Much ado about Lobster Rolls.
Life at The Big Apple revolved largely around the crustacean, and we stuffed ourselves silly with the endless lobster options. While the co-relation between New York City and lobsters is debatable, we would like to think no trip to NYC is complete without having a lobster roll or two. Or three. Or how about every day?
So we did lots of research, asked for recommendations, and spent our weeks trying lobster rolls from every corner of Manhattan. Not quite sick of them yet, and instead, we wished we were residents of NYC so that we could party with lobster rolls more often.
Where do you find New York City’s Best Lobster Rolls, and what are your favourites? Here’s our guide on 9 of the Best Lobster Rolls in New York City.
#1 BURGER & LOBSTER
Fans of Burger & Lobster – the famous Brit restaurant which only serves three items on the menu: Burger, Whole Lobster and Lobster Roll – will be thrilled to know that it has opened its first restaurant in United States. Like its restaurants in U.K., the three items are all served at US$20 each, and even after adding in taxes and tipping, it actually works out to be a lot cheaper than what you would have to pay for in the U.K. (as compared to £20 each).
The beef for the burger is from Nebraska, while the lobsters come from Nova Scotia. At US$20, Burger & Lobster’s Lobster Roll is extremely value-for-money and worth every cent, especially when you compare it to other lobster rolls in New York.
w 10011, 39 W 19th Street
Tel: (646) 833 7532
Sun to Thu: 11.30am – 10pm
Fri & Sat: 11.30am – 12midnight
Nearest Station: 14 St/East 23St – Broadway
#2 ED’S LOBSTER BAR
Lobster Roll, Lobster Pot Pie, Lobster Ravioli, Steamed Lobster, Grilled Lobster, Broiled Lobster, and Lobster Burger – you name it, Ed’s Lobster Bar has it. It is a lobster heaven. The Grilled Lobster is decent, but the must-try is the Lobster Roll (US$30, varies with market price).
Filled with chunks of lobster flesh, the Lobster Roll is easily the best we’ve had at New York City. Fresh, red meat lightly tossed in mayo and lemon juice, pillowed in a toasted, buttered brioche; the end result is a Lobster Roll so heavenly, it got us slightly obsessed.
222 Lafayette Street, New York
Tel: (212) 343 3236
Mon to Thu: 12pm – 11pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 12midnight
Sun: 12pm – 9pm
Nearest Station: Spring St
There are tons of restaurants that sell lobster rolls in New York City, but Luke’s Lobster has made a name for itself by bringing the best of the Maine Coast to New York City with fresh Maine lobster, crab and shrimp rolls at unbeatable prices.
The Shrimp Roll starts at just US$8, while the Crab Roll is US$13. Unlike most seafood restaurants in the Big Apple which charge over US$30 for a Lobster Roll, Luke’s is selling its Lobster Roll at a jaw-dropping price of only US$16!
93 East 7th Street
Tel: (212) 387 8487
Sun to Thu: 11am – 10pm
Fri & Sat: 11am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Astor Place/2 Av
#4 LURE FISHBAR
Said to be a place that celebrities and famous connoisseurs patronize, Lure Fishbar at SoHo indeed has one of the best lobster rolls in New York City. But first, let us warn you about the staff and their snobbish attitude. It is honestly not the nicest place to hang out at – the vibe is so pretentious, with glum-looking staff who are not the most polite.
If you are look beyond that, Lure Fishbar has Lobster Rolls at US$30 per serving that we wolfed down within five minutes. The bread’s nicely toasted and warm on the inside, and the overflowing chunks of lobster flesh are evenly coated with the homemade sauce.
93 E 7th Street, New York
Tel: (212) 387 8487
Daily: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Astor Pl
Just to be clear, Red Hook Lobster Pound is not exactly a hidden secret. If any, it is a popular Brooklyn seafood chain with an outlet in Manhattan, as well as a food truck. Cool, yes?
Its Manhattan outlet is tucked in a small alley off East 1st Street. There are five lobster rolls on the menu – Maine Style (US$16), Tuscan Style (US$16), Connecticut Style (US$16), Lobster BLT (US$18), Bikini Style (US$16) – and every lobster roll comes with 1/4 lb fresh-picked Maine lobster on a grilled, top-split hotdog bun with a Brooklyn Brine Pickle.
Pick the Connecticut Style lobster roll – hot, buttery and very robust. We couldn’t get enough of that one there.
16 Extra Place, New York
Tel: (212) 777-7225
Tue to Fri: 11.30am – 9pm
Sat: 12pm – 9pm
Sun: 12pm – 8pm
Nearest Station: Broadway – Lafayette St/2 Av
#6 THE LOBSTER PLACE (CULL & PISTOL)
At US$16.95, the Lobster Roll from The Lobster Place at Chelsea Market represents superb value. Sure, it is not the fanciest, but it works great as a fuss-free meal and if you need to grab a lunch on the go. This is for takeaway, but you can sit at the few tables at the entrance of The Lobster Place.
For a proper sit-down meal, you can head next door to Cull & Pistol which shares the same kitchen. The Maine Style Lobster Roll (US$25) and Connecticut Style Lobster Roll (US$25) are served with fries on the side.
The Lobster Place opens from 9.30am, but the lobster roll kiosk only starts operating from 11am onwards.
Chelsea Market, 75 9th Ave
New York
Tel: (212) 255-5672
Mon to Sat: 9.30am – 9pm
Sun: 10am – 8pm
Nearest Station: 14 St
#7 MARY’S FISH CAMP
This tiny seafood restaurant in West Village is always packed for a reason – it dishes out well-cooked New England fish shack-style seafood. The much-lauded Lobster Roll (US$32, varies with Market Price), with huge chunks of lobster meat served in a delicious roll, also lived up to the hype.
The serving is not exactly the most generous, but we would say you are paying for the supreme quality. Here, you get an honest roll that is as simple as it can get – the freshness of the crustacean flaunts its natural sweetness, and the brioche is soft and warm. We wish it was slightly more buttered, though.
64 Charles Street, New York
Tel: (646) 486 2185
Mon to Sat: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Christopher St – Sheridan Sq
#8 PEARL OYSTER BAR
Sitting within West Village, Pearl Lobster Bar is a beautiful outlet with a minimalist interior. The menu is concise, with a large emphasis on oysters. They are also widely recognized for their Lobster Roll (US$29).
Sure, the serving is a generous one, and the shoestring fries are goddamn awesome. But we thought the lobster’s sweetness was overpowered by the mayo. It is still a pretty decent lobster roll, though. The bun’s alright, but we would prefer them go easy on the sauce to let the lobster’s freshness shine on its own.
18 Cornelia Street, New York
Tel: (212) 691 8211
Mon to Fri: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 11pm
Sat: 6pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: W 4 St
#9 URBAN LOBSTER SHACK
Urban Lobster Shack is red and iconic, and is very much welcomed by executives and people who want a fuss-free lunch to go. It is not hard to love them – lobster rolls are pleasantly affordable at US$13 for the classic serving, and you have the option of topping up for soup and chips and other combos.
There are also several lobster options, like the BLT sandwich and grilled lobster. But we stood at Wall Street to observe, and everyone in the long queue simply went for the classic Lobster Roll. So, Lobster Roll it shall be for you too.
15 Stone St # 1, New York
(Location changes every day)
Tel: (212) 809 2626
Nearest Station: Whitehall St