Red Light

Was FANTASTIC! The food was perfect and the environment was delightful. Had the grilled cheese with bacon, the apple goat cheese salad, BBQ shrimp, and the delicious Whiskey pudding pie desert.
The service was great.
The place was amazing. As mentioned: it could be defined as the antithesis of our very own South Beach Miami, which is always good. Excellent.
The house made lemonade and apple ginger-​ale tasted just right. I had the fear that it would be too sweet but, instead, tasted just right.
FANTASTIC PLACE 5 STARS! BEAUTIFUL.

*****Closed!*****
The new landlord drove Red Light out of business.
FYI, the chef, Kris Wessel, is starting up a new restaurant at the James Royal Palm hotel in South Beach.

I would have given this place four stars but they refused to honor a prix fixe meal I purchased through Groupon. Instead they let us purchase $ 50 worth of food. Groupon cost $ 35. I decided to take it up with Groupon instead of arguing with the people who were going to prepare our Meal. You definitely need to valet park unless you are into life threatening adventures or ur looking to get out of ur car payment or you have a rape fantasy.
The service was pretty good considering it was quite a hike from the kitchen to our table along the river banks. We got to see the changing of the guard at the strip across the river, interesting to see the night crew arrive for work.
Pros: BBQ shrimp with grits. Was fantastic. The berry cobbler. I’m not really a desert person but OMG. Was beyond spectacular!!! The orgasm scene from «When Harry met Sally» was replicated all around us. We cold not understand why until we tried the cobbler.
Cons: they don’t give you bread to dip into the white wine broth that goes with the mussels. It did get a little stinky a couple of times when the wind changed directions and allowed us to smell the decomposing remains of whatever and whoever was recently dumped in The Little River.

I wanted to love it. I wanted to look back at all of the lukewarm reviews, laugh, point, and say «you were wrong!» Unfortunately, due to some head-​scratching service hiccups and a couple oddly bland, even incomplete, dishes, I can’t say it.
Let’s start with the positives. Sheer ability isn’t necessarily the issue here. I know that «Chopped» winner chef Wessel can put together fun, bright, Creole/​Florida flavors. This was in evidence with the BBQ shrimp, and the smoked ribs with apple slaw. The plump shrimp sat in a flavorful savory/​smoky broth that I was wanting to slurp up with a spoon. Not that I had a spoon; we used mussel and clam shells from another dish for this purpose. The ribs were nicely smoked, moist, and came with an awesome spicy/​tangy apple slaw.
The mussel and clam pot, while not terribly creative with its white wine broth, also worked for me. That’s about it for good, now come the mind-​benders.
Orange spiced snapper with coconut rice sounded like a great idea, but came out on the bland side, with zippo for «orange spice.» Shame, because I was liking the idea of this one, I thought orange and spices would play well with the coconut. Instead, the coconut, trying to stand on its own as the main seasoning of the dish, fell flat.
Then there was the abomination of the crab-​stuffed artichoke. The dish came out looking beautiful, a huge artichoke, its petals dusted with bread crumb. Plating on this one was an A+. Unfortunately, the server neglected to mention that there was… no crab. Seriously, they didn’t have it, and we were sent… an artichoke with bread crumbs. And then, they didn’t even take it off the bill! We might have fought harder about that, but it wasn’t terribly expensive, and service was leisurely to say the least, so we just figured we’d pay up and dip out.
Service can be a bit of a problem. I’ll give the server herself the benefit of the doubt, because it appears that she’s working too many tables. Compounding that matter is that the tables are spread up and down the bank of the Little River, so she’s got some ground to cover. That’s probably not going to make her the greatest server in the world… I think the waitstaff, such as it is, could stand to be compartmentalized better. It was generally slow. Also, I ordered a Native Lager, and it was presented in the bottle with no glass. I asked for a glass, she said she’d bring me one. No glass was forthcoming. Rather than drink a warm lager, I hit the bottle. Ironically enough, the glasses that were being used for water, nice tulips and nonic pints, would have made perfect beer glasses. I felt like dumping my water in the canal and using that glass, but then I wouldn’t have had any water.
I still want to like this place. The chef has the ability, and the style is that of a fun, laid-​back FL-​LA fusion. If only some of the lazy execution and disjointed service could be ironed out… two stars might be a little rough, but it’s only because I suspect this place can do a lot better.

