Lobster shack season

20  places to eat Maine Lobster

Along with fiddlehead ferns and the shedding of hats and gloves, a quintessential sign that the long Maine winter has finally come to an end is the reemergence of lobster shacks. Beginning along the southern coastline, traps are returning to the water, while the folks who keep us in steamed lobster dinners and buttery lobster rolls are stocking kitchens and hiring staff.
A few of these seasonal eateries, including the Lobster Shack at Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth, are already open; others have targeted Mother’s Day weekend and still more are waiting for Memorial Day.

Clockwise from top: lobster rolls and onion rings at the Lobster Shack at Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth; the Lobster Shack sign and ocean view; Harraseeket Lunch & Lobster Company in South Freeport. All photos: Press Herald file

Anticipating the return of everyone’s favorite season in Maine, we put together a guide to waterside lobster shacks from Kittery to Quoddy Head. Some of these places have larger and more varied menus than others, but all offer the authentic experience of tucking into a Maine lobster dinner at a picnic table, outdoors, under the clear blue sky of a summer day or as the sun is setting. Just don’t forget the bug spray.

Chauncey Creek Lobster Pier

16 Chauncey Creek Rd., Kittery Point
Right on pretty Chauncey Creek (which admittedly is not quite as pretty at low tide), this no frills shack offers a basic menu and both indoor and outdoor seating at brightly painted picnic tables.
BYOB.
OPENS MAY 11

Barnacle Billy’s

50-70 Perkins Cove Rd., Ogunquit
You’re not exactly roughing it at Barnacle Billy’s, where the deck is surrounded by a lush garden and the view is of white-painted homes and green lawns extending to the water. In addition to a traditional, lobster shack menu, you’ll find fish, chicken and steak.
Full bar.
OPENS MAY 1

Cape Pier Chowder House

79 Pier Rd., Cape Porpoise Harbor, Kennebunkport
At the very tip of Cape Porpoise, the deck here offers spectacular views of the harbor. There is inside seating too, and the menu includes fried seafood plates and sandwiches as well as lobster.
Beer and wine.
Opened March 28

More lobster places