This was my first time at the Red Lantern. I attended brunch at 12:30 pm, on 12/11/21 to celebrate my adult son's birthday with friends. As I entered, not sure if it was open because there was no one to greet you and the place was empty. I waited a few minutes as another party came in and waited as well. After several more minutes, I began to walk into the restaurant, where the host appeared from the back and began seating the party, that came in after me, as I went to the ladies' room. Later, I was seated as the others of my party arrived. The server was rude and not attentive at all. She took our drink orders, (which took forever), and when she returned with them, she spilled an entire Bloody Mary on me. Needless to say, I smelled of vodka and tomato juice. :-( Finally, our food orders were taken and also took forever to come, and one entree was pretty bad and was returned. We wanted to leave but decided against it because it was a birthday brunch. The server seems not to be focused or wanted to be there. We spoke with the manager and shared our disappointment with the service. My son's birthday brunch was ruined. Very disappointing. :-(
Brianna W.
5 stars for food for sure. The employees were kind and accommodating. We went for brunch on a Saturday around 1:00. There was a dj but it was kind of dead. Place is beautiful and the mimosa juices were delicious and fresh! Try the pear! A good vibe!!
Kang K.
In response to my earlier review and response from Red Lantern: My friends and I went to Red Lantern for drinks. We got there around 11pm to get drinks at the bar when there wasn't that many people (maybe ten people at the entire place?). We were standing there alongside with couple of people chatting, drinking and vaping and no one had said anything about that. Until when the place got much busier when they have parties coming in around 12ish - 1am, then all of a sudden an Asian guy (assumably a manager) came to tell us not to vape (and ended up getting kicked out after the third time). We thought it was absurd and didn't listen solely because it doesn't make any sense for these reasons: First of all, where was he to notice and tell us to stop when the business was super slow until it got busy and he made a scene? Secondly, their employees were vaping too while working!! Of course I would feel attacked when the guy was super aggressive standing super super close to us and keeping yelling "GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT NOW!" I do acknowledge vaping is prohibited indoor in Massachusetts, and I would happily comply to any policies, rules if they make sense and applied equally to everyone. However, their employees were doing the same thing so why would we get treated that way?! What was the reason? We have the right to assume this could be racism/same-race racism based on the fact that your non Asian employees vaped and it was no problem until we did the same thing. We weren't heard at any level. He didn't even listen when we tried to address the issue instead kept yelling at us.
Mach Buu Tam
My friends and I came into this place when there were a few guests, and we were having shots, chilling and having fun. The restaurant got a little more crowded and the staff suddenly shouted at us “GET OUT RIGHT NOW” without any proper reason. We did nothing wrong. Probably because we are the only group of Asians and we’ve experienced something called RACISM. Never come back to this place again!
Thanh Nghi T.
So our friends group going out for drinks and spend money to receive the service but got shouted "GET OUT RIGHT NOW" straight into faces. We had drank when no one's there and got kick out later after it get packed with people and we're the only Asian group there. I don't stand RACISM. That's it!
Jake H.
Closed ever since COVID, and they decided not to open back up because they were making too much money doing take out. I'm sad.
Ky L.
Absolutely horrible, the security were awfully rude to surrounding customers. They threatened to harm someone in front of the public. Overall dissatisfied with the taste in music and lack of diverse content. I also witnessed security turn away young women that asked directions to the restroom.
Jenny R.
I feel it Is my duty to come back and give my honest opinion so people don't go there based off of my review of five stars. So I haven't ate in for a long while but I do know it's a beautiful environment. Last night I ordered takeout for the first time in a long time from them and though the prices are the same from as when I remember The food quality was not, I have a $27 for the TickTock chicken that seriously seem like it was from the food court at downtown Crossing every last thing I ordered last night came up to over $100 and honestly I'm just so sad that I feel like Hong Kong in harvard would have been a better place And I don't even know what that food taste like sober.
Vivian C.
