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Updated: 32 min ago

Friday Food Insider: Long drive, long wait for a lobster roll at Red's Eats

Photo / Alexis Wells Red's Eats is located at 41 Water St. in Wiscasset.
By Alexis Wells

My sister and I were inspired last weekend to make an hour-and-a-half drive to Wiscasset to grab a lobster roll at Red's Eats. She had never been there, and the experience is something every Mainer should try at least once.

After packing the car, my sister, parents and I begin the trip. As we drive, the one thing on my mind is Red's buttery, sweet, warm lobster roll and, of course, fries. 

We enter Wiscasset. I know there will be a wait — perhaps an hour or more.

From up on the hill, it doesn't look too bad until my family and I round the corner to see the line forming down the road. Now, the only thing on my mind is that this is going to be quite the wait. 

That's part of the experience. 

And that's how most of the tourists in line were also thinking. 

We inch up the line. But soon, I'm starting to think this will take hours. Waiting to drop $36 on a lobster roll from what may be the world’s most famous lobster roll shack. Is it worth it?

The history

Nestled at the foot of Wiscasset’s Main Street for 81 years, Red’s Eats is a well-known restaurant where actors, foodies and tourists regularly make summer pilgrimages. 

It's been featured on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.” Tom Cruise, Andrew Zimmern, Susan Sarandon and Lionel Richie all have eaten there.

The family-owned business is run by Debbie Gagnon, daughter of the man who introduced the iconic lobster rolls to the menu, the late Al "Red" Gagnon. The restaurant is cash-only and has outdoor seating. Red's doesn't accept reservations. 

Although lobster shacks blanket the Maine coast, this little hut is one of the most famous. Recently, it has been the subject of TikTok and Instagram influencers. There are probably lots of reasons why, including a feedback loop that has amplified the attention Red's receives from writers.

Lines aren't unusual at summer dining spots in Maine. Rather than focus on waiting for hours, I see a line and like to wonder, “What is so special about this place?"

My curiosity got the best of me, so I waited four hours in the Red's Eats line. 

Time to eat

We are about two hours in now and an employee is bringing cold water and umbrellas to everyone in line. He mentions that on Saturday, a customer passed out from the heat and that this happens often during the summer. 

During the wait, we start to make friends with the people in line. What else is there to do when you're all starving and dying in a September heat wave? The people in line are visiting from Canada, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maryland and Texas. 

Photo / Alexis Wells
A Red's Eats lobster roll with Kate's butter.

At exactly 3:30 p.m., it's finally happening, and the anticipation of that first bite of lobster and the crispy, salty fries is real. I am eagerly waiting for the couple in front of us to finish placing their order. I have never been more prepared to order a meal in my life. And yes, if you are wondering, I am that person who studies the menu before going to the restaurant. 

The woman at the window takes our order and we wait off to the side for another line of visitors hungry for their order. For what feels like another hour but is only another 15 minutes, we wait to hear our names called. 

Finally we do. The employees hand us our plates filled with lobster, Kate’s butter, fries, and a whoopie pie. After all that, I think we deserve a nice "linner" (lunch and dinner) and the whoopie pie was needed to complete the Maine experience.  

As a native Mainer, I know this is controversial, but I like my lobster roll with a grilled bun, warm lobster and butter. I know this is technically the Connecticut way. Maine lobster rolls are typically served cold with mayo. 

The lobster roll itself was filled with sweet, chunky meat and served on a buttered roll, grilled New England-style with Kate’s Maine butter. The fries were hot, crunchy and delicious. 

Besides the lobster roll being the star of the show here, the whoopie pie by the Flour Child Bakery was sweet and soft. It had the perfect amount of vanilla, and the frosting was smooth and there was plenty of it. 

After reading all this, you may wonder: Is the Friday Food Insider leading you astray, suggesting you stand in line for food? Well, I am not. This lobster roll is worth the drive and the $36, which sounds expensive, but the amount of lobster you get makes it worth the price.

If you are brave enough to stand in line to see what the hype is about, you never know what delicious masterpiece awaits you. 

What lobster restaurant should I visit before the season ends? The Mainebiz Food Insider wants to hear from you! Contact Alexis Wells at awells@mainebiz.biz.

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