Inspired (and envious) of Roberto’s lobster roll claw-off, where he tasted 18 of the country’s top lobster rolls, I decided to do a taste test of my own. Would Luke’s Lobster be the winner for this lobster lover as well? While I wasn’t able to drive to 18 eateries, I did hit up four of what are considered to be the best lobster roll establishments within a 120 mile drive of NYC: Luke’s Lobster, Red Hook Lobster Pound, Lobster Landing and Abbott’s Lobsters. And what better way to do a tasting comparison than jam pack it all into one incredible road trip? One (rainy) Sunday, two states and a whole heck of a lot of lobster.
11 a.m. : Luke’s Lobster (242 East 81st Street, New York)
Luke’s has quickly become the go-to spot for lobster rolls in NYC, with their $15 fresh Maine-style roll. And they’re expanding their East Coast reach with a new D.C. outpost. For $18 and change I secured a lobster roll,bag of Miss Vickies chips, a pickle and a root beer. It’s not every day I’m eating lobster for breakfast but maybe this lobster roll should become my new brunch staple. With just a touch of mayo, some super-secret spices, and a little lemon butter, this crispy buttered roll/lobster combo made me wish we were staying put for second helpings. The meat was fresh and perfectly cooked, the roll was just buttery enough with a crispy finish that managed to contain the meat. The hot roll and cold lobster was a perfect combo.
1 p.m.: Red Hook Lobster Pound (284 Van Brunt Street | Brooklyn, NY)
At $15 for a lobster roll, Cape-Cod chips and a pickle, this was the best deal I had all day. Plus, there’s your choice of Maine-style or Connecticut-style (no mayo). Unfortunately, the CT-style roll wasn’t able to hold the meat as the butter quickly saturated the bread, and it fell apart in my hands. While there may not be a thing as too much butter, you don’t want it to overpower the already delicious fresh lobster meat. The Maine-style was a better choice, with a touch of mayo and a little paprika. I said good-bye to the vats of lobsters waiting to be purchased and headed north to CT.
4 p.m.: Lobster Landing (152 Commerce St Clinton, CT)
Two-hours and a settled-stomach later, I arrived in the quaint town (most buildings date back to 1880) of Clinton, CT. Lobster Landing definitely wins points for atmosphere–it’s directly on the water.
Their $15 version came out in a foot-long hot dog roll covered in lobster and topped with melted butter. While there was more bread to lobster ratio than my liking (despite its size, there’s the same amount of meat), the meat was delicious and pretty much left on its own save for the butter topping.
5:30 p.m. : Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough (117 Pearl Street Noank, CT)
The last stop on the trip was the first line I waited in all day. Despite the rain, Abbott’s was quite busy. Located right on the water with a huge outdoor seating area, it’s great for a group–the extensive menu has much more than just lobster rolls:
At $14.95 for the “Famous Hot Lobster Roll” with their branded chips and a cup of coleslaw, it was a great deal. The roll, however, turned out to be a sesame hamburger bun. While there were large chunks of meat, they were a little dry and there was very little butter to add any moisture.
After two states, four lobster rolls and about $50 worth of gas I’ve come to the conclusion that sometimes you should stick with the lobster roll around the corner. Brunch next weekend? Definitely a lobster roll.