(based on a pre-Covid-19 experience) Red Lantern has certain daily specials: . Sushi Happy Hour Monday-Thursday 5:30pm - 6:30pm in their lounge (that means the bar area and at their couch seats) . Sushi Unlimited Tuesdays for $29 . Wing Crush Wednesday for 50 cent wings . Dollar Dumplings Thursday all night long . Red Lantern Night Life Friday thru Sunday (music and dancing?) I hit them up on a Thursday after work one day, so I had both the Dollar Dumplings and Dollar Sushi deals available to me. Service was pleasant. The hostess brought over some menus after I sat myself down at an available table in their lounge area. Shortly after, a lady came over from behind the bar and was able to tell me their specials offerings and started me off with a glass of water. They don't have menus printed up with their deals, but it seems that dumpling options were veggie, pork or shrimp. I opted for one of each. While maki roll options were spicy yellowtail, spicy salmon, spicy tuna, California roll, cucumber and avocado, and sweet potato tempura. I went with the California and sweet potato, then once I realized I could get the spicy sauce on the side, I added the salmon. Dumplings arrived first, 5 min after ordering. Then the maki rolls not 2 min later. The filling for the dumplings were lacking in something firm to chew. But the shrimp dumpling had the flavor of Chinatown dim sum ha gow, and I liked the crisp skin of the pork. They treated the salmon in the maki similarly to the dumpling filling, but the firm rice coating went well with the packed minced fish center. The rice was rather pressed as well, but no complaints here at a dollar each. The California roll was good, but my favorite taste of the evening was the sweet potato tempura maki, with its sweet savory flavors and the additional texture due to the crisp of the tempura. I managed to get my bill paid without too much sweat given how busy they were with the after work happy hour drink crowd. Also the bartender checked in on me after I had my dishes for a bit. And one of the ladies who were bringing the plates out of the kitchen asked me if things were okay near the end of my visit.
Sally G.
Fabulous! I have dinner here whenever I'm in Boston and enjoy it tremendously. The menu is wonderful and the sushi options are plentiful. They have so many shareable plates and their entrees are large enough to split. I love coming here with a big group of people because everything is just so easy and effortless.
One of your contemporary Asian Fusion restaurants with a beautiful interior, trendy atmosphere and wonderfully presented food at a high price point. Yes, you're spending a lot but if you look at the type of place it is it makes sense. Great for a night out or a special occasion. The duck buns (I don't think these are on the menu anymore) were really yummy.
Meghan C.
I didn't know what to expect with this place but I really liked it! Came here for a birthday celebration for someone in their mid 20s and we ordered dinner on one of the lounge couches to the side of the main floor. Food was excellent and sushi delicious, also great service. At around 9:30/10 they cleared all of the tables in the center of the main dining area and it became a dance floor with a DJ. The bar area was also bustling with people in their mid 20s and a fun atmosphere. Definitely a good switch up from the regular dive bars for a night out (but a little on the pricier side). Can dress up or go casual. Reminds my of a VERY scaled-back version of tao in NYC (and I when I say scaled back I really mean it, but not at all in a bad way). Will definitely be back at some point!
angelesdeo
The food was delicious. The portions were plentiful so they are made to be shared. The staff was super nice and friendly.
Martinedda87
Hi there, Thank you for taking the time to share! So glad to hear you enjoyed.
Olivia W.
Came to try $1 dumpling night and it wasn't anything impressive, I know it's a special but there were no frills and no advertisements in the restaurant about the promotion which was surprising. We only heard about it through a Facebook ad and had to ask the waiter about it when we sat down. There were only 3 flavors to choose from: veggie, pork and shrimp. The shrimp were my favorite, but the pork were good as well. Our waiter recommended ordering a lot, which I thought was just a sales ploy, but apparently they only make a certain amount and when they're sold out, that's it. We were only able to get around 30 total in 2 rounds of ordering before they ran out, which was more than enough for two of us. Being so close to Chinatown I was hoping for something to make Red Lantern stand out, but it was just mediocre. The drinks are fun - my lychee martini was good, but food-wise I don't think I'd come back anytime soon; there's just so many better options in the next few blocks that I can't justify returning to Red Lantern.
