220px, Long lines are common at Red's Red's Eats is a

take-out A take-out (US, Canada, Philippines) or takeaway (UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) is a prepared meal or other food items purchased at a restaurant or fast food outlet with the intent to eat elsewhere. A concept found in many ancient cultures, take ...

restaurant A restaurant is an establishment that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and Delivery (commerce), food delivery services. Restaurants ...

located in

Wiscasset, Maine Wiscasset is a New England town, town in and the county seat, seat of Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The municipality is located in the state of Maine's Mid Coast region. The population was 3,742 as of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 ...

. It is one of the most well-known and most-written-about restaurants in the state."In Maine Village, Lobster Goes Briskly; Traffic, No"
article by Abby Goodnough in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' July 30, 2010, accessed July 31, 2010

History

Allan "Red" Gagnon has operated since 1938, originally in

Boothbay, Maine Boothbay is a town in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,003 at the 2020 census. It includes the neighborhoods of Back Narrows, Dover, Linekin, Oak Hill, Ocean Point, Spruce Shores, and the villages of East Boothbay and ...

. It moved to its present location at the intersection of Water Street and Main Street in Wiscasset in 1954. It is open from mid-April to mid-October. In addition to its signature

lobster roll A lobster roll is a North American dish comprising lobster meat served on a grilled hot dog–style bun. The filling may also contain butter, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper, with variants made in some parts of New England replacing the b ...

s, Red's serves

fried clams Fried clams are clams dipped in milk, floured, and deep-fried. Fried clams are an iconic food, "to New England, what barbecue is to the South". They tend to be served at seaside clam shacks (roadside restaurants). Clam rolls are fried clams serv ...

hamburger A hamburger (or simply a burger) consists of fillings—usually a patty of ground meat, typically beef—placed inside a sliced bun or bread roll. The patties are often served with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon, or chilis ...

french fries French fries, or simply fries, also known as chips, and finger chips (Indian English), are '' batonnet'' or '' julienne''-cut deep-fried potatoes of disputed origin. They are prepared by cutting potatoes into even strips, drying them, and f ...

hot dog A hot dog is a grilled, steamed, or boiled sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term ''hot dog'' can also refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener ( Vienna sausage) or a frankfurter ( Frankfurter Würs ...

s, and

chicken sandwich A chicken sandwich is a sandwich that typically consists of boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh, served between slices of bread. Variations on the "chicken sandwich" include chicken on a bun, chicken on a Kaiser, hot chicken, or chicken sa ...

es. The lobster rolls were priced at $24.95 as of 2018. Red's building is an actual lobster shack; it has been described as being about the size of a minivan.Pages 32 and 33, Jane and Michael Stern, ''Roadfood'', Broadway Books (2002), trade paperback, 494 pages, There is no inside seating; long lines are common (with wait times of an hour or more), and traffic on nearby Route 1 often exceeds 25,000 cars a day in the summer. The restaurant, situated at the western end of the Davey Bridge, is considered a midcoast Maine landmark. It has been profiled in numerous magazine and newspaper reviews, Internet reviews, and television features. One of the owners of the restaurant, Debbie Cronk, co-wrote a book with Virginia Wright called ''Red’s Eats: World’s Best Lobster Shack''.

Honors

* '' 1,000 Places to See in the USA and Canada Before You Die'' by

Patricia Schultz Patricia Schultz (born is an American travel writer and author. Her books include the bestseller ''1,000 Places to See Before You Die'', which had over three million copies in print as of 2019. Early life Schultz was born and raised in Beaco ...

* ''500 Things to Eat Before It’s Too Late'' by Michael and Jane Stern (

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

) * ''Best Lobster in Maine'' (

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Co. (formerly Wyndham Destinations, Inc., and Wyndham Worldwide Corporation) is an American timeshare company headquartered in Orlando, Florida. It develops, sells, and manages timeshare properties under several vacation owners ...

)

External links and further reading

*Debbie Cronk and Virginia Wright, ''Red's Eats: World's Best Lobster Shack'', Down East Books (June 16, 2010), hardcover, 96 pages,

References

{{coord, 44.00250, -69.66425 , format=dms , type:landmark_region:US-ME_dim:1000 , display=title Restaurants in Maine Restaurants established in 1938 American companies established in 1938 1938 establishments in Maine Buildings and structures in Wiscasset, Maine