We found Red Light by happy accident. Construction on Collins so
my wife and I did a search and found it on the way home from her work. Food was definitely 4 stars especially in value compared to the beach side. We had the scallop salad, great as an app, probably shouldn’t be listed as an entrée due to portion size, two Scallops. The ribs and the spinach salad. All great. There is no salt & pepper on the tables and everything was seasoned perfectly from the kitchen, the exception was the poached egg on the spinach salad could have used pinch of sea salt. The only negative was the service, not bad but in need of a little polish. Side dishes served before the entrée, by several minutes, as was my wife’s entrée served about 5 minutes before mine. Don’t let this keep you away though as the food is excellent, and the staff friendly enough Will be back for sure.

I felt like every good point came with a bad counterpoint.
I thought there might be a bit of hipster quaintness in the location, in that it’s part of a run down hotel, with an unkempt little herb garden in front, and seating by the canal, and I almost liked this about it, but they walk a fine line between «quaint» and «junky.» For example, the canal has quite a bit of litter on each bank. Why wouldn’t you look out your back door and think, «Maybe we would be better off if we didn’t conjure images of trash and dereliction into our guests’ minds,» and go and pick up the trash or something.
The staff is miniscule. One chef, one dishwasher, one busser-​type-​guy, one waitress, and one waiterish/​busserish/​lackey. I like that thought! Small staff could be cool – low overhead, intimate, working like a tight-​knit team. Unfortunately, this staff is way too small. There are probably 10 – 15 tables in the whole joint. While that is definitely a small number of tables, it is way too much for one server w/​lackey. Service was extremely, extremely slow, and not very friendly (although lackey-​man and busser-​guy were friendlier). I will discuss the actual server later, in the «no redeeming quality» section.
The food was pretty great, really! We got a lobster cheese grill (w/​tomato and… maybe some spinach? on really good, tastily toasted, rustic-​y bread), with peasant potatoes (kind of breakfasty, but with little corn kernels – tasty! but… again, felt like breakfast), and then a not very good sherry tomato soup. Way too thin, and was just off-​putting. It didn’t taste bad, but it just wasn’t pleasant to eat or even to dip the sandwich in.
We also had the snapper, served over asparagus, spinach, and rice, with orange slices on top and a white wine reduction (or beurre blanc?). Quite tasty, but came out over an hour after we’d ordered (we had no food for over an hour, and this was WAY after the cheese grill came out. In other words, my entire meal was finished before my wife’s food came out).
They DID give us free bbq shrimp because of the delay – tasted great, and it was a nice «nod» to good service.
We ordered cobbler and chocolate cake, which ultimately were pretty good (cobbler was better than the cake!), but we ended up asking for them to-​go, because we’d been at the restaurant for over 2 hrs for a 2 course meal (entrees and dessert). Are you f’ing kidding me? Way, way, way too long.
The server was way in the weeds at all times. I sympathized, because I waited tables for many years, and I recognize that she had way too much to do. But that shouldn’t really be my problem. A few apologies go a long way, and acting like you’re really hustling doesn’t hurt either.
When ordering, my wife asked if she could substitute a side. «No. He won’t do that.» That is the dumbest thing you could possibly say. Chefs can be scary people, and I appreciate that this guy probably really thought hard about pairing sides with entrees, but you are an imbecile if you don’t understand that refusing a simple side dish swap makes you seem like an a-​hole.
At one point, a group of 4 walked down, and approached a table that needed wiped down. As the server walked by she said, «give me 5 minutes to wipe it down.» 5 minutes? just wipe the freaking table down – it takes 3 seconds. Instead, you’ve annoyed these customers literally before they have sat down. Nice work, genius.
We came in there on a groupon – we truly never would have gone otherwise (that is the glory of groupon!). As soon as the waitress saw our groupon (which was right away), she said, «there’s a typo. It’s not 2 entrees and 2 sides and 2 desserts [as your groupon says]. It’s just $ 50.» That made it sort of an «ok» groupon, that we wouldn’t have bought (if it isn’t prix fixe or 50% off, I will just wait for another groupon. $ 35 for $ 50 is decent, but there are a million better deals than that.) a «typo?» Gimme a break. When you make an offer, and I accept it, and the terms are clear, you owe me what you promised. you don’t get to wait until I show up and then say, «I’m altering the deal. Pray I don’t alter it any further.» But you did do that, and much like Lando Calrissian, I took it like a biotch.
It is stupid to go to a place, think it looks kind of cool, like the idea, ENJOY THE FREAKING FOOD, but leave there annoyed and kind of pissed. Just hire another [friendly] server, for crying out loud, and another cook. If your goal is lowering overhead, I have to think that you would make up that loss by turning your tables faster and garnering good will with your customers. Good luck when your Groupon sales run out, because we sure as hell won’t be back.

