Red’s Best Seafood at the Boston Public Market

Recently, my colleague and I decided to visit the Boston Public Market for lunch. We both like seafood and were happy to discover Red’s Seafood with some tempting entrees and saw some folks chowing down on their lobster rolls. A fried fish sandwich seemed reasonably priced ($ 7). I selected crabcakes at $ 8 which (after asking) was described as two cakes — pretty good deal!
My colleague originally was originally going to go for the fish sandwich but, since he loves scallops, decided to splurge for them (at $ 12). We decided to also split an order of onion rings ($ 6).There were a number of folks waiting for pickup — the wait turned out to be longer than expected and seemingly people who ordered after us had their orders delivered earlier (perhaps expected depending on what was ordered).
Each ordered item came in a small cardboard box. The crabcakes were quite good, nicely cooked and with lots of crab and not much filler — although they lost some of their heat by the time we sat down in the market’s nearby «kitchen» area. A nice tartar sauce was provided but had to be asked for.
For the scallops, the person behind the counter first put a bunch in the box — then took some out. When questioned, she said an order needed to be a certain weight. Since by the time we were served no one else was waiting, the fate of the taken back cooked scallops was not clear. Hint to Red’s — don’t give and then take back — at least in plain sight of the customer — it makes the purveyor look cheap. To top it off, my colleague described them as somewhat tasteless — don’t expect him back again.
The onion rings were heavily crusted in batter and a bit over crunchy (onion cookies) — and it was a bit difficult to taste the onion — they certainly were not greasy and a lot of the batter flaked off. They were not the kind that one had a huge desire to finish, All in all a mixed bag (or more appropriately box). I may sample Red’s again but will try different items!

You’ve got to get a cup of clam chowda from a place in Boston that has the word «Best» in its title. The price ($ 5) is comparable to other places selling chowder nearby, so why not get it from a stand that has live lobster and other fresh fishy goodness. I enjoy chowder and this cup did not disappoint. I probably should have tried their lobster roll, but I saved that experience for a trip to Maine.

Love it! We get our fish twice a week at Red’s — on Tuesday at Dewey and on Saturday at the Boston Public Market. Great fish, super fresh, quite affordable. Lots of variety too! If you are not sure how to prepare the fish, ask the folks at the counter, they are always very helpful and have great recommendation.

LOVE this place! There are so many delicious places in Public Market and this place is a semi hidden gem. Make sure you make your way to the back and get their lobster roll. The roll is a magnificent steal at $ 15. Picture a warm char-​grilled bun topped with a heaping amount of chilled fresh lobster meat (no mayo :)!!!) and a generous amount of chopped fresh herbs that entices your senses. It doesn’t even matter if there isn’t seating available, just squeeze that lemon on top and dive right in. It comes in a portable to-​go box that frees you up to eat it standing anywhere in the market!

Not certain what their business plan is for this location. Like the rest of the new Boston Public Market, this shop tries to cater to both locals and tourists — and I don’t think it’s successful. Plenty of tourists ordering fish and chips (undeniably good) at the counter. But by 3 pm the most desirable items in their fresh fish and seafood case are sold out — not much help to downtown professionals counting on something special to take home for dinner! Positioning yourself as my «première source for seafood caught by local fishermen» doesn’t mean much if the fish counter at my local Star Market or Whole Foods has equal or better selection; even Roche Bros. new store at Downtown Crossing had as much variety by mid-​afternoon today! (And no, most of us don’t have refrigerators in our office to be able to shop earlier in the day and keep the fish cold!) Too bad really: us downtown workers could have used a top-​notch, reliable source for excellent fresh fish, but this place isn’t it. As a Cambridge resident, I’m lucky to have New Deal Fish Market and Courthouse Fish Market nearby: like Red’s, they also get stuff fresh off the docks in the morning, and always have a remarkable variety from which to choose! I’l be giving Red’s a pass in the future.