Our Search For the Best “Lobsta” Roll….

Indulging in lobster aka “Lob-Sta” is probably one of the top 5 things to do when visiting Maine and the New England area.  For us, we made it our mission to find the best lobster roll we could sink our teeth into.  The caveat here is that there are just about as many places to get ice cream (that’s a whole post of its own) than there are lobster shacks, so this is a short list comprised mostly from asking locals, recommendations from friends and places we just happened to stumble upon. We’ve had lobster tails at home, but this was our first-time experiencing lobsta rolls in New England and what a treat it was!

We will take you through the places we visited in chronological order then rank the rolls from our least to most favorite.

The Beach Plum – Portsmouth NH

• The location on Lafayette Road looks inviting on the outside however once you go inside the ambiance feels much more like a fast-food establishment / ice cream parlor. Not that there is anything wrong with that but sometimes ambiance/setting can be an influencing factor.
• With so many items on the menu it’s clear that lobster rolls are not their main focus or specialty.
• Rolls can be ordered in 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10 ounces with each one increasing in price. (We ordered the 6oz and 8oz)
• The presentation is traditional “beach style” on a soft roll that is buttery and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It comes with light seasoning and a tad of mayo and butter if desired. It also comes with a side of chips that can be substituted with French fries, sweet potato fries or onion rings.
• The lobster comes cold, tasted great but was a bit on the chewy side.

The Clam Shack – Kennebunkport ME

• The locals raved about this place, so we had to give it a try.
• Each time we drove by on the busy Kennebunkport bridge, there was a line outside the shack which essentially confirmed this is a top spot for lobster rolls!
• The presentation isn’t as nice as the lobster comes on a bun vs. a roll
• We each ordered a roll and asked for “both” which means to put both butter and mayo on the roll.
• We also heard the clam strips were to die for, so we added a half-pint basket to our order.
• The roll comes with a descent amount of meat for the price with mayo and butter on the bun – no seasoning on the meat.
• The lobster was delicious – only complaint is we wish it was bigger!
• Added bonus were the clam strips, they were mouthwatering as well.

Sprague’s – Wiscasset ME

• We stumbled upon this place on our way to the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse – saw a long line, crossed the bridge, flipped a U-turn, crossed back over the bridge, parked and got in the long line. And we are thankful that we did!
• Red’s Eats just across the street has several best of Maine awards but they were closed so Sprague’s got our business that day!
• Long slow line due to one cashier and one cook.
• Sprague’s is cash only so if you don’t have a few Jackson’s in your wallet, there is an ATM on site for your convenience.
• While waiting in line, we asked one of the locals about the food – along with the lobster roll they highly recommended the crab roll so we decided to get one of each and split them.
• The presentation was a-maz-ing. Traditional “beach style” roll with a heaping amount of lobster – most we have seen on a roll so far.
• The lobster meat was tender and not too chewy. There were a few claw pieces in there was well which were divine.
• Melted butter and mayo came on the side and we were able to drizzle on as much or as little as we wanted.
• The crab roll was fantastic and to switch things up we opted for corn on the cob instead of fries or chips as our side this time. Seasoned it with salt, pepper and butter – it was delish.

Foot Bridge Lobster, Ogunquit ME

• A good friend of mine highly recommended that we visit Ogunquit and sit on the deck overlooking the marina as we indulge in a lobsta roll at Barnacle Billy’s.
• When paying for the $20 parking lot down the road, the owner and attendant (who used to live in Visalia CA) recommended that we check out Foot Bridge for a tasty roll. We were torn on what to do so we just decided to get a roll at each place which gave us one more roll to add to our list. (not complaining)
• Foot Bridge Lobster is a traditional small shack big enough only for the cook and the cashier. These shacks seem to be more authentic than the restaurant style establishments and typically heap on a bit more meat too!
• We also ordered the roll here with “both”. We quickly learned that there is no need to say “I’ll have a lobster roll with butter and mayo”.  Save the words and speed up the line by just saying “A lobsta roll with both please”
• Good amount of meat (a little chewy for our liking) served on a traditional beach style roll.

Barnacle Billy’s, Ogunquit ME

• Our final roll in our short / limited quest to find the best roll in the New England area specifically New Hampshire and Maine.
• The Ogunquit marina is a beautiful picturesque setting with flowers lining the streets and several stunning fishing and sail boats bobbing in the water.
• There are two ordering counters at Barnacle Billy’s. One outside for sitting on the patio and one inside for sitting inside or on the deck.
• We opted for inside ordering and sat on the deck.
• We ordered the lobster roll, crab roll and garlic bread.
• Notable bonus – for those who indulge, the rum punch is a must order.
• The food came out quickly, they literally called our number a couple of minutes after sitting down.
• The lobster roll was a bit different than what we had experienced so far. It was cut into smaller pieces and was more of a lobster salad sandwich, a lot wetter and saucier than most, (a bit too saucy for me) rather than large chunks of meat picked right out of the lobster shell.
• Lobster was served on the traditional beach style roll and had a side of chips.
• Not our favorite lobster roll, but the ambiance, scenery, company, crab roll, garlic bread and rum punch made it up for it in spades.
• For a visit to Ogunquit, we recommend getting a lobster roll at Foot Bridge then head over to Barnacle Billy’s for the rum punch!
• If extra saucy lobster isn’t for you, another option is to order a steamed lobster, lump it on the garlic bread and wash it down with a rum punch – sitting on the deck of course.

So many places so little time!!  Hopefully this will give you some guidance and inspiration on where to visit (or not) so you can build a list of your own.

It’s pretty difficult to go wrong when ordering a lobster roll in the New England area. Alll of the rolls were very tasty, but here are our lists ranked from least to most favorite.

Justin

5 – Barnacle Billy’s

4 – Foot Bridge Lobster

3 – The Beach Plum

2 – The Clam Shack

1 – Sprague’s

Kandace

5 – Barnacle Billy’s

4 – Foot Bridge Lobster

3 – The Beach Plum

2 – Sprague’s

1 – The Clam Shack

Have a favorite place to eat a “Lobsta” roll?  Please drop in the comments section below.

Cheers,

Tiny Trailer Trip crew!

PS – Stay tuned…. we may just continue our quest as we explore MA, RI, CT, NJ and NY! And to see our video version of this head over to our instagram or TikTok @tinytrailertrips