Red Lion Tavern

There aren’t a lot of restaurants that last 10 years or twenty years. But this is a place that’s been around for over 200 years. So let’s take a trip back in time to the Red Lion Tavern in Cohasset, Massachusetts. The Red Lion Inn was originally built back in 1704, right in the heart of Cohasset Village. And according to General Manager Devin Scott, the Tavern is dedicated to maintaining that classic rustic New England charm. “So the Red Lion tavern sits in Cohasset, which is one of the smaller cozier New England communities. We have five working fireplaces that are lit all winter round. We also have some of the original building structures in place. So from 1704 we still have the original walls. A lot of the original flooring is here, ceilings. It's not a big restaurant. You're going to have your service personalized to you. Everything is tailored to what you want, what you need, and what we can provide. Great for families, great for date night, wonderful setting for all.” The menu is really wonderful as well, because they specialize in serving elevated versions of classic New England cuisine. Take for example, the Linguica Stuffed Cape Cod Clams. You get five of them, served right in the skillet, with a blend of bread crumbs, herbs, and the housemade sausage, along with some pickled pepper aioli. Now that’s a serious stuffy. And here’s an appetizer I’ve never seen anywhere else: Not just a baked lobster… A Cornbread Baked Lobster. “So our cornbread bake lobster is our take on your classic New England lobster bake. We take the lobster meat out of the shell, we put butter inside the shell. Then we replace the meat and the claw meat, put some cornbread filling on top. Bake it all together. So in one fork full, the butter on top just really gives it a nice, rich flavor. So between the silky texture of the corn bread and the richness of the lobster, it's just a great bite.” Entrees at the Red Lion Tavern range from casual and affordable to luxurious and splurge-worthy. So if you just want to belly up to the bar and have a quick bite, go for the Tavern Burger featuring a big, juicy patty, along with applewood smoked bacon and Vermont cheddar cheese. They slather on some special sauce as well, and it comes with a side of hand-cut fries. They also make a great bowl of Bolognese. This features long ribbons of fennel pasta, along with a sweet sausage ragout, parmesan, and fresh herbs. It’s very filling, and very hearty. On the lighter side, you could go for the Slow Baked Salmon. It’s served with some brown butter parsnip puree, mushrooms and brussels sprouts. But since they source their lobsters locally, I’d recommend getting another lobster dish here: the Pan Roasted Lobster. Such a cool presentation here, with a pound and a half lobster, chili oil, bok choy, basil, and sauteed noodles. So it’s like a New England classic with an Asian twist. If you’re looking for something that can really warm your bones, the number one dish you gotta try is the Braised Pork Shank. “So we braise the pork shank for three hours, slow braise, but then we take it. We sit at the top of bed of parmesan polenta sprinkled with chives, comes out bone in, looks very much like a Thor's hammer cut. And it is just once it goes through the dining room. That's what everybody wants for the rest of the night.” I want to recommend a couple of desserts as well, because this is the kind of restaurant where you just want to linger after dinner to really soak up the atmosphere. First, there are the Ricotta Doughnuts. They’re basically like gourmet munchkins, the ricotta gives them a nice creaminess inside. On the outside, they’re sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. And it comes with a warm chocolate sauce that you can drizzle over the top. And then there’s the Chocolate Pot de Creme. This is a classic French dessert, and it’s just ridiculously good. It’s served inside an espresso cup, where you have a baked chocolate custard on the bottom, with some fluffy espresso mousse and a few little crunchies on top. And just like everything else at the Red Lion Tavern, from the food to the service, it just immediately puts you in a good mood. “We love focusing on our customer experience. I think ours is second to none. So if you want to come and enjoy the perfect meal, unbelievable food cooked by a team who really, really cares and have service tailored to yourself for your unique experience. That's why we're here.”