To Chef/​Owner Chris,
Do us all your fans a favor and close your restaurant. It’s obvious that you no longer care about how your guests are treated, and Red Light has lost its charm.
My wife and I walked into your restaurant around 6:30p, we sat ourselves down, and waited, and waited more. Finally, waitress came and dropped off menus, and told us she will be back. No hello, no smiles, no welcome,
About 10 minutes went by, and only other patrons at a near by table noticed our what-​are-​we-​doing-​here look, and told us its a long process to eat here.
And the worst part is that YOU, the owner/​chef, saw us just sitting there from your kitchen, but simply paid no attention.
After 15 minutes of just sitting and reviewing your menu countless times, we walked out. Yes, this is the first time we walked out of a restaurant due to a non-​service.
Only one seem to care why we were leaving was the valet guy, who offered us complimentary valet next time we come. Thanks but no thanks, there won’t be a next time.
All your famous awards hanging by the door means nothing.
Ex-​fan

Absolutely hate paying for valet to take your car 10′ into a parking space. No matter what the price.
Unlike other Unilocalers, we actually had really decent service. Everything else our group kinda had problems with. We didn’t really mind, but this place is ROUGH around the edges. We sat outside on the canal with a cat that sat and stared at us and periotally jumped up on the empty chair while we ate. The outdoor seating seems like it has potential, but there really is zero ambiance, and just a hodge podge of junk.
There were 3 of us and we all got dishes that were praised on various sites; fish dip app, ribs, BBQ shrimp, and the crab stuffed peppers. It HAD to be an off night for the chef, because they were bland, bland, bland.
The only thing that was memorable about this place is watching the strippers getting dropped off for work across the canal.

Some friends took us to Red Light for the first time last month. We sat right on the water… great ambiance. The music was eclectic, but I enjoyed it.
We started with the BBQ shrimp… divine.
For my entrée, I ordered the applewood bacon — fontina grilled cheese, which came with a side of potatoes. The cheese was overwhelming, and the bacon was very sparse. The potatoes were super salty.
My husband ordered some chipotle/​pepper/​spicy something or other and he absolutely loved his dish.
We definitely plan to try this place again (though I’ll be trying something other than the grilled cheese).

Don’t be fooled by the crazy location… this place is delicious! The service was impeccable and once we were seated out back, it was a wonderful experience. I have to mention the ice cold red wine we ordered (which was so strange) but the portions were perfect for tapas-​style eating and for 3 people, the price was right! Don’t leave without trying the fish dip, BBQ shrimp and smoked ribs. Also, you can’t leave without tasting one of the many RIDICULOUSLY awesome desserts made fresh daily– they are to die for!

My deal is to keep it Real, so My wife and I had an urge to eat at Red light again for a third time, because we have mad love for Kris and his cooking skills, however, for this review I am giving this establishment a negative rating for the injustice they are doing to customers coming in for some good Cajun/​Creole cooking. We arrived dinner time and their was no valet, no hostess to greet us and sit us, and one waiter (sub-​par) trying to help Kris out. We sat ourselves outside at a table and i found some menus. The waiter arrived and asked what we want to drink, and we asked for what type beers, and he had these three gross selections, Stella, Red Stripe, and PABST? WHO SERVES #$@%&$ PABST BLUE RIBBON? We passed on the beer and settled for water. We noticed a busboy around 10 – 12 years old helping out as he could. Another item that screwed up our visit was we were seated outside near the water, and it was getting dark. Not once did the only waiter and the boy decide to light the candles on the tables, but they also forgot to turn on the lighting for the outside tables, so we and a few other customers relocated upstairs, where we had to wait and wait. The one waiter served Gumbo to my wife, but forgot spoon, so we had to wait for a Spoon! I noticed many customers sitting themselves, then coming back upstairs to wonder about the lighting and where was the one waiter. Kris, to think, you have people coming in from Google discounts to try your restaurant – wow, don’t think you took advantage of this for they will not be back, i suppose.
Only positive was that the food arrived in a normal time and was really Delicious. The service really sucked Kris, and I hope you fix this!

