A Maine eatery dubbed ‘the most famous lobster shack in the world’ where customers line up for hours to buy one of their $36 rolls has officially opened for the season.
Red’s Eats, located on the corner of Water and Main Street in Wiscasset, has served fresh New England seafood for over 80 years.
The shack has been ranked Maine’s best lobster roll in countless lists and has attracted the likes of Tom Cruise, Lionel Richie and Susan Sarandon for its famous bites.
Red’s Eats opened for the summer on May 1 and for $36 customers can get a roll filled with the meat of two claws and a whole split tail with a side of butter or mayo.
‘They don’t make them like most other places, they don’t chop up the meat, they don’t put in any mayonnaise or anything else on it. It’s just the lobster, the roll,’ a customer named Diane told WGME.
Red’s Eats, located on the corner of Water and Main Street in Wiscasset, has been dubbed ‘the most famous lobster shack in the world’
For $36 customers can get a roll filled with the meat of two claws and a whole split tail with a side of butter or mayo
‘It came out of the ocean yesterday, I mean it’s so fresh. You’ll never get one fresher than what you get here,’ a customer named Jonathan said.
The shack ranked number one on Boston.com’s best place to get a lobster roll in New England in 2023 list.
Not only do they serve one of the highest rated lobster rolls, Red’s Eats boasts an extensive menu of fresh seafood, grilled good and desserts.
‘I’ve been waiting for clams all winter because there’s no other place in Maine that has them that taste like this,’ said a customer named Jerry.
The family-owned business is currently run by Debbie Gagnon, daughter of the previous owner and man who brought the iconic lobster rolls to the menu Al Gagnon.
The shack has been ranked Maine’s best lobster roll in countless lists and has attracted the likes of Tom Cruise and Lionel Richie (center) for its famous bites
Locals have taken out their frustration at traffic around the shack with Facebook group of nearly 10,000 members dedicated to posting photos of their middle fingers at the building
‘She [Debbie] makes you feel like you’re family when you step up to the window and order,’ Cumberland resident Lorraine Rardin told Bangor News Daily.
Debbie said she gets the most joy out of serving repeat customers and said her motto is a quote from her father, ‘You can feed anyone once, but feed them twice and you’re doing something right.’
Red’s Eats has been featured on several shows including Phil Rosenthal’s Netflix program ‘Somebody Feed Phil and Andrew Zimmern’s Travel Channel show ‘The Zimmern List.’
It’s fame has made the shack a bucket list item for visitors across the country.
‘I read that you should get a lobster roll at Red’s,’ said Allie Ackles from Rochester, New York.
Red’s Eats has been featured on several shows including Phil Rosenthal’s Netflix program ‘Somebody Feed Phil and Andrew Zimmern’s Travel Channel show ‘The Zimmern List’
‘I’ve also seen it on Facebook because I get a bunch of information for Maine since my daughter goes to school there,’ said Donise Gehrisch from Chicago.
While its popularity is good for business, locals have taken out their frustration at traffic around the shack with Facebook group of nearly 10,000 members dedicated to posting photos of their middle fingers at the building.
However, Paul Merrill, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Transportation, insists the shack is not the cause of traffic.
‘Red’s is a popular restaurant that draws a lot of customers — but not the reason for traffic back-ups on Route 1,’ Merrill said.
