lobster Dip
❌ Mozzarella Cheesesticks
❌ Lobster Flatbread
❌ Crispy Dragon Calamari
✅ Crab Queso
Just to be extra sure, let’s check out what makes most of these dishes unsuitable for celiacs:
Crabby Stuffed Mushrooms: Button mushrooms filled with some lump crab meat in a creamy Parmesan sauce, and then topped with seasoned breadcrumbs. The breadcrumb topping and the shared ovens introduce both wheat ingredients and a pretty high cross-contact risk.
Popcorn Shrimp: Bite-sized shrimp that’s been coated in a seasoned wheat-flour batter and then deep-fried. The wheat flour in the breading and the shared fryer oil make it completely unsuitable for celiacs, and avoid this if you’re highly sensitive to gluten, as well.
Bacon-Wrapped Sea Scallops: Sea scallops wrapped in bacon and seared, then glazed with a honey-butter sauce that may contain a wheat-derived thickener. In addition to the grill cross-contact risks, I’d suggest double-checking with the staff, just to make sure.
Seafood-Stuffed Mushrooms: Mushrooms stuffed with a blend of scallops, shrimp, and cream cheese, then topped with panko breadcrumbs and baked. The panko and shared prep surfaces make this entirely off-limits for gluten-free diners.
Crispy Dragon Shrimp: Shrimp tossed in a spicy Asian-style sauce served over crispy wonton strips. The wonton strips and the sauce’s wheat-based ingredients mean this appetizer cannot be made gluten-free, so avoid this if you’re a celiac.
Hand-Breaded Calamari: Rings of calamari dipped in a wheat-flour batter, breaded, and fried, then served with marinara. The batter contains wheat, and the shared fryer adds cross-contact risks, so be sure to add this to your ‘TO AVOID’ list, too.
Black Tiger Shrimp Cocktail: Jumbo chilled shrimp served with cocktail sauce and lemon. While the shrimp itself and the sauce are gluten-free by ingredient, it’s served in shared bowls and with shared utensils, posing a moderate cross-contact risk, so be careful when ordering this.
Parrot Isle Jumbo Coconut Shrimp Appetizer: Jumbo shrimp coated in a wheat-flour and some coconut batter, and it’s then fried and served with piña colada dipping sauce. The wheat flour in the batter and shared fryer oil make this unsafe for celiacs.
Lobster Dip: Creamy blend of lobster, cream cheese, and Parmesan, baked under a crust of wheat-flour-based breadcrumbs and served with bread. Both the breadcrumb topping and served bread contain wheat, making this another no-go for celiacs.
Mozzarella Cheesesticks: Sticks of mozzarella cheese breaded with wheat flour, then fried and served with marinara. The breading and shared fryer preclude this from being gluten-free, so avoid this if you’re highly sensitive to or are intolerant to gluten.
Lobster Flatbread: Flatbread topped with lobster, cheese, and garlic butter, then baked crisp. The flatbread dough contains wheat, and shared ovens add cross-contact risk, which makes this another celiac-unsafe dish that ought to be avoided.
Crispy Dragon Calamari: A twist on the classic, where you get calamari tossed in a sweet-spicy sauce over crispy wheat-flour noodles. Both the noodles and calamari breading contain wheat, so avoid if you’re keeping with a gluten-free diet.
Crab Queso: Warm cheese dip blended with lump crab meat and pico de gallo, served with tortilla chips. Both the queso and the chips are made without wheat ingredients, and they come in sealed chip bags, making this the only truly safe starter for celiacs.
All in all, it’s not looking good for Red Lobster, especially with almost all of their starters being a pretty unsafe choice for celiacs, and even more so with cross-contamination risks included!
