I've never been a big fan of Chain restaurants, especially not for dinner - love the small scale ones that seat about 35 - 50. Earls is one of those places I would go to for drinks, and good conversation... not so much for a solid dinner.
We had a group of 10 and were seated at these LARGE square tables... it was actually a little difficult to talk because the person across from me seemed so far away.
The ambiance is definitely swanky - love the chandeliers, comfy chairs and the large space... the patio I've yet to try.
The waitress through we were waiting for more people so disappeared for about 20 minutes while we were waiting for her to come back to take our order.
I ended up getting the Los Cabos Chicken Tacos and came with cajun sauce on the side. It came with two for $11, but if you wanted a full meal (ie - fries), then you can add $2.50 for them.
The taco looked very appetizing - full of colours, lots of toppings, but at the end of the day.. I didn't really taste a lot of chicken... in fact I was more wondering where it was.
My friends who opted for the lobster and shrimp salad were definitely not satisfied as it looked bare, and I think there was a tablespoon of lobster meat... makes me wonder if it actually came from a can. The large shrimp definitely didn't love up to its size and it just looked minimalistic. Other people's meals seemed okay so I would advise to stay from the specials.
The place is definitely hopping every day of the week. Make reservations if you can, especially for large groups. Enjoy the people you are with because you may not enjoy the food.