Red 36 - MYSTIC

I had a business lunch at Red 36 with a colleague who had never been there before. Our server, Jorge, was attentive, friendly, and professional. We enjoyed sitting outside on the patio and ordered salmon chips, crab cakes, and two salads topped with blackened chicken and salmon. Everything—the food, drinks, and atmosphere—was fantastic. I can’t wait to return!

Gluten-free eaters, beware. I have Celiac Disease. I can’t have gluten, full stop. When I walked into Red 36, I saw a sign on the wall identifying not only the 9 major food allergies, but also the safe handling practices a kitchen should follow for each one. Great! This is a sign that tells people with intolerances that we will be taken care of here. Once seated, I told the waitress about my intolerance, and she immediately brought me a gluten-free menu. Another good sign. I ordered the gluten-free tuna burger, which (according to the gluten-free menu) is supposed to omit the bun, fries, and anything else containing gluten. When my plate came out with fries, I knew something was off. I asked the waitress, and she apologized, confirmed that the fries were not gluten-free and offered to bring me a side salad instead. Separately, I started eating the tuna, but was surprised to find (buried beneath the fish and a pile of coleslaw) crispy egg noodles. I stopped eating and again asked the waitress if my order was gluten free. She returned to the kitchen and informed me that, (1) the crispy noodles were not gluten free, (2) despite having apparently put “gluten free” on my order, the whole meal was not gluten free, (3) the same thing happened at the table next to ours, despite having notified the kitchen accordingly. So, having unknowingly eaten gluten, I now have to wait out a week or more of painful symptoms of my Celiac Disease. I expect a lot more from restaurants that purport to exercise care for people with food allergies. It’s one thing if a kitchen is not equipped to cook according to dietary restrictions—I can manage my expectations. It is quite another when a restaurant is equipped to safely serve people with intolerances, communicates this to the patrons, and then fails to do so twice in a matter of an hour. There’s a lot of trust I have to put into restaurants, and I regret doing so in this instance. I’m beyond grateful that my intolerance doesn’t send me into anaphylaxis. I hope that, wherever the breakdown happened between ordering and serving, it gets resolved before other folks with food intolerances get sick. TL;DR gluten free diners, proceed with caution. Dietary restrictions: Purports to be gluten-free. See review.

Had an awesome time and amazing meal at Red 36! Started with a crab cake that was just perfect and loaded with crab, then moved on to a beer-battered cod sandwich with fries. Everything was absolutely delicious—crispy, flavorful, and super satisfying. The atmosphere was amazing too. The views of the harbor and boats were so relaxing, and it made the whole experience even better. The service was great—friendly and on point. If you're looking for tasty food with a view, this spot is definitely worth checking out!

The place was extremely busy and loud the few times I’ve been. And there is not a clear path of travel so when I went to the bathroom I felt like I was walking into every single server. The food was delicious but it’s a heavy heavy seafood menu so if that’s not your favourite there isn’t much to choose from. A great option for drinks and oysters in my opinion. Side note: I got the shrimp appetizer most recently and I asked for it without red peppers which they said was possible but I was served a dish with peppers. I’m not allergic and they honestly added a nice flavor but i was reassured it would happen to begin with.

Great waterfront views and atmosphere. Absolutely stay away from the chicken milanese. Maybe 1/4 inch thick chicken cooked to complete dryness and tasteless. The waitress said that is the normal way they make it. The Aragula salad was good.