Please note that I stopped updating these pages around 2009, so most all the information is out of date.
I have a theory that the number of restaurants serving lobster rolls in a given state is directly proportional to the amount of salt-water coastline that state has. (Note that this rule only applies to the New England states!) New York has very little coastline—unless you include Long Island, in which case New York has at least as much as Connecticut. So it follows that the only lobster rolls I’ve found so far are on Long Island. (Technically, I shouldn’t say only. There are plenty in Manhattan as well, but you can find anything in Manhattan.) Even on Long Island, they are rare, being most common at the eastern end of the island, the part of New York closest to Maine. Natch.
Although I have over fifty restaurants on my list, I’ve only visited five of them so far. One of them, however, looms large on the list, simply because it is called The Lobster Roll. What follows are reviews of the restaurants I have tried as well as a list of places I hope to visit someday. I haven’t found a great lobster roll in New York, but the rolls I have tried can trace their lineage more directly to Maine than the rolls found across the Sound in Connecticut. For example, New Yorkers have not embraced the hot lobster roll, which is so common in Connecticut.
On, then, to the Hamptons and beyond.
I won’t mince words—the lobster roll at The Driver’s Seat in Southampton is the best I’ve had on Long Island so far. The big qualifier, of course, is that I’ve only had like two others. Still, it’s an excellent roll. The bun itself is the authentic New England style, properly grilled, although I could have used a little more buttery flavor. The lobster salad was chunky, lightly dressed in mayo and mixed with finely-diced celery and onion. I have to say that the onion provided a little too much competition for the subtle lobster flavor, but the onion and celery were incorporated with such a light touch that it hardly mattered. All four of us had the lobster roll and no one was disappointed.
Besides the lobster roll, I have to mention how much I was charmed by the ambience and our waitress Lauren. Call it feng shui or whatever you like, the place just felt right and once I was seated at one of the outdoor tables, I didn’t want to leave. ($18.95 in July, 2007.)
The lobster roll at The Driver’s Seat in Southampton. The roll is presented on top of salad; the dish of dressing is visible at upper left. (July, 2007)
On the way to Montauk Point (right on Route 27 a few miles east of Amagansett) there is a restaurant that is actually called The Lobster Roll Restaurant. This restaurant has been a landmark and destination for both local diners and tourists for many years. Many know it and refer to it simply as “Lunch,” because of the prominence of that word on their sign. You’d expect their signature dish to be the ultimate, but I have always been disappointed in the rolls I’ve had there over the years. Not that they’re bad or anything, but compared to the other items on the menu (try the Puffers, for example), the lobster roll is an also-ran.
My two most-recent visits were both during the month of October, in 2002 and 2004. I had a chance to reconsider my opinion formed in years past, but the visits did nothing to change my feelings. There were differences in the rolls I sampled in these two visits, but I’ll concentrate on the similarities first.
The roll is an ordinary hot dog bun, not top split. Despite the fact that the outside of this roll is nothing but crust, they still grill the roll—but on the inside. It adds a welcome touch of buttery flavor, but anyone who goes to the trouble of grilling the inside of a roll should simply order the top-split variety to begin with. The lobster meat itself is tender and chunky and of excellent quality. As good as it is, the meat labors under the burden of a lot of mayonnaise and celery.
So much for the similarities. In my last two visits, there were some inconsistencies; curious, at least, if not exactly significant. In 2002, my roll was stuffed to overflowing with fresh lobster meat. There was so much that the roll was smothered; I worked over my roll with a fork for a while until I was finally able to pick it up. In 2004, perhaps some portion controls had been instituted—the roll was simply full. I was actually grateful for the smaller quantity; overstuffed rolls score no points with me. I don’t remember how fast the service was in 2002 (it’s always been very good), but in 2004, our food came out in record time. I can’t complain about that. What was odd, though, was that the lobster salad was so cold, it tasted just like it had just come out of the freezer. Strange.
Despite my objections, The Lobster Roll’s lobster roll is a very good sandwich, just not what I’m looking for in an ideal lobster roll. I actually preferred the almost identical roll at the Clam Bar, because it lacked the large quantity of celery The Lobster Roll adds. I should also mention that The Lobster Roll charges $14.95 for their roll (probably the most expensive one I’ve seen), while the Clam Bar charges $11.50 for virtually the same thing.
The Lobster Roll serves a variety of other delicious dishes, so I would recommend them to anyone looking for great seafood in a friendly, relaxed setting. Just don’t order the lobster roll.
