The first thing to disappear from Red Lobster’s table isn’t usually seafood, but Cheddar Bay biscuits.
It has been wildly popular since 1992, when the company first introduced its signature flavorful appetizer as “Freshly Baked Warm Cheese Garlic Bread.”
Now that Red Lobster is poised to close dozens of stores in 27 states, you may be wondering where to get your Cheddar Bay biscuits. Although the exact recipe has been a closely guarded secret for years, Red Lobster still sells a ready-made mixture that can be purchased at most grocery stores.
Here’s what we know about this foodie-favorite Cheddar Bay biscuit, and some DIY recipes to copy Cheddar Bay biscuits that you can try at home.
The Cheddar Bay biscuit was invented in 1992 by Curt Hankins, then the head of Red Lobster’s culinary development team, according to a post on the food enthusiast site Tasting Table. Hankins was inspired by Texas toast and French bread, substituting sugar for garlic and adding cheese.
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By 2017, Red Lobster was baking about 1 million biscuits a day, putting a fresh biscuit in the oven every 15 to 20 minutes, according to a Red Lobster news release.
No, not at all. Red Lobster coined the term “Cheddar Bay” about four to five years later to “reflect the seaside feel” of the restaurant, the company said.
Red Lobster initially offered trays of specialty biscuits to hungry patrons waiting in the lobby, according to a news release. But servers couldn’t keep up with requests for more biscuits, and demand became so high that Red Lobster began offering biscuits as an appetizer at the table, the company said.
At its peak, Red Lobster had approximately 700 locations around the world. A recent article in Restaurant Business notes that the company’s U.S. locations reached an all-time high of 679 stores in 2012.
That means a lot of Red Lobster makes cheddar biscuits. Here are the numbers for 2017:
- Food staff baked more than 8,000 pounds of cheddar cheese and made about 1 million biscuits a day.
- If you stacked up the number of Cheddar Bay biscuits served each day, they would be 137 times the height of the Empire State Building.
- In a year, the number of biscuits served can span approximately five times as many from coast to coast in the United States.
- In 2017, the number of Cheddar Bay biscuits served was equivalent to 17 times Florida’s population of approximately 21 million people.
- Does the taste disappear from your lips? As part of a promotional deal seven years ago, Red Lobster released a limited edition Cheddar Bay Biscuit flavored lip balm.
Food.com’s Gourmet Community has recipes for just about everything, from simple meals like macaroni and cheese to preparing turducken. A community favorite is a variation of Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay biscuits made with Bisquick, milk, garlic powder and Old Bay seasoning.
Check out the recipe here: Food.com/recipe/red-lobster-cheddar-bay-biscuits-31206.
According to her website SpendwithPennies.com, food blogger Holly Nilsson is passionate about creating cost-effective meals at her home in suburban Vancouver. Nilsson’s recipe for Red Lobster’s signature biscuits calls for garlic powder, all-purpose flour, shredded cheddar cheese, and optional Italian seasoning.
Check out the recipe here: SpendWithPennies.com/red-lobster-cheddar-bay-biscuits/.
TheCozyCook.com’s variation of Cheddar Bay Biscuits calls for using buttermilk as a substitute. Food blogger Stephanie Melchione walks readers through the process, using ingredients like dried parsley, granulated sugar, cold buttermilk, and cayenne pepper.
Check out the recipe here: TheCozyCook.com/copycat-red-lobster-cheddar-bay-biscuits/
Red Lobster sells a mix of classic Cheddar Bay biscuits, available at grocery stores like Walmart, Meijer, and Target. If you buy a mix, TikTok personality Jordan Howlett of Fast Food Secret Club says to add more cheese and use buttermilk instead of water.
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John Tufts covers trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him news tips to JTufts@Gannett.com. Follow him on X @JTuftsReports.
