Maine's summer luxury: cold Atlantic lobster in a buttered bun with barely any mayo. The Connecticut warm version with melted butter is its equal. Freshness is everything.
About Lobster Roll
New England's summer pinnacle: cold-water Atlantic lobster knuckle and claw meat, minimally dressed with mayonnaise and a whisper of celery salt, piled high in a butter-toasted split-top hot dog bun (Connecticut version is warm, dressed with melted butter); the lobster must be as fresh as possible; eaten on a picnic table at a Maine wharf shack with a bag of salt-and-vinegar chips and a cold Moxie soda.
Maine's Summer
The lobster roll is New England's summer luxury: cold-water Atlantic lobster, mostly sweet claw and knuckle meat, barely dressed and piled into a butter-toasted split-top bun. In Maine it is lightly bound with mayonnaise; in Connecticut it is served warm with melted butter instead. Either way, it is a simple celebration of very fresh lobster.
“The lobster roll is New England's summer luxury: cold-water Atlantic lobster, mostly sweet claw and knuckle meat, barely dressed and piled into a butter-toasted split-top bun.”
The Freshness
Everything depends on the lobster being as fresh as possible, ideally landed that morning. The difference between same-day lobster and lobster a couple of days old is immediately obvious in so plain a dish. There is nowhere to hide, which is why the wharf shacks where the boats come in serve the best versions.
Maine and Connecticut
The two classic styles are worth knowing. The Maine roll is cold lobster, a touch of mayonnaise and maybe a little celery; the Connecticut roll is warm lobster bathed in melted butter. Purists in each state defend their version, and tasting both is the only way to settle it for oneself. The buttered, toasted bun is constant in both.
The Shack
The lobster roll is bound up with the New England coast, eaten from a paper basket at a wharf-side shack with the ocean in view. The setting, salt air, picnic tables, the boats just in, is part of the experience. Few American foods are so tied to a particular place and season.
What to Expect
At a Maine wharf shack the lobster roll arrives in a paper basket, lobster tumbling over the bun. The first bite offers cold lobster and warm buttered bread. The ocean lies directly ahead.
Why Try It
The Maine lobster roll is the food experience most specific to the American Atlantic coast, the cold water, the fresh catch and the picnic table setting are all part of it.
Insider Tips
- Tuesday to Thursday are when most Maine boats come in, freshness peaks those days.
- Red's Eats in Wiscasset, Maine is the most famous address.
- The Connecticut style (warm, melted butter) versus Maine style (cold, mayo) is worth trying both.