Love seafood? Get more:
- Best Seafood Recipes for Summer
- The Best Lobster Rolls from Across the Country
- Ellie Krieger’s Lobster Roll recipe
Need more Cooking inspiration? Check out our Ultimate Guide to Summer:
- 22 Burger Recipes
- Grilled Chicken and More Mains
- Summer Side Dishes
- Ice Cream and More Favorites
- Refreshing Summer Drinks
Superb website…
[...]always a big fan of linking to bloggers that I love but don’t get a lot of link love from[...]……
Recent Blogroll Additions……
[...]usually posts some very interesting stuff like this. If you’re new to this site[...]……
Websites worth visiting…
[...]here are some links to sites that we link to because we think they are worth visiting[...]……
Tumblr article…
I saw a writer writing about this on Tumblr and it linked to…
…
[...]Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine a couple of unrelated data, nevertheless really really worth taking a look, whoa did one particular master about Mid East has got much more problerms at the same time [...]…
found this…
[...]please visit the web sites we comply with, including this 1, as it represents our picks in the web[...]…
cfr…
[...]just beneath, are quite a few absolutely not associated websites to ours, nonetheless, they’re certainly worth going over[...]…
Read was interesting, stay in touch……
[...]please visit the sites we follow, including this one, as it represents our picks from the web[...]……
telexfree – Ganhe Dinheiro Trabalhando pela Internet…
A Telexfree é uma empresa de publicidade digital, que nos permite ganhar dinheiro postando anúncios de seus produtos em sites gratuitos….
Lloyd Irvin Rape…
[...]check beneath, are some totally unrelated sites to ours, on the other hand, they are most trustworthy sources that we use[...]…
Awesome…
Oh my goodness! Impressive article dude! Thank you so much, However I am experiencing problems with your RSS. I don’t know the reason why I cannot subscribe to it. Is there anybody else having similar RSS issues? Anyone who knows the solution can you…
Digg this…
While checking out DIGG yesterday I noticed this…
Awesome website…
[...]the time to read or visit the content or sites we have linked to below the[...]……
Awesome website…
[...]the time to read or visit the content or sites we have linked to below the[...]……
Title…
Wow, I’m pretty delighted that I clicked on this page, great info here! 8>)…
foundy…
You made some good points there. I looked on the web for additional information about the issue and found most individuals will go along with your views on this website….
Aussie lawyer directory coupon…
[...]very few sites that occur to be in depth beneath, from our point of view are undoubtedly well really worth checking out[...]…
Great website…
[...]we like to honor many other internet sites on the web, even if they aren’t linked to us, by linking to them. Under are some webpages worth checking out[...]……
Websites worth visiting…
[...]here are some links to sites that we link to because we think they are worth visiting[...]……
Cool…
I’m impressed, I have to admit. Seldom do I encounter a blog that’s equally educative and amusing, and without a doubt, you have hit the nail on the head. The problem is something not enough folks are speaking intelligently about. I’m very happy t…
Beker…
I needed to thank you for this fantastic read!! I definitely loved every bit of it. I have you saved as a favorite to check out new things you post……
Mamry…
Everything is very open with a precise description of the challenges. It was truly informative. Your website is very helpful. Many thanks for sharing….
culture insights…
[...]very couple of websites that happen to be comprehensive below, from our point of view are undoubtedly properly really worth checking out[...]…
Wikia…
Wika linked to this site…
Beker…
Aw, this was a really good post. Taking a few minutes and actual effort to generate a very good article… but what can I say… I procrastinate a whole lot and don’t seem to get nearly anything done….
programmi tv stasera…
[...]usually posts some quite fascinating stuff like this. If you are new to this site[...]…
Title…
Wow, I’m sincerely delighted that I landed on this page, super info here! 8>)…
buffet qu?c t?…
[...]we came across a cool website which you might love. Take a look when you want[...]…
Poompui…
You have made some really good points there. I looked on the internet to learn more about the issue and found most individuals will go along with your views on this web site….
car lockout carrollton…
[...]we came across a cool site that you simply could possibly get pleasure from. Take a search if you want[...]…
Bookmark…
I wanted to thank you for this good read!! I certainly enjoyed every bit of it. I’ve got you book-marked to check out new things you post……
…
[...]The info mentioned inside the article are a few of the best out there [...]…
Title…
Urgh!!! I just typed a super mega comment, but it disappeared when I clicked send. Anyway, I’m not going to retype it again, so I just wanted to say that I agree with you and that this is a nice blog! 8>)…
Cool sites…
[...]I came across a cool site that you might enjoy. Check it out[...]……
What is organic seo…
…