Bowls & Sandwiches
Sadly, it doesn’t get any better when you look at Red Lobster’s salad bowls, burgers, and their sandwiches, whether it’s their handheld classics or their seafood-specific bowls. 🌮🌯🍔🥪
Every single item here relies on wheat-based buns, tortillas, croutons, or sauces that contain traces of wheat and gluten, so simply put: 100% avoid everything here if you’re a celiac! 🥙
❌ Bacon Cheeseburger
❌ Crunch-Fried Flounder Sandwich
❌ Classic Caesar Salad
❌ Classic Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken
❌ Classic Caesar Salad with Grilled Shrimp
❌ Classic Caesar Salad with Grilled Salmon
❌ Southwest Shrimp Bowl
❌ Sesame-Soy Salmon Bowl
It’s a clear-cut conclusion, but let’s check out each of these in way more detail, just to be sure:
Bacon Cheeseburger: A half-pound beef patty topped with cheddar, applewood bacon, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and Red’s sauce on a toasted wheat bun. The enriched wheat flour bun and shared griddle cross-contact make this unsafe for celiacs.
Crunch-Fried Flounder Sandwich: Hand-breaded flounder filet fried in a wheat-flour batter, then topped with lettuce and tartar sauce on a soft wheat roll. The batter, roll, and shared fryer oil render it entirely off-limits if you’re gluten intolerant.
Classic Caesar Salad: Romaine lettuce tossed in Caesar dressing with Parmesan and garlic croutons. The croutons contain wheat flour, and the dressing often uses a wheat-based thickener, so this salad isn’t safe unless you omit both, but even then, the dressing here may still risk cross-contamination.
Classic Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken: Grilled chicken breast added to the Classic Caesar Salad. Both the croutons and the Caesar dressing contain gluten, and the grilled chicken is basted on shared equipment with sauced items.
Classic Caesar Salad with Grilled Shrimp: Grilled shrimp served atop the Classic Caesar Salad. The same crouton and dressing issues apply, plus the shrimp are sometimes brushed with a marinade containing wheat ingredients.
Classic Caesar Salad with Grilled Salmon: Grilled salmon fillet added to the aforementioned Classic Caesar Salad. Despite the salmon being gluten-free by recipe, the croutons and Caesar dressing keep this dish off-limits to celiacs.
Southwest Shrimp Bowl: Blackened shrimp over cilantro-lime rice with corn salsa, some pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, chipotle crema, and tortilla strips. The fried tortilla strips here and the chipotle crema (thickened with wheat-derived starch) make this unsafe.
Sesame-Soy Salmon Bowl: Grilled salmon glazed in a sesame-soy marinade served over rice with broccoli and edamame. The soy marinade contains wheat soy sauce, and the glaze and prep surfaces all introduce bucket loads of cross-contamination risk.
Since all these bowls and sandwiches rely on wheat-based components or sauces, and none of them could be modified safely to be gluten-friendly, celiacs should avoid this entire section.
Classics & Daily/Weekly Specials
We’re finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel, at least somewhat for celiacs, as the Red Lobster classics menu and rotating daily and weekly specials offer a bit of relief. 🍗🍟
Everything from simple grilled entrées to indulgent fried seafood, some of these dishes come with wheat-based coatings or fillings, but around half of the menu here is otherwise safe!
❌ Parmesan-Crusted Chicken
❌ Fish & Chips Friday
✅ Atlantic Salmon
✅ Today’s Catch – Salmon New Orleans
⚠️ Live Maine Lobster (1.25 lb.)
✅ 7 oz. Sirloin
✅ 6 oz. Filet Mignon
❌ Wild-Caught Crunch-Fried Flounder
❌ Crispy Chicken Tenders
✅ Lobster Lover’s Duo
Just to be extra sure, let’s check out whether some of these are safe for celiacs :
Parmesan-Crusted Chicken: A tender chicken breast coated in a crispy Parmesan-panko crust and finished under the broiler. Both the panko and the crust’s wheat flour binder make this unsafe for gluten-free diets and celiacs alike.
Fish & Chips Friday: Beer-battered cod filets and fries served with coleslaw and tartar sauce. The beer batter contains wheat, plus the shared fryer oil introduces cross-contamination, so avoid this dish entirely if you’re gluten intolerant.
Atlantic Salmon: Simply grilled salmon fillet brushed with garlic-herb butter, served with rice and vegetables. This entrée uses no wheat ingredients by recipe, making it a safe pick when prepared on a clean grill, so be wary of cross-contamination.
