Red's Eats in Wiscasset, ME is truly in a class of it's own. It has this cache about it that surpasses what it could ever deliver on, but all summer long there is a 1-to-2 hour long wait in line to get their world-famous lobster roll. I arrived with my loving wife (and without my loving children thanks to my loving parents) at about 2:15 on a wednesday afternoon. Past what most people would consider "normal" lunchtime, I was greeted with this line:
It was a 92 degree scorcher in Maine, and the sun was relentless in our line up the hill. My loving wife left me for some quaint country shopping, while I stood in line and read fascinating facebook updates for the next hour and a half. When I crested the hill and placed my order, I was left with another 15 minute wait to stare at the Red's scene:
Well, truth be told, the wait was worth it. I'll get to the food itself in a minute, but man the staff at Red's really knows their road-side manner. When my number is finally called over the speaker I walk up to the window and the women at the counter is wrapping up our fries:
"Ok honey, these are your fries with no salt - you add what you want right here - and of course ketchup is on the side in the bag."
"Thank you," i say.
She continues, "My sister is just finishing up your fried clams now, but i'm going to wrap up your lobster rolls real tight."
And just before she wraps the first one up, she says in a sort of under her breath sigh that I honestly think was not meant for my ears, "Wow. Look at this one. This one's a beautte. Mmmm, mmm, mm." And she continues to wrap it up in foil. She wraps up the second without comment, and then the clams come out. "Would you look at this. Wooo, don't these look beautiful? My sister just cooked these up."
"Amazing," I say. And then quickly add, "By the way, that fried shrimp you gave away to us in line was outstanding. Best I've ever had."
Turning to her sister, "Hey, this fella' here just says those shrimp were the best he's ever had."
"Thank ya!" says her sister.
"Now you enjoy yourself with this lunch. Napkins, forks and knives are right here, everything else is in your bags," and with that she sends me off. I'm totally enamored. And when I get to the oceanside (or is this a river?) dock my loving wife has scouted out far away from the road-side traffic, I unroll this:
And she unrolls this:
And together, we enjoy our meals:
Now, onto the Lobster-roll-a-thon review:
Price: $15 (seriously? everyone else charges the same but for 1/4 the lobster.)
Bun: Red's knows the drill: buttered, griddle-grilled, and tasty.
Lobster solo: There is nothing on this lobster, and its cooked wonderfully.
Finxins: Its always on the side at Red's. With a choice of butter or mayo, its up to you to add it onto your roll. I opted for mayo because I'm in the middle of this Lobster-roll-a-thon review and thought i should keep things in the same ballpark. But butter is the better choice.
Overall: Its hard to include Red's in my Lobster-roll-a-thon review because its truly in another world. This is an entire lobster, steamed and shelled (maybe boiled?), then tossed onto a buttered and griddle-grilled roll. Its an amazing meal, but essentially its lobster with a buttered roll.... which is not a bad thing at all. There's a place on Martha's Vineyard which I think is called the Menemsha Fish market that serves a similar roll. I was a huge fan of it last summer, but I think Red's kicks it's ass. And for the record, yes, I ordered 2 lobster rolls. And I ate them both with a Lobster Ale on a dock, with my loving wife, on a beautiful august afternoon, on vacation, with no children in sight. Thank you lobster gods, this was wonderful.
