If you were forced to eat at Red Robin what would you get?

We don't have Red Robin in my city, but if we did, I'd have to try a burger and see what all the fuss is about!! Plus, did I hear something about bottomless fries??

Yup, it's one of the best parts of Red Robin. Free refills on the fries and many of the drinks that other restaurants wouldn't give refills on (I love their freckled lemonade, which is a strawberry lemonade with tons of sliced berries). Plus, if you join their free loyalty program, you get a free burger during your birthday month.

They do have one a fantastic nutrition calculator, so you can customize any item and see the NI. But, since it's a place I only go once or twice a year, I tend to let myself enjoy the items I love.

Turkey burger served on lettuce and a melon slice.

fug dis shib

Have the Prime Chop House

The turkey burger wrapped in lettuce with fruit/salad/carrots instead of fries. The turkey is spicy, I love it!

I worked there for almost 5 years. Here's the scoop:

If you can, stay away from mayos, dressings, and dipping sauces.
ONE side of ranch has almost 300 calories of PURE FAT.

No alcohol - you can if you must, but stay away from the fruity cocktails and mixed drinks (TONS of sugar).
No shakes. No no no no NO no NO!
No freckled lemonade (strawberry lemonade) - the strawberries and the lemonade are FILLED with sugar.
No bottomless beverages besides water, iced tea (NOT flavored!!), black coffee, hot tea (no added sugar/honey).
No fries (the 6 ounce portion that you get in your basket with an item is over 500 calories alone!)


WHAT TO DO:
Order any burger and customize it!
You can substitute a salad or broccoli (etc, see menu) for your fries
You can substitute a Boca burger patty, Gardenburger patty, or grilled chicken breast on ANY burger)
Order oil and vinegar or lemon wedges for your salad dressing. Or order SALSA for your dressing.
They also have a low-fat ranch (it still isn't very low fat, just less than the buttermilk ranch you usually get).
Order ONE slice of cheese on your burger instead of the usual two.

Best tip:
LETTUCE WRAP YOUR BURGER! instead of getting a bun to hold your burger, they can wrap the whole thing in lettuce!!
Saves tons of unnecessary calories and carbs.

Good ideas:

Ensenada chicken platter (hold cheese/dressing/tortilla strips if you want to be extra healthy).

My favorite things:

Banzai burger
sub Gardenburger patty
lettuce wrapped
no cheese
no mayo
Teriyaki sauce on the side
sub salad for fries with salsa for dressing - ask for your salad FIRST (pre-meal). They will absolutey do this, it is common and there is a button for them to do so on their computer when ordering! I order it without tortilla strips and get salsa for dressing.
It is delicious!!
Sometimes I do get the cheese, but I ask for ONLY ONE slice, instead of the usual two.

Guacamole bacon burger
sub Boca
no bacon, no mayo
one slice of cheese
lettuce wrap
salad starter

Or you can get any salad- just be VARY WEARY about dressing, tortilla strips, bacon, and cheese.
Ordering your salad without those items is WELL advised.

They have a GREAT nutrition calculator on their website (red robin.com) where you can customize your item and find out it's exact nutrition information!!
This way you can even plan out exactly what you want BEFORE you even go to Red Robin and then WRITE IT DOWN and come in and tell your server.
That way you'll be TOTALLY prepared to order and won't mess it up like most of us do in ordering situations!! Myself included, of course!!

Happy eating!!

It's Red Robin. I'd get a burger with cheese, bacon and avocado with the fries and ketchup and worry about "making up for it" during the week or, if you know in advance (as you do) start planning now.

I don't have a problem with indulgence from time to time and I refuse to be judgmental about the occasional "transgression." My goal is to, first and foremost, change my lifestyle and strengthen my hips after 20+ years at a desk job and, secondly, to get my body fat % down a few percentage points (which is just happening by keeping with the primary goal). If I were shooting to fit in a size X garment by some given date I might be more strict with my eating regiment.

I guess what you should get to eat boils down to what is compatible with your goals, cravings and needs. The fatty burger is reasonably compatible with my goals but may not be so when filtered through a lens colored by your goals.

Save my calories for the day.
Split the onion ring tower for an appy.
Then for my meal maybe a salad (which I personalize I don't eat meat or cheese so I take a lot of things out and ask them to add extra thing), or their fish and chips. Oh and a beer. You asked what I would eat...not what was healthy.

I don't worry too much about birthday or special occasion dinners.

Save my calories for the day.
Split the onion ring tower for an appy.
Then for my meal maybe a salad (which I personalize I don't eat meat or cheese so I take a lot of things out and ask them to add extra thing), or their fish and chips.

I don't worry too much about birthday or special occasion dinners.

CAREFUL with those onion rings - the tower has over 1800 calories.
Fish and chips- all fried, very high in starch and fat .

Last time i went there i got a grilled chicken sandwhich and asked it to be on whole grain bread, then steamed brocolli instead of fries.

THIS is an example of making smart choices at RR . Good work!

The Apple Harvest Salad without the Blue Cheese crumbles and without the garlic bread. Comes out to about 489 calories.I would just enjoy yourself get what you want and make it work. Just be concious after looking at their nutrionizer alot of things that look like they would be better choices are still around 800 calories.

exactly what I get. my wife has a gluten allergy and that is the one resturant she hasn't gotten sick from we go there just about once a week. she gets the guacamole burger with the lettuce wrap not sure on the calories but it's really good, messy, but good

Never been to Red Robin but some times you have to just say "screw it" and go for the gusto. Case in point the greasy spoon burger joint my soon to be brother in law took me to last weekend. The place had chicken fried burgers. I opted for the black and blue burger with a plethora of fried things on the side. Then you just have to watch it even closer for the rest of the week.

They can use lettuce in place of a bun for any sandwich, and there are also veggie patties you can sub in. Have them hold the mayo, too. I get a lettuce-wrapped veggie burger there all the time. Use their nutrition customizer on their website. You might be surprised at the awesome combinations you can fit into your calories.

Daughter's choice for her bday on Monday. Haven't been there since before I started tracking every bite that goes into my mouth.

What would you get to eat at Red Robin?

I'd allow myself 548 calories for dinner: Chicken Wrap or a Sonoma Turkey Burger (200 calories) + Side dinner salad (89 calories) + Foccacia bread (75 calories) + Chicken tortilla soup (172 calories) with their peach or raspberry iced tea (less than 12 calories).

Edited to add: Appreciate topics like these, granted the last like-eatery I'd been to was Sharky's Woodfire Mexican Grill (for I'm more of a home prepped person), it is a worthy practice to consider - What to have, from the variety available at such casual dining venues.

Burning love burger... And all of the French fries

The Ensenada Chicken platter is a ridiculous amount of food for very low calories. And tasty, too!

I wouldnt be forced to eat anything I didn't want, but I love Red Robin and would eat what I wanted