Today’s Catch – Salmon New Orleans: Blackened salmon topped with a zesty Cajun cream sauce, served with rice and veggies. The blackening seasoning and cream sauce contain no flour, and when made with gluten-free soy and dairy ingredients, it’s also celiac-safe.
Live Maine Lobster (1.25 lb.): Available with two options – Steamed or Stuffed. If steamed, it comes paired with drawn butter, with no wheat or gluten ingredients, making this fairly safe for celiacs. On the other hand, if you order it stuffed, it would be stuffed with seafood stuffing containing breadcrumbs, making it unsafe for celiacs.
7 oz. Sirloin: Char-grilled sirloin seasoned simply with salt and pepper, accompanied by your choice of sides. There are no wheat-based marinades or coatings, so it’s safe when requested from a clean grill, and once again, be wary of cross-contamination.
6 oz. Filet Mignon: Lean, tender filet grilled and lightly seasoned, served with mashed potatoes and broccoli. It also contains no wheat by recipe, making it a safe steakhouse choice, but only when you’re diligent about cross-contamination risks at the grill.
Wild-Caught Crunch-Fried Flounder: Flounder filets dipped in a seasoned wheat-flour batter and then fried golden. The batter and shared fryer oil render this item off-limits for celiacs or folks with a severe non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
Crispy Chicken Tenders: Hand-breaded chicken strips fried in a wheat-flour coating, served with honey mustard. Both the breading and the fryer cross-contact risks make this pretty unsafe for gluten-free diets and celiacs alike.
Lobster Lover’s Duo: A split Maine lobster tail paired with shrimp scampi and your choice of side. The lobster is simply steamed (so, there’s no wheat), and the shrimp scampi is also then sautéed in garlic butter without flour, and together, they’re safe when you skip any pasta or coating.
Overall, for celiacs and folks with gluten intolerance or sensitivities, eating out at Red Lobster, their classics and daily/weekly specials menu offers up some relatively safe options. 🦞🎣
Pastas
Sadly, things don’t get any better in the next section. Red Lobster’s entire pasta lineup is a no-go if you’re a celiac, as they’re all made with wheat-based linguini, pappardelle, or Alfredo sauce thickeners.
Plus, even with substitutions or custom special orders, there’s so much cross-contamination to make you think twice, and unlike other restaurants, there are no gluten-free pastas. 🍝🍜🍲
❌ Shrimp Scampi Linguini
❌ Crab Carbonara
❌ Lobster & Shrimp Linguini
❌ Lobster Pappardelle Pasta
❌ Shrimp Linguini Alfredo
❌ Cajun Chicken Linguini Alfredo
Let’s take a closer look at each of these pastas:
Shrimp Scampi Linguini: A classic pasta dish featuring garlic butter shrimp tossed with linguini. The linguini is made from wheat flour, and there’s no gluten-free pasta substitute available, so avoid this if you’re a celiac or are gluten intolerant.
Crab Carbonara: Sweet crabmeat tossed in a creamy, cheesy carbonara sauce over pasta. The sauce may seem harmless, but both the pasta and the potentially flour-based sauce thickeners contain gluten, making this a no-go for celiacs like me.
Lobster & Shrimp Linguini: A rich seafood pasta with lobster and shrimp in a creamy sauce. The linguini contains wheat, and the sauce often uses wheat flour for texture, making this a double red flag for anyone here with severe gluten sensitivities.
Lobster Pappardelle Pasta: Thick, flat pappardelle noodles are always wheat-based, and Red Lobster currently offers no gluten-free alternative. This indulgent entrée is unsafe across the board, so make sure to include this in your ‘TO AVOID’ list, too.
Shrimp Linguini Alfredo: Shrimp served over wheat linguini in Alfredo sauce. Even if you skipped the pasta, the Alfredo sauce may contain hidden gluten depending on the specific prep (such as roux or certain cheese blends), so avoid this one, too.
Cajun Chicken Linguini Alfredo: Sliced Cajun-seasoned chicken over pasta in a spicy Alfredo sauce. The Cajun seasoning may be safe on its own, but the wheat linguini and Alfredo sauce disqualify this dish entirely, making it another unsafe pick for celiacs.
