Why is this the world’s most famous lobster shack?

It was a chilly, drizzly morning on May 1, but a line of people was still stretched down Route 1 in Wiscasset. They were waiting to drop $36 on a lobster roll from what may be the world’s most famous purveyor of the meal.

There’s plenty of love for Red’s Eats, a more than 80-year-old institution that has four-and-a-half stars on Yelp, tops lists of best lobster roll destinations and regularly boasts long lines of hungry customers throughout the warmer months.

It’s been featured on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.” Tom Cruise and Lionel Richie have eaten there.

It’s not that Red’s appears to be doing anything entirely unique. Lobster shacks are common enough along the coast, and they’re all pretty much serving the same thing: some meat on a bun with butter or mayonnaise.

So what has made Red’s, by some measures, the face of the industry?

It’s likely a combination of things, including customer service, its location along coastal Maine’s busiest road, and a feedback loop that has amplified the attention it receives from writers, diners and — in some cases — haters.

Nancy Jenkins, a Maine food writer and historian, says that what makes a good lobster roll is the freshness of its ingredients and the setting in which it’s offered. In her opinion, Red’s Eats has one of those things, the fresh lobster, but she’s not as enthusiastic about the view from downtown Wiscasset.

She said Red’s makes a pretty good lobster roll, no better or worse than other places. Coming from Maine, Jenkins said she would rather not wait in a long line in the hot sun for a Red’s roll when she could head down a midcoast peninsula to a quieter spot with a better view.

The restaurant has plenty of critics, who claim that its food is not worth the sometimes hours-long wait. They also tend to blame Red’s for the non-stop traffic that forms on Route 1 in Wiscasset during the tourism season, as the speed limit drops to 25 miles per hour and many vehicles get caught in the corridor’s legendary congestion.

There’s even a 10,000-member Facebook page for drivers to vent their irritation by raising a finger to the restaurant and sharing the photo.

But what has pushed Red’s Eats beyond the competition is the viral way in which its name has gotten out there.

“Somebody 25 or 30 years ago started writing about this place in Maine. And then everybody wrote about it. And so it goes on, it continues,” Jenkins said. She added, “And now you’re gonna write about it.”

The influence of food and travel writing was apparent on opening day, when several tourists in line for lobster rolls said they’d come to the shack after finding articles that recommended it.

“I read that you should get a lobster roll at Red’s,” said Allie Ackles from Rochester, New York.

“I’ve also seen it on Facebook because I get a bunch of information for Maine since my daughter goes to school there,” said Donise Gehrisch from Chicago.

For locals, what made the line and the price at the lobster shack on opening day worth it was Debbie Gagnon, the owner of Red’s.

Gagnon, the daughter of previous owner Al Gagnon, has managed the shack since 1996, and grew up in the industry.

Gagnon was unable to do an interview this week, she said, because of how much time is demanded by her business. Instead, she pointed a reporter to a 2023 talk she gave at the University of New Hampshire, in which she said Red’s has benefited from a “domino effect” of popularity.

Maine humorist Tim Sample once mentioned Red’s in one of his specials, she said, and its reputation grew from there.

Despite the endless line of customers, Gagnon talks to each person individually. She’ll point out the seating area, take food to the customers, and give out free hats. Cumberland resident Lorraine Rardin said Gagnon is a “gem.”

“She makes you feel like you’re family when you step up to the window and order,” Rardin said.

And even the blame for Wiscasset’s traffic problems might not be deserved.

Red’s is more of a scapegoat than the culprit for that traffic, said Paul Merrill, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Transportation.

“Red’s is a popular restaurant that draws a lot of customers — but not the reason for traffic back-ups on Route 1,” Merrill said.

The department did work in 2020 to decrease congestion in Wiscasset, including installing new traffic signals with “smarter technology” that funnels pedestrians to key crossing locations, Merrill added.

Gagnon said that people have been blaming her lobster shack for the traffic for years. Since it’s an outdoor restaurant, her customers are visible, giving frustrated drivers a target for their ire.

“If our restaurant was larger and our guests were inside, we would not be taking the blame for traffic. It’s really silly that we are blamed,” Gagnon said in an email, pointing out that Wiscasset is the gateway to many “wonderful destinations” further down the coast.

She added, “Our guests are also doing one of 3 things….they are 1) seated & eating, or 2) standing in line and 3) they are PARKED.”

That line shows no sign of dwindling. Even with the criticism, tourists and locals alike continue to wait for their taste of a Red’s lobster roll.

“It’s the best lobster roll that we’ve had in Maine,” Rardin said.