DEAL: Red Lobster Dollar Appetizers for $1 Through October 12
Red Lobster dollar appetizers are live for four days only. From Friday, October 9 through Monday, October 12, 2026, dine-in guests can add one qualifying appetizer, Parrot Isle Coconut Shrimp, jumbo shrimp, or mozzarella cheesesticks, to any entrée purchase for just $1. The deal is limited to one $1 appetizer per entrée and cannot be combined with other Red Lobster offers or rewards.
🦞 What’s the Red Lobster $1 Appetizer Deal?
The Red Lobster $1 appetizer deal is a four-day promotion running October 9 through October 12, 2026 at participating US restaurants. Any dine-in guest who buys an entrée can tack on one individually sized appetizer for a single dollar.
Here is the fine print, because there is always fine print. The offer is dine-in only, so it does not work for to-go or delivery orders. You get one qualifying $1 appetizer per entrée purchased, and it cannot be combined with other Red Lobster offers, rewards, or discounts.
Honestly, this is the kind of deal that made sense for Red Lobster right now. The chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2024, then emerged under new ownership that September with Fortress Investment Group backing it and Damola Adamolekun, the former P.F. Chang’s CEO, running the show. Since then it has been all about value plays and winning people back, and a buck for coconut shrimp is about as loud a value statement as it gets.
🍤 The Red Lobster Dollar Appetizers Lineup: All 3 Options
Three appetizers qualify for the $1 price, each in an individual size. Here is exactly what you get:
| Appetizer | What You Get | Sauce | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parrot Isle Coconut Shrimp | 3 crispy coconut shrimp | Piña colada sauce | $1 |
| Jumbo Shrimp | 4 jumbo shrimp | Cocktail sauce | $1 |
| Mozzarella Cheesesticks | 4 cheesesticks | Marinara sauce | $1 |
If you ask me, the coconut shrimp is the move. It is the most “Red Lobster” thing on this list, and at a dollar you are basically getting the piña colada sauce experience for free. The jumbo shrimp is the safe pick, and the cheesesticks are the crowd-pleaser if you have picky eaters at the table.
🍹 Red Lobster Late Night Happy Hour Starts October 12
Red Lobster is also launching a brand-new late night happy hour on Monday, October 12. It runs from 9 p.m. until close, Monday through Friday, at participating locations.
The new late-night window sits alongside the chain’s existing weekday happy hour, which runs 3 to 6 p.m. The late night version includes $6 signature cocktails, wine, and beer, plus $2 off select appetizers. Among the discounted starters: Seafood-Stuffed Mushrooms, Lobster Flatbread, Crab Queso, and Lobster Dip.
The Red Lobster late night happy hour is clearly aimed at the after-dinner crowd. If you miss the $1 appetizer window on the 12th, a $2-off Lobster Dip at 9:30 p.m. is a pretty decent consolation prize.
🍤 Old Bay Seasoned Scampi Joins the $24.99 Endless Shrimp
Starting October 12, a brand-new flavor joins the Endless Shrimp lineup: Old Bay Seasoned Scampi. Endless Shrimp is priced at $24.99 at most participating locations, and guests can mix and match six shrimp dishes throughout the meal.
The full Endless Shrimp roster now looks like this:
- NEW: Old Bay Seasoned Scampi
- Garlic Bread-Crusted Shrimp
- Shrimp Linguini Alfredo
- Garlic Shrimp Scampi
- Parrot Isle Coconut Shrimp
- Walt’s Favorite Shrimp
Every Endless Shrimp order also comes with a choice of one side and the legendary Cheddar Bay Biscuits. A fun bit of history here: Endless Shrimp is the very promotion that helped sink Red Lobster into bankruptcy in 2024, after $20 all-you-can-eat shrimp cost the chain around $11 million. This time around the price is $24.99 and the brand is under new management, so it is worth watching how long it sticks around.
🎃 Kids Eat Free at Red Lobster on Halloween Weekend
Yes, Red Lobster is doing kids eat free for Halloween. From Friday, October 30 through Sunday, November 1, families get free kids meals with the purchase of a full-price adult entrée at participating restaurants in the US and Canada.
For dine-in guests, each full-price adult entrée qualifies for up to two free kids meals, as long as the kids show up in costume. The offer is limited to two free kids meals per table. Celebrating at home instead? You can get one free kids meal with the purchase of one full-price adult entrée when you order To Go online with the promo code SPOOKY26.
Pro tip for parents: two adults in costume-adjacent kids plus four free kids meals, minus one promo-coded to-go order… do the math and Halloween dinner suddenly gets very reasonable.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the Red Lobster dollar appetizer deal last?
The Red Lobster dollar appetizer deal runs for four days only: Friday, October 9 through Monday, October 12, 2026. It is dine-in only, limited to one $1 appetizer per entrée purchased, and it cannot be combined with other offers or rewards.
What appetizers are $1 at Red Lobster?
Three appetizers qualify: three Parrot Isle Coconut Shrimp with piña colada sauce, four jumbo shrimp with cocktail sauce, or four Mozzarella Cheesesticks with marinara. Each is an individual size, available with the purchase of an entrée.
Is Red Lobster doing kids eat free for Halloween?
Yes. From October 30 through November 1, 2026, get free kids meals with a full-price adult entrée at participating US and Canadian locations. Dine-in guests get up to two free kids meals per entrée when the kids come dressed in costume (max two per table). For To Go orders placed online, use promo code SPOOKY26 for one free kids meal per full-price adult entrée.
What time is Red Lobster’s late night happy hour?
The new Red Lobster late night happy hour starts October 12, 2026, and runs from 9 p.m. until close, Monday through Friday, at participating locations. It includes $6 signature cocktails, wine and beer, plus $2 off select appetizers like Lobster Flatbread, Crab Queso, and Lobster Dip.