It’s a shame that, at this time, Red Lobster doesn’t offer any gluten-free pasta substitutes, so it might be easier just to skip this part of the menu and look elsewhere for celiac-safe options.
Soups & Sides
You might at least be able to find a few celiac-safe options amongst Red Lobster’s many sides and soups, though most of them contain breading, batters, or wheat-based thickeners. 🥔🧀
❌ Crab-Topped Baked Potato
❌ Crab-Topped Mashed Potatoes
❌ Crab-Topped Asparagus
❌ Lobster Bisque
❌ New England Clam Chowder
✅ Roasted Asparagus
❌ Hush Puppies
❌ Bacon Mac & Cheese
✅ Seasoned Broccoli
❌ Orzo Rice
✅ Baked Potato
❌ Crispy Brussels Sprouts
✅ Mashed Potatoes
❌ Creamy Lobster Baked Potato
❌ Creamy Lobster Mashed Potatoes
⚠️ Chesapeake Fries
✅ Coleslaw
❌ Caesar Side Salad
❌ House Side Salad
❌ Cheddar Bay Biscuits
✅ Pina Colada Sauce (8 oz)
✅ Cocktail Sauce (8 oz)
✅ Tartar Sauce (8 oz)
With that in mind, let’s take a deep dive and figure out what makes most of these unsafe:
Crab-Topped Baked Potato: A classic baked potato that’s then heaped with seasoned crab meat and melted cheese. The crème fraiche-style crab topping and any breaded flavor would contain wheat flour, making this unsafe for celiacs.
Crab-Topped Mashed Potatoes: Creamy mashed potatoes smothered in a lump-crab meat gravy. Both the gravy’s wheat-flour roux and the crab garnish introduce gluten, so skip this entirely if you’re highly gluten intolerant.
Crab-Topped Asparagus: Steamed asparagus spears crowned with a rich crab-cream sauce. The sauce is thickened with wheat flour and may contain breadcrumbs, rendering it unsafe for gluten-free diets and for celiacs like me.
Lobster Bisque: Silky lobster purée enriched with cream, brandy, and spices. This indulgent bisque uses a wheat-based roux for body, so it’s off-limits for anyone avoiding gluten.
New England Clam Chowder: Hearty cream-based soup loaded with clams, potatoes, and onions. Thickened with wheat flour, the chowder contains enough gluten to pose a serious risk for celiacs.
Roasted Asparagus: Fresh asparagus roasted with olive oil, garlic, and sea salt. There’s no breading or flour-based sauces, and it’s just pure veggie goodness, making this a safe and naturally gluten-free side.
Hush Puppies: Golden-fried cornmeal fritters with onions and spices. The cornmeal batter is mixed with wheat flour, and they’re fried in shared oil, so avoid these if you need to stay gluten-free.
Bacon Mac & Cheese: Elbow macaroni in a cheddar-bacon cheese sauce. The pasta is 100% wheat, and the cheese sauce starts with a flour-based roux, making this classic comfort food unsafe.
Seasoned Broccoli: Tender broccoli florets seasoned with garlic and red-pepper flakes. It’s then steamed or lightly sautéed with no wheat-based additives, making this a celiac-friendly way to get your greens.
Orzo Rice: Rice pilaf tossed with orzo pasta in a buttery herb mix. Though it looks like regular rice, the orzo is actually made of wheat pasta, and the entire side contains gluten as a result.
Baked Potato: A fluffy Idaho potato baked to perfection and served with butter. There are no wheat ingredients here, so you could safely load it with some butter, sour cream, or your own toppings, as long as you double-check that they’re gluten-free first.
Crispy Brussels Sprouts: Quick-fried sprouts tossed in a sweet-soy glaze. The glaze often contains soy sauce with wheat, and the flour-dusted coating makes them unsafe for gluten-free diets.
Mashed Potatoes: Classic whipped potatoes blended with butter and milk. No gravy or flour is used, just potatoes, dairy, and seasoning, so this side is safe for celiacs, but double-check that you’re ordering it without any wheat-thickened gravy.