The Clam Bar is right down the street from The Lobster Roll. I ate there for the first time in October, 2004. The six of us had a very pleasant meal and we managed to polish off eight rolls. I don’t know whether the Clam Bar closes in bad weather, but be advised that all seating is outdoors (although the few seats at the bar are sheltered). We chose a table under one of the colorful umbrellas.
The Clam Bar. Sit at the “bar” or choose one of the tables under the umbrellas. Unlike many other places with outdoor seating, The Clam Bar features waitress service. Very civilized.
The Clam Bar’s roll is served on a plain, ungrilled hot dog bun, but the lobster salad makes up for the roll. It was not as chunky as the salad at The Lobster Roll, but it was just as tender and delicious with a better balance of mayonnaise and celery. Until I tried the roll at The Driver’s Seat, which features excellent salad and an authentic New England roll, the Clam Bar was my favorite.
The lobster roll at The Clam Bar.
Sadly, that’s all the reviews I have for Long Island. Here are some other places on Long Island I hope to visit someday, arranged by location.
On Long Island in Nassau County on the south shore, Jordan’s Lobster Farm in Island Park has been recommended. We tried visiting Jordan’s in October, 2004, but couldn’t find it even after calling them for directions. These directions will get you close, at least: From the Belt Parkway, take Exit 19 “Nassau Expressway/Van Wyck Expressway/Kennedy Airport.” Follow it for several miles and look for Five Towns Mall with a K-Mart. Soon after the mall, bear right to get on 878 Nassau Expressway. Follow that for a while to the Atlantic Beach Bridge. After the bridge, you will come to a traffic circle (rotary). Go around it three-quarters of the way which will put you on Park Street. Park Street turns into Beech and then West Beech. Follow West Beech into Island Park (the cross streets are named after states). We were told to look for a movie theater, but we got as far as Lindell Boulevard and never saw it. We had to admit defeat.
There’s got to be a lobster roll somewhere on the north shore (Oyster Bay, etc), but I haven’t found one yet.
Claudio’s in Greenport.
The Modern Snack Bar in Aquebogue.
The Lobster Roll Northside, sister location of the original Lobster Roll in Montauk), 3225 Sound Ave., Riverhead, NY (631-369-3039).
The Jedediah Hawkins Inn and Restaurant in Jamesport serves a lobster roll according to the New York Times.
The Shack in Centerport.
Right up the street from The Lobster Roll is Cyril’s Fish House. It was closed for the season when I visited there in October.
In Montauk proper, Duryea’s Lobster Deck and Inlet Seafood.
In Southampton, the Jobs Lane Deli at 76 Jobs Lane.
There are quite a few places serving lobster rolls in Manhattan these days. Sadly, I have only been to two of them so far, but one of them, Mary’s Fish Camp, was great.
Although my first Manhattan lobster roll was from BLT Fish (for logistical reasons), I knew I would need to go to Pearl Oyster Bar and Mary’s Fish Camp before all the others, because they have had shell in the game the longest (over ten years for Pearl and eight for Mary’s), and both still produce critically-acclaimed lobster rolls. But which one first? Ultimately, I chose Mary’s, because I couldn’t find any discouraging words about Mary’s (giving me confidence that the other three people in our party would be satisfied), and descriptions of the roll led me to suspect that I just might prefer Mary’s to Pearl’s.
We assumed there would be a wait, so we planned to get there early. We queued up at the end of the line about 20 minutes before opening (there were already about 15 people ahead of us). Around 6:00, the host walked the line and took each party’s name and a few minutes later, the first wave was admitted. I think we were the last party to be seated, because we took the last four seats at the counter. If we had missed that first seating, we would have had another hour’s wait.
Mary’s Fish Camp is on the corner of 4th and Charles in a quiet residential neighborhood.
I loved sitting at the counter where I could see the entire kitchen and watch everyone bustling about, especially the two cooks, who worked with dazzling speed. They reminded me why I’ll never be a chef—it looks like hard work. Stationed as I was closest to the “entrance” to the kitchen (the break at the end of the counter), I also overheard some interesting conversations (there is really no place for the staff to have a private conversation). At one point there was a conference between two of the servers about the status of a table. One asked the other, “Did you bread them?” Naturally I had visions of a giant tank of egg mixture next to a mountain of crumbs. The other thing I picked up was a vibe of positive energy from the staff—they really seem to like working there.
