I don't know why I was completely surprised by The Red Hen. Based on the area and the outside aesthetic, I was expecting a trendy little hipster spot, not an absolute dive bar with ratty picnic table cloths and mismatching silverware.
Anywho, we enter and sit down at our slightly dilapidated booth, and get our orders going. Kids mac and cheese for the little one, with an apple juice; a cubano sandwich and fries, with an 8oz cider for me, and an appetizer portion of crab mac and cheese, with a raspberry tea for the Misses.
FIRST, the kids apple juice was almost FOUR. DOLLARS. For a CHILDS SIZE apple juice! Insanity. Secondly, the mac and cheese wasn't terrible, like most kids mac and cheeses are at places like this, but it was positively unseasoned. I went to TOWN with the salt shaker on this dish, but the dish was just like actively deflecting taste. My wife was even like, "yo....my guy.....how much salt are you going to put in that?!," but I just COULD NOT move the taste from "nothing" to "bland." My daughter ate ONE bite and was over it. She instead went in on her fries, which looked old.
MY meal was slightly better. The sandwich was a little small for $15, and they, infuriatingly, upcharge for fries (it's chips otherwise), but the sandwich was tasty, and MY fries were hot and fresh. No idea why my daughters fries looked so different. MY drink was embarrassingly expensive as well. Again, a pretty small 8oz pour of cider was almost $10. (OH! They are also one of those annoying "happy hour is only at the bar" places. *eye roll emoji*)
The Misses *appetizer* mac and cheese was enough to feed two people, which probably explains the $15 price tag for that as well. It was "meh"-ly received, and the tea got horrible reviews.
We were told that the Tiramisu was "the best I've ever had," and didn't skimp on the marscapone, etc, but I was underwhelmed, and was done after a spoonful. The Misses seemed to enjoy it a little more.
While we were in the dining room part, there was just a parade of large families, with multiple kids coming in, so maybe sit in the bar area if you aren't big on children.
Everything mentioned came out to $63.50, but we ACTUALLY paid $65.47, because they ALSO do the dick move of charging you more for credit card transactions...."Due to Covid," naturally. *second eye roll emoji*
All in all, I feel a little duped, and definitely underwhelmed. I don't see any reason I'll ever be back. read more