Creamy Lobster Baked Potato: Baked potato topped with lobster in a creamy sherry sauce. The sauce is thickened with wheat flour, and lobster bits might sit on a flour slurry, making this off-limits for celiacs.
Creamy Lobster Mashed Potatoes: Mashed potatoes swirling with lobster in a velvety sauce. As with its baked counterpart, the wheat-flour-thickened sauce contains gluten aplenty.
Chesapeake Fries: French fries drizzled with a spicy crab-cream sauce and Old Bay seasoning. While it doesn’t contain wheat or gluten ingredients, it might be fried in shared fryer oil, so it does come with a slight risk of cross-contamination.
Coleslaw: Shredded cabbage and carrots tossed in a tangy vinegar-mayonnaise dressing. Made without any wheat-based thickeners and served from a clean container, it’s a safe, gluten-free choice.
Caesar Side Salad: Romaine lettuce with Parmesan, croutons, and Caesar dressing. Both the croutons and the dressing (which often contains anchovy paste plus wheat-based emulsifiers) contain high traces of gluten.
House Side Salad: Mixed greens, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots served with choice of dressing. The greens are safe, but typical dressings use malt vinegar or flour-thickened creamy bases, so avoid this if you’re a celiac.
Cheddar Bay Biscuits: Red Lobster’s iconic buttery biscuits studded with cheddar and garlic. Made from enriched wheat flour and baked on shared trays, these are absolutely unsafe for celiacs and for folks with severe gluten sensitivities.
Pina Colada Sauce (8 oz): Sweet tropical dipping sauce made from pineapple, coconut, and no wheat-based stabilizers. It’s perfect for shrimp or veggies, and it’s also naturally free of gluten.
Cocktail Sauce (8 oz): Zesty blend of ketchup, horseradish, and spices. There are no wheat ingredients in this classic shellfish companion, making it safe to dip your shrimp or fish.
Tartar Sauce (8 oz): Creamy mayonnaise-based sauce with pickles, capers, and lemon. All the base components are naturally gluten-free, as long as no flour is added during prep.
Overall, proceed with caution if you’re ordering from Red Lobster’s soups and sides menu, but at least there are a couple of gluten-free dishes here for you to pick and choose from. 🍟🥔
Kids
If you’re eating out at Red Lobster, hopefully your kids aren’t celiacs, as their kids’ menu has a few protein and pasta options, though only a couple of them are gluten-friendly. 🍗🍝🍤🧀
✅ Grilled Shrimp
❌ Popcorn Shrimp
❌ Macaroni & Cheese
❌ Crispy Chicken Tenders
✅ Grilled Chicken
❌ Golden-Fried Fish
Let’s make extra sure that these safe options are truly safe, and check these out in more detail:
Grilled Shrimp: Tender jumbo shrimp seasoned with garlic-butter and grilled-to-order. There’s no breading or wheat ingredients used, making this a safe, naturally gluten-free choice for kids who are gluten intolerant, though be wary of cross-contamination.
Popcorn Shrimp: Bite-sized shrimp coated in a seasoned wheat-flour batter and deep-fried. The breading and shared fryer oil introduce wheat and cross-contamination, rendering it unsafe for celiacs and children who are highly sensitive or intolerant to gluten.
Macaroni & Cheese: Elbow macaroni pasta baked in a cheddar-cream sauce that starts with a flour-based roux. Both that wheat pasta and the roux contain gluten, which makes this classic comfort food off-limits for celiacs, and there are no gluten-free substitutes, either.
Crispy Chicken Tenders: Hand-breaded strips of white meat chicken fried in wheat-flour batter. The coating and shared fryer oil pose a high cross-contact risk with gluten, so remember to not order this for your kid(s), especially if they’re a celiac or are gluten intolerant.
Grilled Chicken: Boneless chicken breast marinated in herbs and grilled. No wheat ingredients are involved, and when prepared on a clean grill, this is a reliably gluten-free kids’ entrée, but do remember to double-check for any potential cross-contamination there.