This was my first time at the Red Lantern. I attended brunch at 12:30 pm, on 12/11/21 to celebrate my adult son's birthday with friends. As I entered, not sure if it was open because there was no one to greet you and the place was empty. I waited a few minutes as another party came in and waited as well. After several more minutes, I began to walk into the restaurant, where the host appeared from the back and began seating the party, that came in after me, as I went to the ladies' room. Later, I was seated as the others of my party arrived. The server was rude and not attentive at all. She took our drink orders, (which took forever), and when she returned with them, she spilled an entire Bloody Mary on me. Needless to say, I smelled of vodka and tomato juice. :-( Finally, our food orders were taken and also took forever to come, and one entree was pretty bad and was returned. We wanted to leave but decided against it because it was a birthday brunch. The server seems not to be focused or wanted to be there. We spoke with the manager and shared our disappointment with the service. My son's birthday brunch was ruined. Very disappointing. :-(
5 stars for food for sure. The employees were kind and accommodating. We went for brunch on a Saturday around 1:00. There was a dj but it was kind of dead. Place is beautiful and the mimosa juices were delicious and fresh! Try the pear! A good vibe!!
In response to my earlier review and response from Red Lantern: My friends and I went to Red Lantern for drinks. We got there around 11pm to get drinks at the bar when there wasn't that many people (maybe ten people at the entire place?). We were standing there alongside with couple of people chatting, drinking and vaping and no one had said anything about that. Until when the place got much busier when they have parties coming in around 12ish - 1am, then all of a sudden an Asian guy (assumably a manager) came to tell us not to vape (and ended up getting kicked out after the third time). We thought it was absurd and didn't listen solely because it doesn't make any sense for these reasons: First of all, where was he to notice and tell us to stop when the business was super slow until it got busy and he made a scene? Secondly, their employees were vaping too while working!! Of course I would feel attacked when the guy was super aggressive standing super super close to us and keeping yelling "GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT NOW!" I do acknowledge vaping is prohibited indoor in Massachusetts, and I would happily comply to any policies, rules if they make sense and applied equally to everyone. However, their employees were doing the same thing so why would we get treated that way?! What was the reason? We have the right to assume this could be racism/same-race racism based on the fact that your non Asian employees vaped and it was no problem until we did the same thing. We weren't heard at any level. He didn't even listen when we tried to address the issue instead kept yelling at us.
My friends and I came into this place when there were a few guests, and we were having shots, chilling and having fun. The restaurant got a little more crowded and the staff suddenly shouted at us “GET OUT RIGHT NOW” without any proper reason. We did nothing wrong. Probably because we are the only group of Asians and we’ve experienced something called RACISM. Never come back to this place again!
So our friends group going out for drinks and spend money to receive the service but got shouted "GET OUT RIGHT NOW" straight into faces. We had drank when no one's there and got kick out later after it get packed with people and we're the only Asian group there. I don't stand RACISM. That's it!
Closed ever since COVID, and they decided not to open back up because they were making too much money doing take out. I'm sad.
Absolutely horrible, the security were awfully rude to surrounding customers. They threatened to harm someone in front of the public. Overall dissatisfied with the taste in music and lack of diverse content. I also witnessed security turn away young women that asked directions to the restroom.
I feel it Is my duty to come back and give my honest opinion so people don't go there based off of my review of five stars. So I haven't ate in for a long while but I do know it's a beautiful environment. Last night I ordered takeout for the first time in a long time from them and though the prices are the same from as when I remember The food quality was not, I have a $27 for the TickTock chicken that seriously seem like it was from the food court at downtown Crossing every last thing I ordered last night came up to over $100 and honestly I'm just so sad that I feel like Hong Kong in harvard would have been a better place And I don't even know what that food taste like sober.