I hadn’t been to Red Light for quite some time… but was looking for something different, good food, not terribly expensive and a little off the beaten path — and remembered Red Light met all these qualities. So I called them… the phone was disconnected… oops, I thought another good restaurant that didn’t make it… WRONG! Don’t worry, their phone number changed — they are there and serving!
I decided to drive by on the way to somewhere else… saw the lights on and turned in. SO GLAD! The BBQ shrimp sauce is better than remembered and better than we could believe. (couldn’t believe we asked for a bread basket refill — in Miami!) Think New Orleans BBQ — really good.
We then split the steamed fish with citrus… so subtly good and light and fresh… and the small plate of sticky ribs… wow the squirt of lime was great!
For dessert, salted caramel pudding… OMG, I’m still thinking about it the next morning. Served in a little mason jar and these incredible cookies on the side.
Beer/​Wine only. Waitress was a pure delight — had personality which was such fun! Seeing the chef balancing everything in the open kitchen — we knew everything was fresh to order. And it was so nice sitting on the canal, off Biscayne Blvd — but feeling like we had been transported into a secret little hideaway. So recommend going here!!!

Don’t get turned off with the fact that it’s a little out of the way and that it’s on an odd location. The food here is delicious and super cheap!
My friends and I shared the BBQ shrimp with grits, the ribs, and the ceviche salad. The ceviche was good but I’ve had better more authentic versions before — 3 stars. The ribs was a substantial serving even when we got the small serving and it was tasty but should have been more tender — 3.5 stars. The BBQ shrimp was OMG so good! Definitely order the larger portion if there’s more than 2 of you. And order it with grits and ask for more bread. It is a little sweet, a little spicy, and so so good. 5 stars and just for this dish I’d come back here. For dessert we tried the caramel chocolate pie and the lemon meringue pie. The lemon meringue was definitely the winner for me. Just the right amount of tart and sweet — 5 stars.
The serving could be a little better and we had a good wait before our food came. But the setting along the river is cute and romantic. And our tab for 5 people (5 entrees, 2 desserts, and a glass of wine each) was about $ 30!
So again, come here and enjoy the delicious and unpretentious food!

after years of being bookmarked i recently made it out to red light.
there is a mandatory $ 3 valet, which i dont mind at all considering its the only parking in this seedy area.
the service was a little awkward, we sat downstairs outside by the river so i feel like we got forgotten a few times or things just took extra long to get back to us. but the waitress had definitely warmed up by the end of the meal.
the fish dip was really good, we had to ask for more flat bread as it was a large serving of dip for just 2 people.
the bbq shrimp was also a big portion and very tasty. while the ribs were just alright.
we didnt have any dessert but they had a variety of choices. on the way out we noticed it was packed upstairs i guess its a popular neighborhood nightspot.

Was I on the set of True Blood? Did I transport into a swampy, Louisiana reststop somewhere between reality and Biscayne?
Like climbing into a treehouse, I ascended the stairs to what felt like the insides of a 70’s Airstream. Just beyond the wine and beer bar, a chef feverishly prepared plates and the fan buzzing just above the bar joined the overhead harmony of Louis Armstrong and other jazzy brethren. I felt all right here.
The restaurant certainly feels otherworldly and the even less like something you’d find in Miami. But here, this little food shack seems to be having no problem serving up the goods fit for a Bayou native. While I can’t speak for the food yet, the menu seems to stay near Southern/​Caribbean inspiration and uses locally sourced and seasonal ingredients.
Sharing a parking lot with a motel seemingly renting by the hour, this tucked away spot is perfect for impressing the local who swears he/​she knows it all. A quick recommendation I could make is having a stronger front-​of-​house presence so the chef doesn’t have to worry about kicking out wayward Biscayne Blvd drunkards. Can’t wait to come back for a proper meal.