I ordered the lobster roll and a Brooklyn Lager (other draft-beer choices were Guinness Stout and Anchor Steam), toyed with the packet of Westminster oyster crackers and nibbled on Anne’s salad. The roll arrived festooned with a giant rooster tail of lettuce:
I was relieved to find that the lettuce was merely garnish; there was no lettuce in the roll itself. Once I set the lettuce aside, I was dismayed by the enormous amount of mayo. That didn’t turn out to be as much of a problem as I anticipated, however.
The lobster roll at Mary’s Fish Camp. Probably enough lobster to fill two rolls.
As you can see, the roll was overstuffed, so I chose to work at it with a fork (I would have preferred less lobster, but this quantity seems typical of sandwiches served as entrées, especially an entrée that I believe is the most expensive dish on the menu). After a couple of bites, I realized that the copious quantity of mayonnaise wasn’t the end of the world.
Normally, I like lobster that has been barely kissed with mayo (a tablespoon per roll is about right), so you would think I would hate this roll. But I didn’t, because for one thing, you could still actually taste the lobster, unusual in rolls with this much dressing. And the mayo itself was slightly warmed and quite luscious. Still, I would have preferred far less mayo, especially since the lobster itself was so good. But if you like mayo, this is the roll for you! One thing that was perfect was the bun itself, crisply grilled and buttered sufficiently so you could really taste the butter with each bite.
I mentioned earlier that Mary’s only seats about 35 people, yet even with the legions of hungry New Yorkers outside with their noses pressed against the glass, there was never any pressure on us to leave. We didn’t dawdle, however, and even with dessert we were finished in an hour. It will be interesting to try some of the other lobster rolls in New York, but they could hardly be much better than Mary’s. ($33.00 with fries in August, 2008. | map and directions)
When I learned I would be working in Gramercy Park, I knew I would be within striking distance of some of the best lobster rolls in Manhattan. I consulted my handy-dandy lobster-roll finder and noted that Pearl Oyster Bar, widely considered to serve the best roll in town, was only about 12 blocks away. The only problem was that they don’t open until 6:00. Based on Pearl’s tiny size and anticipated long lines I didn’t think I could get in and out in time to be at work by 7:00.
With these time and distance constraints, I really only had one choice: BLT Fish, one of four BLT (Bistro Laurent Tourondel) restaurants in Manhattan. Not only was BLT Fish only two blocks away, it also opened at 5:30. (City Crab was closer still, but they only serve a lobster roll at lunch.)
So I was all set to have my first lobster roll in New York! I wasn’t expecting this roll to be particularly authentic. After all, this is the Big Apple where simplicity just won’t cut it, but I was intrigued to find out how the classic lobster roll would be reinterpreted. I wasn’t too concerned; while the risk of fooling with perfection looms large, any sandwich based on lobster wouldn’t have to work very hard to be great.
The three of us arrived a little after 5:30 and were almost the first customers there. Laurent Tourondel’s cookbook is displayed prominently at the door. The downstairs dining room seats about 50 at banquettes along the walls and at tables with Windsor chairs, and there is a bar in back with room for 12. We all ordered the lobster roll, which came out really fast. In a New York minute, I believe.
The roll itself was far from a cottony top-split frankfurter bun, but instead was a wonderful brioche roll of similar shape. They claimed it was grilled and it probably was, but think toasted instead; the roll showed no traces of butter or grill marks, just crispness. The lobster meat was cooked properly and had just the right tenderness and texture. Unfortunately, the dressing was a failure. I don’t know exactly what comprised this dressing, but what I tasted was mayonnaise with rather a lot of lemon juice, so much so that it was easy to identify the source of the tart flavor. Between the large quantity of dressing and the strong tang, I really couldn’t taste the lobster at all; claw, tail, whatever, it was all buried in the soup. On the other hand, I had no problem with the vestigial amount of finely-diced celery. Great fries and cole slaw, though.
If the flavors in the dressing were in better balance, it would have been better, although I think there was still way too much of it. Since I didn’t expect this roll to be authentic or even great, it wasn’t a huge disappointment, but it hurt a little bit spending $24 for this thing. Sorry there’s no picture; my wife was using the camera that day. ($24.00 with fries in November, 2006. | map and directions)
That’s about it for Manhattan so far. There are plenty of other reviews of New York lobster rolls, however. In June, 2004, New York Magazine rounded up the “best lobster rolls” in New York, including Pearl and Mary’s. New York Metro ran a roundup in August, 2005. In June, 2005 the Village Voice surveyed a handful of restaurants in Manhattan that serve lobster rolls. In July, 2005, Newsday followed suit. In the February 2, 2004 issue, the New Yorker reviewed Bongo, 299 Tenth Avenue. Here’s a second opinion on the Mermaid, Mary’s, and the Pearl. “Lonesome Hero” wrote about a meal at Pearl Oyster Bar in July, 2005.
