I was alerted to Red Heat Tavern by a review on @Ferrari328’s blog (he went to the Wilmington location) and since it is right down the street from my office thought it was worth a try. Last week a colleague and I got the Big Greek Salad with Turkey Tips and the Classic Cheeseburger. Both were delicious, the turkey tips and burger both juicy and flavorful. Today two colleagues and I went and all shared the Not Your Ma’s Meatloaf sandwich (with melted cheese, arugula, tomato); a pulled pork sandwich that is not on the online menu but featured pulled pork with a delightful amount of caramelization, deep-fried pickles, crispy coleslaw and chipotle sauce; and a fried chicken sandwich with celery-carrot slaw, red onions, Buffalo sauce and smoked blue cheese dressing. All 3 were outstanding. Initially only two sandwiches were delivered and the expediter told us that they had burned the other one so were remaking it, and asked the colleague who ordered it if he’d like a salad while he waited. He said great and within a minute or so had a salad and a side of fries to keep him busy till his sandwich came out. We all agreed that was a great save and loved that the expediter had told the truth. So, excellent food and great hospitality. There are many other things on the menu we want to try. http://redheattavern.com/bedford-ma/
I went back for a Fathers Day special and they happily substituted their Loaded Tater Tots for fries and they were excellent. I was surprised at how good the food was and there is more stuff on the menu that I’m looking forward to trying.
Thanks for the reports, Gretchen and Ferrari. It definitely sounds worth checking out. How was the atmosphere?
We’ve been to the Bedford location twice now. B definitely likes it more than I do. I find the food to be just ok…I know I had a veggie “Thai” salad on one visit, can’t remember what I had the last time…a veggie mushroom burger? B has liked his food…burgers, I think? But it’s a decent spot to catch a few innings and proceed to Whole Foods and Ocean State Job Lot right down the street (the food section there rocks!). No one bats an eye when cippolini gets a little cranky during lunch. (By the way, it’s owned by the same guy who owns Burton’s.)
Atmosphere-wise, bear, it’s going for that whole upscale pub feel. Small but cozy bar area (we always grab a booth in the bar so we can watch the Sox). Lots of wood inside.
Haven’t sat in the bar section. The rest of the restaurant is high-ceilinged and airy with comfortably large booths. There are also outside tables but haven’t tried those.
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Have eaten here several times since my initial post and we have never been disappointed. Not destination dining but one of our favorite places within 10-15 minutes from work. Today I had the burger, which had a nice char on the outside but plenty of pink inside as requested, and upgraded my side from fries to the roasted/charred Brussels sprouts with bacon which were EXCELLENT and promptly snarfed down. My DC got veggie mac & cheese (cavatappi pasta, five cheeses, roasted red peppers, charred tomatoes, arugula & sun-dried tomato beurre blanc, topped w/ skillet cornbread crumble) – he loved it and the bite I had was delicious. Service was, as always, excellent. My DC has also had and thoroughly enjoyed the Mexican stuffed peppers (V) while I tend to explore the meatier side of the menu.
Today 13 of us from my office had a celebration lunch here. There is a wide variety of tastes and dietary restrictions throughout the group and every single person was delighted with his/her lunch. They also did a fabulous job taking care of our large group, with drinks and food arriving promptly, at the same time and (in the case of the food) hot. The only downside was that we were seated in the bar area and it was pretty noisy. But really very impressive and a great deal better than a recent lunch with the same group at Waxy O’Connors. OK you can say that’s a low bar but there are limited options near our office. I think Red Heat Tavern will be our choice going forward. Check for 13: $279 which included at least a couple of beers – and by the way, they offered us the option of separate checks, very cheerfully.