Oh, Red Light, you are such a disappointment. This place started out with so much promise — a cute, classy bistro in a no-​tell-​motel with romantic waterfront dining overlooking a strip club? Can’t get that anywhere else in Miami! I’m not even joking, the place is darn cute and the fact that it is in a rough neighborhood (I understand it is trendy, but you can still hire a tranny hooker a block south) just added to its uniqueness.
If only the service and food were decent. The menu has a limited selection of Cajun and American fare. The last time I went they were out of the specials which sounded amazing. My burger was so-​so, same for the soup. The service, however, was horrible. It took 15 minutes to get our drinks, another 10 to get water. 10 minutes after that appetizers showed up, thirty minutes after that the for my burger. When I needed ketchup I had to flag down a busser since my server was MIA.
I want to like this place. IT IS SOOOOOO CUTE! It would make a great little date spot if the food was even half way decent or the servers were even half way more efficient. But, unfortunately, Redlight isn’t even halfway there…

I came here before around when it first opened and wrote the slow service off to it being a fairly new establishment and that the kinks would be worked out eventually. Here I am many months later and the service is still slow as ever. The restaurant is not that big, nor was it that busy, yet it took almost 25 min. to get our drinks, close to 40 min. to get some gumbo, and an hour for the entrees. And no water until the very end of the meal.
You would hope that the wait would be, somewhat, justified by great food, but that’s definitely not the case. I had the ribs in my prior visit and wasn’t impressed, so I just had the burger this time because I couldn’t find anything else on the menu that really appealed to me. The burger was pretty bland and boring, and they serve it «house potatoes» which are greasy home fries. I know the chef is some sort of big deal from New Orleans, but Red Light’s gumbo seriously failed the taste test — I’m talking about Bennigan’s-level, which tells me (and should tell you) everything I need to know about this place.

From the moment you pull in and are greeted by the valet you already know that the crappy drive was worth it.
We were undecided on whether to sit inside or out. The bartender showed us the downstairs patio right on the river and that’s where we sat. Breezy, adorn with little Christmas lights; island feeling was all there.
I ordered a Guava-​lime chiller and my husband a Jamaican Ginger beer, two drinks from their cocktail menu (something we don’t tend to do); both drinks were just right.
I’m not sure how much time went by between our drinks being delivered and the next visit from our server. It felt like forever.

We came to the Red Light on a Wednesday evening and sat inside rather than on the tables by the water outside. We started with the Smoked Fish Dip (okay) and I had a Red Stripe (thought I was back in College). The W and I shared the Large BBQ Shrimp, Smelly, gooey Mac N Cheese (it was okay, a small portion) and the Bacon Fontina Grilled Cheese.
The inside of the Red Light is pretty much that, not fancy with wall paper from the ‘50s or ‘60s, a two booths for parties of 4 or more booths for 2 and a large bar for eating. Outside, there are nicer tables with white table clothes on the water with a birdseye view of the Strip Club and some of the tables are literally almost under Biscayne Blvd. It might have been nice to dine there on a cooler evening.
You park at the Motel Parking and give the valet a 5 spot, if he’s there. There is a small sign that says Red Light Valet.
In general, a very interesting and unique dining experience, not sure if I’ll ever return.

I guess that service can be a problem here, and if you get bad service it might ruin your meal. But we came on the early side, had no problems with service, and had a fantastic meal. This is now my favorite meal in Miami.
You can sit on a little patio looking out onto the Little River as manatees float by (and you can also watch the limousines circle the strip club across the river). And this is the perfect venue in which to enjoy the food. Oh the food:
The smoked fish dip and barbeque shrimp appetizers are everything they are hyped to be. I’d had smoked fish dip before and almost didn’t want to get it again; that would have been a grave mistake. This is light and springy, tasting like seafood and herbs to which something very wonderful have happened. As for the shrimp, the shrimp themselves are good, but the sauce is revelatory. I’m not suite sure what the secret ingredients is– spices and roux and butter? You’ll be sopping it up with your bread as you try to figure it out.
Those were the real stars of the show (along with some very tasty cocktails– I particularly recommend the passionfruit cooler and the cocktail made with jalapenos), although our spinach salad and oyster pie would have been great if they hadn’t been so outshone. I would happily go back for the same appetizers and keep exploring– as long as the service stays okay.