Brandwave

How popular isRed Lobster?

In September 2026, people searched for Red Lobster by name about 1.8 million times in the United States, about the same as the previous year. These searches made up 49.4% of all United States seafood chain searches, placing Red Lobster first out of seven chains. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about seafood chains, Red Lobster appeared in three of the five answers and was the second most recommended of the seven.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Red Lobster is the most searched of 7 competitors and the second most recommended in AI answers.

  1. Red LobsterShare of searches 49.4%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  2. Long John Silver'sShare of searches 27%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
  3. Bonefish GrillShare of searches 14.8%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  4. Pappadeaux Seafood KitchenShare of searches 8.1%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
  5. Legal Sea FoodsShare of searches 0.49%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 6th

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Top seafood chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Red Lobster was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Red Lobster is the second most recommended of the seven.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Captain D's1st
  2. Red Lobster2nd
  3. Bonefish Grill3rd
  4. Long John Silver's4th
  5. Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen5th
  6. Legal Sea Foods6th
  7. Joe's Crab Shack7th

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Red Lobster3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Long John Silver's2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Bonefish Grill2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Legal Sea Foods2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Joe's Crab Shack2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Captain D's2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about seafood chains

5 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 23, 2026.

Which seafood chains compete with Red Lobster?

Red Lobster against seafood chains in the United States, by month

Share of searches by month for Red Lobster, Long John Silver's, Bonefish Grill, Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthRed LobsterLong John Silver'sBonefish GrillPappadeaux Seafood KitchenLegal Sea FoodsJoe's Crab ShackCaptain D's
Oct 202553%19.5%19.5%7.1%0.78%0.07%0.03%
Nov 202555%20.2%16.5%7.4%0.81%0.05%0.03%
Dec 202554.1%16.3%19.9%8.9%0.8%0.07%0.03%
Jan 202652.2%19.2%19.2%8.6%0.63%0.07%0.03%
Feb 202654.2%19.9%16.3%8.9%0.54%0.09%0.02%
Mar 202654.1%19.9%16.2%8.9%0.8%0.09%0.03%
Apr 202655.1%20.2%16.5%7.4%0.67%0.09%0.03%
May 202661.1%15%15%8.2%0.6%0.1%0.03%
Jun 202659.1%17.7%14.5%7.9%0.59%0.14%0.04%
Jul 202651.8%23.3%15.6%8.5%0.63%0.15%0.05%
Aug 202654.1%19.9%16.3%8.9%0.66%0.13%0.06%
Sep 202649.4%27%14.8%8.1%0.49%0.1%0.05%

  1. 1.Red Lobster

    49.4%

    Held 1st. 1.8M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -4.7 points.

  2. 2.Long John Silver's

    27%

    Held 2nd. 1M estimated branded searches, +48.6% vs prior month. Share +7.1 points.

  3. 3.Bonefish Grill

    14.8%

    Held 3rd. 550K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -1.4 points.

  4. 4.Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen

    8.1%

    Held 4th. 301K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.8 points.

  5. 5.Legal Sea Foods

    0.49%

    Held 5th. 18.1K estimated branded searches, -18.5% vs prior month. Share -0.2 points.

  6. 6.Joe's Crab Shack

    0.1%

    Held 6th. 3.6K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  7. 7.Captain D's

    0.05%

    Held 7th. 1.9K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare popularity between Red Lobster and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Red Lobster

15 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Red Lobster changed in the United States over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Red Lobster in the United States held steady at 1.8M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Red Lobster’s share of searches among seafood chains in the United States decreased from 53% to 49.4%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Red Lobster’s share of searches among seafood chains in the United States peaked at 61.1% in May 2026 and was lowest at 49.4% in September 2026.

How did search popularity change for United States seafood chains in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, Long John Silver's gained share of searches among seafood chains in the United States, from 19.9% to 27%.

  2. In September 2026, Red Lobster lost share of searches among seafood chains in the United States, from 54.1% to 49.4%.

  3. In September 2026, Bonefish Grill lost share of searches among seafood chains in the United States, from 16.3% to 14.8%.

  4. In September 2026, Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen lost share of searches among seafood chains in the United States, from 8.9% to 8.1%.

  5. Estimated monthly branded searches for Captain D's in the United States rose 90% over 12 measured months, from 1K to 1.9K in September 2026.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for Joe's Crab Shack in the United States rose 50% over 12 measured months, from 2.4K to 3.6K in September 2026.

How are Red Lobster’s branded searches counted?

1 search term

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Red Lobster’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for this branded term can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • red lobster

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How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Where does Red Lobster compete?

Red Lobster is ranked in two competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
Casual dining chains9th of 104.8%Show ranking
Seafood chains1st of 749.4%Shown above
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