Golden-Fried Fish: Filet pieces dipped in a seasoned wheat-flour batter and deep-fried until they’re crispy. The batter and the shared fryer oil both contain gluten, so avoid this if you want to keep a strictly gluten-free diet, and particularly if you’re a celiac.
While there might be a couple of celiac-safe options here, remember that there’s always a risk of cross-contamination when you’re dining out at most restaurants, so be extra careful. 🚫🌾
Biscuits & Extras
If Red Lobster’s sides menu isn’t enough to satiate you, there are a bunch more extras that will do the trick, but be warned, as not all of them are gluten-friendly or safe for celiacs. 🍤🥓🦞
This part of the menu offers a mix of baked goods and seafood add-ons in addition to some of their snacks, though there’s a lot of wheat batter, breading, and other gluten bits on them.
❌ Cheddar Bay Biscuits
✅ Grilled Shrimp
✅ Bacon-Wrapped Sea Scallops
✅ Classic Maine Lobster Tail
✅ Grilled Maine Lobster Tail
✅ Rock Lobster Tail
❌ Walt’s Favorite Shrimp
✅ Garlic Shrimp Scampi
❌ Popcorn Shrimp
❌ Garlic Linguini Alfredo
✅ Snow Crab Legs
❌ Crispy Bay Scallops
Let’s check out what these extras are made of to see why most of them aren’t gluten-friendly:
Cheddar Bay Biscuits: Baked from enriched wheat flour dough mixed with cheddar cheese and garlic butter, which contains wheat in both the biscuit and the topping, and it also shares oven space with other glutenous items.
Grilled Shrimp: Jumbo shrimp seasoned with garlic, lemon, and butter, and it’s then grilled to perfection, while no breading or wheat ingredients are used, making it a naturally gluten-free choice when prepared on a clean grill.
Bacon-Wrapped Sea Scallops: Fresh sea scallops wrapped in applewood-smoked bacon and baked, which contains no wheat or gluten ingredients, though they’re then cooked on shared equipment, so request fresh gloves and utensils.
Classic Maine Lobster Tail: Steamed or baked cold-water lobster tail brushed with garlic butter, which is then served without any batter or gluten-containing sauces, making this safe for strict gluten-free diets or celiacs.
Grilled Maine Lobster Tail: Lobster tail grilled with a garlic-herb butter glaze, and it’s all made without wheat or gluten ingredients, though confirm the glaze has no hidden thickeners, and be wary of any cross-contact.
Rock Lobster Tail: Chilled Caribbean rock lobster tail served cold, which contains no breading or sauces with wheat, making it another safe, naturally gluten-free option, though it’s always not a bad idea to be careful with cross-contamination.
Walt’s Favorite Shrimp: Hand-breaded shrimp tossed in a garlic-lemon butter sauce, but the breading itself uses wheat flour, and it shares fryer oil with other battered menu items, thus making it unsafe for celiacs.
Garlic Shrimp Scampi: Tender shrimp sautéed in garlic-lemon butter with parsley and a splash of white wine, which is then served without pasta, and this contains no wheat or gluten in the sauce by recipe, as well.
Popcorn Shrimp: Bite-sized shrimp coated in a seasoned wheat-flour batter and deep-fried, but both the batter and the shared fryer oil introduce gluten and cross-contact risks aplenty, which makes this a bad pick for celiacs.
Garlic Linguini Alfredo: Linguini pasta tossed in a rich Alfredo sauce made from a flour-based roux and Parmesan, and both the wheat pasta and the roux contain gluten, making this dish unsuitable if you’re gluten intolerant.
Snow Crab Legs: Steamed snow crab legs are cracked tableside, and they’re either served plain or with clarified butter, with zero wheat ingredients and minimal cross-contact risk if servers use clean tools, so bear cross-contamination in mind.
Crispy Bay Scallops: Sea scallops coated in seasoned wheat-flour breading and it’s then deep-fried, which contains wheat in the coating and it also shares fryers with other glutenous food items, as well.
Just like Red Lobster’s sides then, some of these extras are celiac-safe and gluten-friendly, but it’s always a good idea to double-check for any cross-contamination during the prep process.