(based on a pre-Covid-19 experience) Red Lantern has certain daily specials: . Sushi Happy Hour Monday-Thursday 5:30pm - 6:30pm in their lounge (that means the bar area and at their couch seats) . Sushi Unlimited Tuesdays for $29 . Wing Crush Wednesday for 50 cent wings . Dollar Dumplings Thursday all night long . Red Lantern Night Life Friday thru Sunday (music and dancing?) I hit them up on a Thursday after work one day, so I had both the Dollar Dumplings and Dollar Sushi deals available to me. Service was pleasant. The hostess brought over some menus after I sat myself down at an available table in their lounge area. Shortly after, a lady came over from behind the bar and was able to tell me their specials offerings and started me off with a glass of water. They don't have menus printed up with their deals, but it seems that dumpling options were veggie, pork or shrimp. I opted for one of each. While maki roll options were spicy yellowtail, spicy salmon, spicy tuna, California roll, cucumber and avocado, and sweet potato tempura. I went with the California and sweet potato, then once I realized I could get the spicy sauce on the side, I added the salmon. Dumplings arrived first, 5 min after ordering. Then the maki rolls not 2 min later. The filling for the dumplings were lacking in something firm to chew. But the shrimp dumpling had the flavor of Chinatown dim sum ha gow, and I liked the crisp skin of the pork. They treated the salmon in the maki similarly to the dumpling filling, but the firm rice coating went well with the packed minced fish center. The rice was rather pressed as well, but no complaints here at a dollar each. The California roll was good, but my favorite taste of the evening was the sweet potato tempura maki, with its sweet savory flavors and the additional texture due to the crisp of the tempura. I managed to get my bill paid without too much sweat given how busy they were with the after work happy hour drink crowd. Also the bartender checked in on me after I had my dishes for a bit. And one of the ladies who were bringing the plates out of the kitchen asked me if things were okay near the end of my visit.
Fabulous! I have dinner here whenever I'm in Boston and enjoy it tremendously. The menu is wonderful and the sushi options are plentiful. They have so many shareable plates and their entrees are large enough to split. I love coming here with a big group of people because everything is just so easy and effortless.
Restaurantji Recommends
One of your contemporary Asian Fusion restaurants with a beautiful interior, trendy atmosphere and wonderfully presented food at a high price point. Yes, you're spending a lot but if you look at the type of place it is it makes sense. Great for a night out or a special occasion. The duck buns (I don't think these are on the menu anymore) were really yummy.
I didn't know what to expect with this place but I really liked it! Came here for a birthday celebration for someone in their mid 20s and we ordered dinner on one of the lounge couches to the side of the main floor. Food was excellent and sushi delicious, also great service. At around 9:30/10 they cleared all of the tables in the center of the main dining area and it became a dance floor with a DJ. The bar area was also bustling with people in their mid 20s and a fun atmosphere. Definitely a good switch up from the regular dive bars for a night out (but a little on the pricier side). Can dress up or go casual. Reminds my of a VERY scaled-back version of tao in NYC (and I when I say scaled back I really mean it, but not at all in a bad way). Will definitely be back at some point!
The food was delicious. The portions were plentiful so they are made to be shared. The staff was super nice and friendly.
Hi there, Thank you for taking the time to share! So glad to hear you enjoyed.
Came to try $1 dumpling night and it wasn't anything impressive, I know it's a special but there were no frills and no advertisements in the restaurant about the promotion which was surprising. We only heard about it through a Facebook ad and had to ask the waiter about it when we sat down. There were only 3 flavors to choose from: veggie, pork and shrimp. The shrimp were my favorite, but the pork were good as well. Our waiter recommended ordering a lot, which I thought was just a sales ploy, but apparently they only make a certain amount and when they're sold out, that's it. We were only able to get around 30 total in 2 rounds of ordering before they ran out, which was more than enough for two of us. Being so close to Chinatown I was hoping for something to make Red Lantern stand out, but it was just mediocre. The drinks are fun - my lychee martini was good, but food-wise I don't think I'd come back anytime soon; there's just so many better options in the next few blocks that I can't justify returning to Red Lantern.