Where to enjoy lobster in Maine…with a view!
Enjoy lobster and daily live music overlooking Portland Harbor at Portland Lobster Company, a local favorite. Photo courtesy of Visit Portland.
By Amy Paradysz
Eating a steamed lobster dinner with corn on the cob, coleslaw and fries on a patio overlooking the ocean – it doesn’t get any more iconic. Many of the state’s best-loved lobster houses and seafood shacks, from Kittery to Bar Harbor, have spectacular views for the most obvious of reasons. Crustaceans come from the sea and, as Dr. Seuss wrote, “Fresher is much finer.”
If lobster sandwiched in a hot dog bun leaves you wanting more, look for overstuffed rolls containing a half-pound or even three-quarters pound of lobster meat or the meat from a one-pound lobster or bigger. Most places toss the lobster meat with mayo, but there are all sorts of variations, including melted butter and lemon.
You don’t have to get far from the Maine line to enjoy Bob’s Clam Hut in Kittery, which Bob Kraft first opened in 1956. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Bakos.
Lobster Shack
Perkins Cove, Ogunquit, ME
(207) 646-2941 | lobster-shack.com
It doesn’t get any fresher than steamed lobster caught locally and waiting in a tank filled with ocean water pumped straight from Perkins Cove. The classic lobster roll at the Lobster Shack offers up a quarter- pound of meat on a toasted bun with or without mayonnaise. Then there’s the Double, containing a half-pound of meat on a 10-inch bun; the Triple, with three-quarters pound of meat; and the Pounder. If you’re of the belief that everything’s better with bacon, order the Lobster B.L.T.,
Bob’s Clam Hut
315 US Route 1, Kittery, ME
111 Cumberland Ave, Portland
(207) 439-4233 | bobsclamhut.com
As the name implies, fried clams are the specialty at Bob’s. But they are also beloved for lobster stew, as well as for fresh-picked lobster rolls on toasted, buttered rolls, served with fries and a pickle spear.
The Clam Shack
2 Western Ave, Kennebunk, ME
(207) 967-3321 | theclamshack.net
This humble-looking shack at the bridge over the Kennebunk River on the Kennebunk-Kennebunkport line serves award-winning takeout fried food, boiled lobster dinners (choice of size) and lobster rolls on freshly baked buns from a local bakery.
Portland Lobster Co.
180 Commercial Street, Portland, ME
(207) 775-2112 | portlandlobstercompany.com
In a culinary-focused city in the state best known for lobster, Portland Lobster Co. is the go-to-choice for crustaceans on the Portland waterfront. Each overstuffed lobster roll contains fresh- picked meat from a one-pound lobster, brushed with sweet butter and served on a toasted roll with mayonnaise and lemon on the side. Another favorite, the Downeast Feast, includes a lobster (choice of size), with steamers, clam chowder, corn on the cob, fries and coleslaw. Don a pair of sunglasses, order a local beer and enjoy the live music.
Photo courtesy of Bayley’s Lobster Pound / The Bait Shed Scarborough
The Bait Shed Restaurant and Bar
9 Avenue Six, Scarborough, ME
(207) 888-1069 | baitshedrestaurant.com
Scarborough hosts several beloved seafood restaurants and takeout joints; this one is owned by the same folks who run Bayley’s Lobster Pound next door and offers deck seating with stellar views where the Nonesuch River leads to the Atlantic Ocean. Favorites include lobster rolls, lobster bisque and steamed mussels.
Captain Jack’s
34 Naples Marina Lane, Naples Causeway, ME
(207) 693-5225 (JACK) | captainjacksnaples.com
Whether you arrive by boat or by car, this restaurant at Naples Marina on Long Lake is worth the journey for a lobster roll with half a pound of meat lightly tossed in mayonnaise, served in a lightly toasted roll and with a side of hand-cut fries. Stay for the lakeside breezes, local beer and live music.
Taste of Maine
161 Main Street (Route 1), Woolwich, ME
(207) 443-4554 | tasteofmaine.com
The iconic giant lobster on the roof of this popular restaurant beckons with kitschy charm. Lobster, seafood and steaks are served on a sundeck over- looking Pleasant Cove. Reservations are taken online.
Cook’s Lobster & Ale House
68 Garrison Cove Road, Bailey Island, ME
(207) 883-2818 | cookslobster.com
Garrison Cove on Bailey Island is a spectacular – if somewhat remote – location for a lobster dinner. Much of the food served here is caught locally in this fishing village. From the deck or in the new open-air pub, diners can smell the sea air, hear the crash of surf, see lobstermen hauling traps – and enjoy a fresh-off-the-boat lobster. Order lobster rolls served with mayo or butter, lobster mac ‘n cheese, lobster ravioli served with a lobster tail, lobster wontons or three chilled lobster claws served with drawn butter and lemon. Getting to Cook’s involves a picturesque drive along Scenic Route 24 through Harpswell and over the historic cribstone bridge, a one-of-a-kind marvel that in itself is worth the trip.
The deck at Cook’s Lobster & Ale House overlooking Harpswell Sound.
The view from The Clam Shack in Kennebunk. Photo courtesy of Daryl Getman.
Red’s Eats
41 Water Street, Wiscasset, ME
(207) 882-6128 | redseatsmaine.com
A landmark of Midcoast Maine, this red-and-white lobster shack on Route One overlooking the Sheepscot River draws large crowds in the summer, with customers known to wait an hour to get to the front of the line. A book about this iconic stop, Red’s Eats: World’s Best Lobster Shack, has been in print for nearly a decade.
Thurston’s Lobster Pound
9 Thurston Road, Bernard, Mount Desert Island, ME
(207) 244-7600 | thurstonforlobster.com
This restaurant on a dock on Mount Desert Island’s busiest working harbor serves fresh-caught lobsters by the pound, including full dinners with steamers, corn on the cob, coleslaw and blueberry cake. Closed Sundays. The Island Explorer Bus takes folks around the island, including to Thurston’s, for free.
Ben & Bill’s Chocolate Emporium
66 Main Street, Bar Harbor, Mount Desert Island, ME
(207) 288-3281 | benandbills.com
Time for dessert! Stop by this candy shop to try a scoop of lobster ice-cream with butter as the base flavor and real fresh-picked lobster meat. It’s been served here for decades. Then take a stroll down the hill to enjoy it from the park that overlooks the harbor.
