Captain D's vs Red Lobster:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Red Lobster had more branded searches than Captain D's among seafood chains in the United States. Red Lobster had about 1.8 million branded searches, while Captain D's had 1,900. Red Lobster made up 49.4% of all seafood chain searches we track, and Captain D's accounted for 0.05%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about seafood chains, Red Lobster appeared in three of the five answers and Captain D's in two. Red Lobster was mentioned before Captain D's in two out of three answers.
Who do people search for more?
Red Lobster, about 963 searches for every 1 for Captain D's
Who does AI mention more?
Red Lobster, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Captain D's in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Red Lobster, named ahead of Captain D's in 2 of 3 answers
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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. Captain D's was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Red Lobster was listed before Captain D's in two out of three answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
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
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best seafood restaurant chain in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which seafood chain in the US has the best value?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the most popular seafood chains in the US?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“seafood restaurants”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“fish and chips”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 23, 2026.
Is Captain D's or Red Lobster more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Captain D's and Red Lobster by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven seafood chains we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Red Lobster, Captain D's. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Red Lobster | Long John Silver's | Bonefish Grill | Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen | Legal Sea Foods | Joe's Crab Shack | Captain D's |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 53% | 19.5% | 19.5% | 7.1% | 0.78% | 0.07% | 0.03% |
| Nov 2025 | 55% | 20.2% | 16.5% | 7.4% | 0.81% | 0.05% | 0.03% |
| Dec 2025 | 54.1% | 16.3% | 19.9% | 8.9% | 0.8% | 0.07% | 0.03% |
| Jan 2026 | 52.2% | 19.2% | 19.2% | 8.6% | 0.63% | 0.07% | 0.03% |
| Feb 2026 | 54.2% | 19.9% | 16.3% | 8.9% | 0.54% | 0.09% | 0.02% |
| Mar 2026 | 54.1% | 19.9% | 16.2% | 8.9% | 0.8% | 0.09% | 0.03% |
| Apr 2026 | 55.1% | 20.2% | 16.5% | 7.4% | 0.67% | 0.09% | 0.03% |
| May 2026 | 61.1% | 15% | 15% | 8.2% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 0.03% |
| Jun 2026 | 59.1% | 17.7% | 14.5% | 7.9% | 0.59% | 0.14% | 0.04% |
| Jul 2026 | 51.8% | 23.3% | 15.6% | 8.5% | 0.63% | 0.15% | 0.05% |
| Aug 2026 | 54.1% | 19.9% | 16.3% | 8.9% | 0.66% | 0.13% | 0.06% |
| Sep 2026 | 49.4% | 27% | 14.8% | 8.1% | 0.49% | 0.1% | 0.05% |
How has the Captain D's and Red Lobster comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Red Lobster was ahead of Captain D's in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Captain D's’ share of searches among seafood chains in the United States moved from 0.03% to 0.05%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1K to 1.9K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Red Lobster’s share of searches among seafood chains in the United States moved from 53% to 49.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.8M.
How did search popularity change for United States seafood chains in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Red Lobster lost share of searches among seafood chains in the United States, from 54.1% to 49.4%.
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.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Captain D's’ and Red Lobster’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Captain D's
1 branded search term
- captain ds
Red Lobster
1 branded search term
- red lobster
Other head-to-heads among seafood chains
- Red Lobster vs Long John Silver's: compare popularity
- Red Lobster vs Bonefish Grill: compare popularity
- Red Lobster vs Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen: compare popularity
- Long John Silver's vs Bonefish Grill: compare popularity
- Long John Silver's vs Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen: compare popularity
- Bonefish Grill vs Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen: compare popularity
Put your own brand in this comparison
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