Places to buy Lobster Rolls

 Best Lobster Rolls places

The Ordinary’s  lobster roll

The truth about lobster rolls is that there is no truth except the lobster itself. At least, that’s what we learned from talking to the owners and chefs of the 23 restaurants entering this year’s Tasting Table Lobster Rumble in New York City.*

Whether you call it Maine-style, New England-style, or Connecticut-style, the big argument seems to be mayonnaise or no mayonnaise. Sure, there are differences of opinion about the bun (classic split-top hot dog bun or no?), and about whether the meat should be served hot or cold, but what goes on that meat is the greatest denominator.

“The mayo one is what I what I would consider a lobster salad roll, which is different. I think that’s something that’s a little bit more of a modern creation, probably in the last 70 years,” says chef Andrew Taylor of Eventide Oyster Co. “Back in the day, lobster was cheap. Lobster was prison food! It washed up on shores and was ground up for fertilizer.” For those who did eat it, he says, “in the turn of the century, it was served tossed in a little butter with bread on the side.”

Although Jim Tselikis of Cousins Maine Lobster will serve his warm, buttered lobster roll at the Rumble, he also offers what he calls a Maine-style roll with mayonnaise at the restaurant. Even with that, though, “we don’t mix it together,” he says. “It’s mayo on the bread and then chilled lobster meat on top. We let the lobster speak for itself. We don’t try to disguise the taste with celery or chives mixed in like a lobster salad.”

Of course, you can go even further in not marring the flavor of the maine lobster by serving it plain, with butter on the side. “It’s a natural offshoot from eating a whole boiled lobster,” says Michael Landgarten of Robert’s Maine Grill, which also offers both styles. That way, it’s closer to the “more traditional lobster experience, you just get it without all the mess by putting it in a roll.”

Then there are the true wild cards. Lee Krassner serves ten different kinds of lobster rolls at Dock & Roll Diner in Austin, Texas, including the Ninja Roll, an Asian-inspired variation and the Fat Tuesday, which is a Mardi Gras-special po’ boy mashup—“you know, our Keep Austin Weird lobster rolls,” he says. “Luckily, we’ve gotten no hate mail. We have actually received a good amount of praise for bringing lobster rolls to Austin.” Krassner will serve his more traditional Maine Event roll at the Rumble.

Perhaps Michael Paterniti summed it up best when, after much research (read: eating), he wrote in Bon Appetit magazine: “My friends asked again and again where I’d found the best sandwich. An impossible question, really, for each shack, bar, and semi-respectable establishment has its virtues.”

There is one thing most everyone agrees on! The meat: it should mainly be from the knuckle and claw. “My proportion is a lot more claw and knuckle because tails tend to be dry and tough,” says David Piacente, Executive Chef of Gosmans Dock Restaurant. “It is like the dark meat of chicken, which everyone knows is always juicy.”

Here are all the rolls that will be part of the Rumble, broken down into the groups we see best fit for lobster roll categorization. If you disagree with our groupings, please don’t slap us.

Robert’s Maine Bar and Grill Lobster rolls

MAYO, CLASSIC BUN

Dock & Roll Diner: Austin, Texas
A traditional Maine-style lobster roll tossed lightly in Dock & Roll’s special house dressing and drizzled with seasoned lemon butter. Of the house dressing, Krassner says, “I don’t know how to describe it without giving it away, but it’s creamy and savory in the way mayo is, but you get less of that fatty taste and more of bite. It compliments the lobster better than traditional Hellman’s.” Krasser also said he might surprise attendees by serving his Real BLT variation, as well. “We take chicken-fried bacon and chop it up and add to mixture with tomat Read more