Red Heat Tavern
The heart of any restaurant is the oven, right? But there's one spot with a true coal-fired obsession. So let's fire things up at the Red Heat Tavern.
With locations in Bedford, Milford, Westborough, and this one in Wilmington, Massachusetts, Red Heat Tavern knows how to impress. It's a lively local spot known for bold flavors, big comfort food favorites, and a menu packed with dishes that live up to the name.
That's all thanks to Chief Culinary Officer Denise Herrera.
“I would describe Red Heat as your classic neighborhood Tavern. We serve fresh food over a coal fire. We also have an extensive beer list, delicious cocktails.
So it really is a special place. A lot of energy in our bar, a lot of excitement. It's a real community spot that we love to gather in.
When I look at our menu, I look at the uniqueness of food items that we offer. And so I would describe the food at Red Heat as comfort food, but also, you know, has some different twists on it, unique flavor profiles. So I like to say there's something for everybody. Come one, come all.”
It all starts with some seriously craveable appetizers, like the mesquite wings — smoky, saucy, and cooked in their coal-fired oven, creating a unique flavor and texture.
If you're coming with a group, the Big A** Pretzel is sure to satisfy. It absolutely lives up to its rather profane name: a massive soft pretzel served warm with honey mustard and queso sauce for dipping.
And speaking of giant, the jumbo tater tots come piled high and loaded up.
“Our loaded jumbo tater tots are delicious. So you have your tater tots, and they're served with our queso sauce, a spicy aioli, bacon, and scallions. And I love the texture that they have when you break into them. I'm a tater tot fan, so any size, but the jumbo ones really are amazing and you don't really see them anywhere.”
“And it's out of this world.”
Of course, burgers are a big deal here too, especially the barbecue burger piled high with smoky flavor from the brown sugar barbecue sauce, crispy onion strings, and all the fixings that make every bite messy in the best way possible.
Or turn up the heat with the Nashville Hot Fried Chicken. It's buttermilk fried, doused in that Nashville hot seasoning, and served with lettuce, pickles, and a homemade honey butter.
But Red Heat Tavern isn't just about the classics. They also offer a bunch of creative dishes that bring some big flavor twists to the menu.
Like the chicken birria tacos loaded with tender braised chicken, melted cheese, and, of course, that rich and satisfying birria broth to dip into.
But for a southern-style, melty, comforting dish, you have to get the pulled pork grilled cheese.
“House-smoked pulled pork tossed with a little bit of our barbecue sauce. Then we toast our challah bread, cheddar cheese. We put our pulled pork right in there. You have the crispy exterior of the bread, the cheesiness, and then you have that delicious smoked pork in the center. I really love the sandwich when it is right off of the griddle. Super hot, and you can feel that texture go through your teeth and you hear that crunch.”
Red Heat Tavern continues to impress with their larger plated entrees.
They have the New England staple steak tips that are house-marinated and grilled and served with their own homemade steak sauce, along with broccoli and garlic mashed potatoes.
Or you could go for some local seafood favorites like the baked haddock. Here they top the filet with a kettle chip crust before roasting it and serving it over lemon rice and vegetables with a sun-dried tomato butter sauce.
But for some real down-home tavern fare, you have got to get the cheesy buffalo chicken mac and cheese.
“It has the creaminess of the cheesy sauce that we put in there. It's made in-house here. So again, it's our signature flavors that we add to this. The Buffalo mac and cheese has fried chicken tossed in our buffalo sauce, blue cheese crumbles, and it is ooey gooey. Delicious.”
Red Heat Tavern is the kind of place where you can hang at the bar with some wings, enjoy a maple glazed pistachio salmon in the dining room, and finish with a big old skillet cookie ice cream sundae for dessert.
And as long as the coals are fired up, nobody leaves hungry.
“Red Heat Tavern is your neighborhood hangout where we have great quality food, delicious cocktails, extensive beer menus. We have a comfortable environment that you can sit in. You're always welcome when you come to a Red Heat Tavern, and we love having you here.”