Below is a list of all the lobster-roll places in Manhattan (up to date as of August, 2008, thanks to New York Magazine’s Grub Street). To find the one closest to you, I have mapped them all via this Google Map of lobster rolls in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
I haven’t had a lobster roll in Brooklyn yet, but there are some.
Ebb Tide Seafood, 1 Willett Avenue.
Woody’s on Main, 251 East Main Street.
See my list of resources for further ideas. You’re encouraged and welcome to recommend your favorite place to me. Send an email to the address at the bottom of this page. —Tony Green
Really swell review of five of the principal lobster rolls in Manhattan—Lure Fish Bar, Ed's Fish Bar, Mermaid Inn, Pearl Oyster Bar, and Mary's Fish Camp—by Bethenny Frankel and friends. Bravo!
Albert pointed me to a story in The New York Times about a lawsuit filed by Rebecca Charles, owner of Pearl Oyster Bar in Manhattan, against her former sous-chef Ed McFarland for ripping off not only her recipes and menu but even her decor.
I had already heard about the striking similarities between McFarland’s restaurant and POB via a discussion on Serious Eats, but this was the first I had heard of the suit. The piece by Ed Levine provides some background on copycats of all stripes and demonstrates that this clone of POB is only just the latest in a long line of imitators.
I encountered a more modest example of the temptation to trade on Pearl Oyster Bar’s fame when I happened upon a restaurant in Charleston called *cough* Pearlz Oyster Bar. Admittedly, “pearl” is an appropriate name for an oyster bar, and if we’re feeling charitable, that’s all there is to it, but I doubt it. (The Pearl in Pearl Oyster Bar is actually an homage to Rebecca Charles’ grandmother, nothing to do with the product of oysters.)
Pearlz Oyster Bar in Charleston. Wow, what an original name! They do make a decent lobster roll, I have to admit.
When I learned I would be working in Gramercy Park, I knew I would be within striking distance of some of the best lobster rolls in Manhattan. I consulted my handy-dandy lobster-roll finder and noted that Pearl Oyster Bar, widely considered to serve the best roll in town, was only about 12 blocks away. The only problem was that they don’t open until 6:00. Based on Pearl’s tiny size and anticipated long lines I didn't think I could get in and out in time to be at work by 7:00.
With these time and distance constraints, I really only had one choice: BLT Fish, one of four BLT (Bistro Laurent Tourondel) restaurants in Manhattan. Not only was BLT Fish only two blocks away, it also opened at 5:30. (City Crab was closer still, but they only serve a lobster roll at lunch.)
So I was all set to have my first lobster roll in New York! I wasn’t expecting this roll to be particularly authentic. After all, this is the Big Apple where simplicity just won’t cut it, but I was intrigued to find out how the classic lobster roll would be reinterpreted. I wasn’t too concerned; while the risk of fooling with perfection looms large, any sandwich based on lobster wouldn’t have to work very hard to be great.
The three of us arrived a little after 5:30 and were almost the first customers there. Laurent Tourondel’s cookbook is displayed prominently at the door. The downstairs dining room seats about 50 at banquettes along the walls and at tables with Windsor chairs, and there is a bar in back with room for 12. We all ordered the lobster roll, which came out really fast. In a New York minute, I believe.
The roll itself was far from a cottony top-split frankfurter bun, but instead was a wonderful brioche roll of similar shape. They claimed it was grilled and it probably was, but think toasted instead; the roll showed no traces of butter or grill marks, just crispness. The lobster meat was cooked properly and had just the right tenderness and texture. Unfortunately, the dressing was a failure. I don’t know exactly what comprised this dressing, but what I tasted was mayonnaise with rather a lot of lemon juice, so much so that it was easy to identify the source of the tart flavor. Between the large quantity of dressing and the strong tang, I really couldn't taste the lobster at all; claw, tail, whatever, it was all buried in the soup. On the other hand, I had no problem with the vestigial amount of finely-diced celery. Great fries and cole slaw, though.
If the flavors in the dressing were in better balance, it would have been better, although I think there was still way too much of it. Since I didn't expect this roll to be authentic or even great, it wasn't a huge disappointment, but it hurt a little bit spending $24 for this thing. Sorry there’s no picture; my wife was using the camera that day.