I’ll start with a disclaimer that I have no special qualifications for knowing food. However, I do really like food and have eaten quite a lot of it. For this inaugural Nathan Knows Food post I wanted to do something special – at least to me. I recently returned from a pilgrimage to my birth state of Maine. If you don’t know, Maine is famous for lobster. And there is perhaps no single food more pervasive to Maine besides lobster rolls. You can find lobster rolls everywhere from high end restaurants to side of the road shacks. During my trip I had lobster rolls from several places, so I thought it would be worthwhile to review lobster rolls from my Maine travels. It is unfortunate that I’ve been to Maine many times and consumed many lobster rolls before starting this blog that will not make it into this post. However, as the Chinese proverb goes, “The best time to plant a tree was 30 years ago. The next best time is now.” I hope that in the future this post can be updated with more lobster rolls as I make trips in the future. So, without further ado, I hereby present my quest to find the best lobster roll in Maine.
As a preamble, let’s quickly examine why Maine seems to be uniquely famous for delicious lobster. Cold water Maine lobster is widely regarded as the best due to the unique condition of its habitat and the meticulous practices of its harvest. The frigid, clean waters of the North Atlantic slow the lobsters growth and salt uptake, resulting in meat that is extraordinarily tender and flavorful. This slow maturation process allows the lobsters to develop a sweetness and firmness that is unmatched. Additionally, Maine’s commitment to sustainable fishing ensures that lobsters are caught at their prime, preserving their superior quality.
Next, let’s discuss the lobster roll. A lobster roll is essentially a combination of a few basic ingredients – lobster meat, split top bun, butter, mayonnaise, and maybe lemon juice. While the lobster roll may seem simple and ordinary, I find there’s something beautiful about doing ordinary things extraordinarily well. The spotlight ingreditinet of the lobser roll should be the lobster meat, and it should feature large chunks to retain the succulent texture. The lobster meat should be piled into a traditional split top new England bun that is fresh, buttered, and lightly toasted. This is not a place to get overly creative. The slightly sweet and crispy bun should provide the perfect compliment ot he sweet, tender lobster meat. Remember, the lobster meat is the star of the show. From here, lobster rolls usually take one of two forms. The lobster meat can be mixed with only butter and served warm. Or, the lobster meat can be mixed with mayonnaise and served cold the lobster meat is cold – the bund should still be warm). Both can be served with lemon ice or a lemon slice on the side. As simple as it sounds, the quality, freshness, and attention to detail required means that very few can deliver an excellent lobster roll.
My trip to Maine in June 2024 was for a family member’s wedding in Wells, so these reviews will be from lobster roll establishments in that area. I will update as I make return visits and try additional rolls.
Restaurant: Billy’s Chowder House (Wells, ME)
Billy’s Chowder house has been around since 1979. And despite being claiming to be a chowder house, they advertise their lobster rolls as “famous”, so my expectations were relatively high. As a disclaimer, I forgot to take a picture of my actual lobster roll so I included the picture from their website. As the picture suggests, Billy’s famous lobster roll is mayonnaise based. I made sure to order the “large” to get double the lobster. The lobster meat appeared to be in smaller chunks compared to what I would like to see. I feel that they also went a tad heavy on the mayonnaise. The roll was…interesting. It seemed a bit more…”fluffy” (?) than the traditional split top bun. Or maybe it just threw the bun to lobster ratio off. In any case, I found Billy’s to serve a very mediocre lobster roll.
Roll rating: 5/10
Restaurant: Forbes Seafood Restaurant & Take-Out (Wells, ME)
I’ll be honest, the main reason I picked this restaurant was because it is literally at a popular beach access parking lot that we visited. At first glance this appears to be a slightly upscale snack shack for beach goers, so my expectations were low to begin with. When I asked the guy behind the counter about their lobster roll, he didn’t instill the most confidence in me. But I’m committed to this lobster roll thing so I pulled the trigger anyways. The roll was lightly mixed with mayonnaise and served cold. They also included lettuce on the bun, below the lobster meat. When I got the roll I immediately noticed that there were some large chunks of meat present, which is a good first sign. The lobster to mayonnaise ratio was on point. However, the ratio of lobster to bun was a little low. The lettuce did give the roll a nice brightness and crisp that I really liked. Maybe it’s because I went in with low expectations, but I feel like this was a sneaky good lobster roll.
Roll rating: 6.5/10
Restaurant: Sea Salt Lobster (Saco, ME)
On my way out of Wells toward Portland I stopped at Sea Salt Lobster in Saco. In addition to being a restaurant, Sea Salt Lobster also sells wholesale. They work closely with Maine fishermen to deliver fresh seafood. Knowing this, my expectations going in were quite high. They have five different lobster rolls to choose from, and I went with their “town line” roll, which is mixed with mayo and topped with melted butter served over iceberg lettuce. This roll definitely had the biggest chunks of lobster yet, and I distinctly recognized a large piece of claw meat. The quality of the lobster meat really shined here and was not over sauced with the mayonnaise and butter. The lettuce also gave the roll a nice bright and crisp crunch, similar to the Forbe’s roll. The lobster to bun ratio was also very fair. This is what a lobster roll should be – simple but high quality ingredients.
Roll rating: 8.5/10
Overall, Sea Salt Lobster clearly takes the crown of best lobster roll for this round. My expectations for this roll were high and it delivered. Billy’s Chowder House gets the award for most overrated roll, and Forbes gets the award for most underrated roll. Let me know what place you think has the best lobster roll and I will make a point to try it during my next visit. My visits are typically centered around the Portland area, but I am willing to travel for the promise of a good lobster roll.
Cheers!