Red's Bar and Grill in Sheffield, where have you been my whole life?
Despite hearing for years how good the food was at Red's, this week was the first time I've set foot in (masked, of course) for carryout.
A few friends within my COVID bubble agreed to be my dining companions for my initiation into Red's menu. As a result, I got to try a large spread, but with the unintended side effect that I forgot pictures of some of the food because everyone dived in immediately.
My carryout was ready exactly when requested, and the server double-checked all the containers against the ticket before ringing me up to insure everything was correct, which was a nice touch. I got home with the food still hot and fresh despite a bit of a drive.
For an appetizer, we selected spinach and cream cheese fried ravioli that comes as an order of 10 good-sized, half-moon-shaped ravs with a side of chunky marinara. The ravs were hot and crispy with a rich, creamy, cheesy interior that was complemented by the sweet, chunky dipping sauce.
The menu at Red's is nicely sized, with a good selection of apps, salads, sandwiches, wraps, burgers and dinners offering classics — and a few twists on favorites.
For our entrees, I ordered a half mixed fried chicken dinner with regular fries that came with a fresh mixed side salad and roll, along with a chicken strip dinner with seasoned fries, a Cuban and a Red's tenderloin, which came smothered in grilled onions, chunks of red peppers and Swiss.
The pork sandwiches come grilled or fried – and though I'm sure the grilled is amazing, we went with the classic fried. If you're going to eat a sandwich with a slab of pork, ham, bacon and Swiss, you may as well go all out.
The portions on the dinners were huge. Six of us ate with plenty left for a Sunday lunch for the lucky person who snagged it first.
When I picked up the food, the bartender let me know they threw in some extra fries for us, because sometimes the cooks have extra so they add them in at no extra cost. I probably don't need to mention they bought my loyalty right there with that simple gesture.
All sandwiches come with a side of homemade potato chips, fries, seasoned fries, or sweet potato fries (for a $1 up-charge), and diners also can upgrade to a ciabatta or pretzel bun. The fries were hot and fresh when they arrived. We particularly liked the seasoned fries that had a curly-fry seasoned taste to them, and were a nice accompaniment to the sandwiches.
The chicken strips were a particular favorite, hand-breaded and a good-sized order, coming with five strips for a regular dinner, or three for a beer-battered-strip dinner. They were nicely seasoned and had a good crispy crust-to-chicken ratio so the batter complemented but didn't overwhelm the chicken.
The Cuban was a slab of a sandwich, piled high with juicy fried pork and shaved ham, bacon, Swiss, crispy pickle slices and a honey mustard sauce. I may or may not regret ordering it, because it was so good I may make it my default order without sampling other offerings.
For the six of us, we spent $60, including tip, so Red's is not only good food, but it's priced just right. They're also currently offering carryout drinks which we'll likely sample for our next outing.
For those who haven't yet made the trek to Sheffield, I very much recommend hitting the road – Red's alone is worth the trip.
• The Mystery Diner is an employee at Shaw Media. The diner’s identity is not revealed to restaurant staff when ordering or picking up the food. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a story.