Desserts
Unfortunately, you’re going to have to skip the dessert menu, as every sweet treat that you’ll find at Red Lobster contains wheat and gluten, with no celiac-safe options available. 🍰🎂🧁
❌ Chocolate Wave
❌ Classic Cheesecake
❌ Strawberry Cheesecake Bliss
❌ Key Lime Pie
❌ Brownie Overboard
❌ Whole Desserts
Just to be sure, let’s check these desserts out and figure out what about them is celiac-unsafe:
Chocolate Wave: Warm chocolate cake served with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge, and the cake itself contains wheat flour and cocoa batter that has been thickened with flour, and it’s then baked alongside other glutenous pastries.
Classic Cheesecake: Creamy cheesecake on a traditional graham-cracker crust, and the crust is made from wheat flour and sugar, and the filling may also include wheat-based stabilizers, but that’s irrelevant, so be sure to avoid this if you’re a celiac.
Strawberry Cheesecake Bliss: Cheesecake layered with strawberry compote and some whipped cream, though both the graham-cracker crust and the compote’s thickener contain wheat and gluten ingredients, making it off-limits for celiacs.
Key Lime Pie: Tart lime custard nestled in a wheat-flour pastry shell, though the pastry uses an enriched wheat flour base, and the filling’s binding agents often include wheat starch, so avoid this if you’re highly sensitive to gluten.
Brownie Overboard: Warm fudge brownie topped with ice cream, caramel, and nuts, though the brownie base is made from wheat flour and cocoa, and it shares ovens with other baked goods, so make sure to omit this from your order.
Whole Desserts: Assorted full-size cakes and pies are available for take-home, where every option is built on wheat-flour crusts, sponges, or batters, making them unsuitable for celiacs and for folks who wish to maintain strict gluten-free diets.
Suffice it to say, if you’re a celiac or are gluten intolerant, skip the Red Lobster desserts menu, as there’s unfortunately not a single option here that is gluten-free or celiac-safe. 🍫🍦🍩🍪
Beverages
But hey, if you’re parched, at least beverages are normally a safe bet in most restaurants, and the same could be said here with Red Lobster, too, with no wheat or gluten in sight. 🥤🧃🍹
✅ Fruit Smoothies
✅ Fountain Drinks
✅ Lemonades & Iced Teas
✅ Canned & Bottled Beverages
✅ Half Gallon Beverages
✅ Mocktails
Just so we’re 100% sure that these drinks are absolutely celiac-safe, let’s take a closer look:
Fruit Smoothies: Blended real fruit, juice, and ice, which contains just pure fruit ingredients, and it contains no gluten, though machines may be shared, so request a fresh, clean pitcher if you’re highly sensitive to gluten.
Fountain Drinks: Carbonated sodas and cola from the fountain, and while all the formulas are gluten-free, it’s best to ask staff to wipe the nozzle before dispensing to avoid any risk of cross-contamination during the prep.
Lemonades & Iced Teas: Fresh-made lemonades and brewed iced teas, with not a single wheat ingredient in the syrups or tea, though just confirm that the dispensing spigot is rinsed between flavors, just to make sure there’s no cross-contamination.
Canned & Bottled Beverages: Pre-packaged sodas, waters, and juices, including factory-sealed cans and bottles that carry virtually no cross-contamination risk and are 100% gluten-free, and this also makes them among the safest options here.
Half Gallon Beverages: Gallon-sized lemonades, teas, or punches, which are made from gluten-free bases, but they’re all served from shared dispensers, so request a clean container to make sure it’s not been contaminated by any gluten.
Mocktails: Non-alcoholic specialty drinks, which are all crafted with fruit juices, syrups, as well as fresh herbs without gluten ingredients, but just check that the flavored syrups are all gluten-free, and cross-reference the ingredients.
Remember, while these drinks are naturally free of wheat and gluten, there’s still a decent risk of cross-contamination from shared dispensers and preparation stations, too. 🍸🍶🧉☕️🍵
To Sum Up
Overall, Red Lobster is definitely a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to catering for celiacs and folks with gluten intolerance, as much of their menu is totally off-limits. 🦞🍤
Whether it’s wheat-based batters, breading, or thickeners, among others, there’s gluten there in abundance, and it also renders most of Red Lobster’s popular, unique menu items unsuitable.
Much of their Crabfest menu, in addition to their shrimp dishes, pastas, bowls, sandwiches, as well as a lot of their Signature Feasts and starters, are filled to the brim with gluten. 🍝🍔🥪
These are the dishes and menus that most people flock to Red Lobster for in the first place, so it’s a bit of a shame that celiacs like you and me can’t enjoy them. 🦀
On the other hand, Red Lobster still offers a few gluten-friendly options, such as their seafood boils, and a few of their sides, extras, classics, and their daily/weekly specials, and more. 🥔
So, it’s not like you’re completely out of things to order at Red Lobster, as a celiac, though it’s quite a limited selection, and one wonders if you’re better off eating out somewhere else! 🦐
In the meantime, if you want recommendations on other restaurants that actually have a good selection of gluten-free items, make sure to stay tuned to us here at Great Without Gluten for even more celiac-friendly and gluten-free eating out guides! ✍📝
And, while you’re here, you might also want to check out my other eating out guides and some tasty gluten‑free recipes! If you’re craving other fast-food or casual dining chains and gourmet meals, do check out my other celiac-friendly, gluten-free dining out guides to Jersey Mike’s, Dairy Queen, Shake Shack, Cracker Barrel, Wingstop, Culver’s, Chili’s, PF Chang’s, First Watch, Potbelly, Yard House and more! 🍔🍟🍗
Stay safe and gluten‑aware, my celiac friends! 💖🥗
Frequently Asked Questions
As I was working on this Red Lobster gluten-free guide, I noticed a few interesting questions on social media and floating around community forums, so here’s what I think of them:
What is on the Red Lobster gluten-free menu?
Red Lobster offers a handful of naturally gluten-free entrées and sides, as well as their extras and seafood boils, and a couple of their salads are also safe. Nevertheless, it’s always a good idea to double-check with your server or the kitchen staff on what items aren’t celiac-safe, in addition to keeping yourself up-to-date with Red Lobster’s allergen guide.
Is Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay Biscuit gluten-free?
No. Red Lobster’s famous Cheddar Bay Biscuits are made with wheat flour and are not gluten-free. Additionally, they share bakeware with all other bread products, making them off-limits for celiacs and anyone on a strict gluten-free diet, and sadly, Red Lobster doesn’t offer gluten-free alternatives or substitutes for their biscuits and other baked goods.
Which Red Lobster desserts can I have on a gluten-free diet?
Unfortunately, none of Red Lobster’s standard desserts are gluten-free, and all of them come with gluten and wheat-based ingredients. Items such as Chocolate Wave, Classic Cheesecake, Key Lime Pie, and Brownie Overboard all feature wheat in their crusts, batters, or fillings. You will need to skip Red Lobster’s dessert menu or bring your own gluten-free treat.
How can I avoid gluten cross-contamination at Red Lobster?
Tell your server you have celiac disease or a severe gluten intolerance. You could also ask that your meal be prepared on a clean grill or in a fresh pot, with new gloves and utensils. And, for soups and sauces, request that a fresh ladle be used. For fountain drinks or iced tea, you could ask staff to rinse the nozzle before filling, to help minimize any trace gluten exposure.
Can I customize Red Lobster menu items to be gluten-free?
Yes, but with some limitations. You can’t swap out the wheat pasta in the pasta-based dishes for the flour in battered items. However, you can order steamed seafood (e.g., lobster, crab legs) without sauces or breading, and choose gluten-friendly sides and omit gluten-containing add-ons. If you’re not sure what’s safe, check out Red Lobster’s allergen guide for reference.
Photo credit
Harrison Keely, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Becky Terrell ✍️
Hi, I am Becky. I am a passionate recipe maker and having been a coeliac (celiac) for 30+ years I focus on gluten-free recipes. My blog is my online cookbook of gluten-free tasty recipes. You can follow me on X: @beckygwg
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