Does anyone reading this have a favorite lobster roll in Connecticut? A couple of you have already commented on another thread. This summer, a cousin and I vowed to sample as many lobster rolls as it takes to declare our winner. Here is where we started:
Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough (Noank)
117 Pearl St, Noank, CT 06340
(Website appears to be down https://www.abbottslobster.com/)
This was the first stop of the summer. My co-tester threw a wrench into the works and announced that she wanted only Maine style lobster rolls, whereas I prefer the hot buttered Connecticut roll. This place has ample parking and a huge seating area compared to others, and they allow dogs. The downside of its size is that it has somewhat of a fast food vibe, including a loudspeaker over which they call out your order number, and a pick-up window. They accept credit cards. We dined at a picnic table by the water, and the view was quite nice. Our respective rolls are pictured and came with slaw and chips; I didn’t think the slaw was worth the calories. I ordered the 8 oz OMG roll (~$34) which came with the butter on the side, and it was quite good. I don’t recall whether or not the roll had also been toasted with butter, but I believe it had not. My co-tester enjoyed her cold lobster roll. This was a nice experience and certainly a place to consider on crazy summer weekends, especially because of its size. However, Ford’s (https://www.fordslobster.com/) is not far and intrigued us as we drove by. To be continued.
Shell and Bones (New Haven)
Shell and Bones is by no means a lobster shack, rather it is an upscale restaurant. However, we were entertaining an out of town guest and required a picturesque dining location near New Haven. The view of the water is lovely, as is the atmosphere inside the restaurant. I took advantage of the stop to sample their hot buttered lobster roll ($34), which came with lemon, yuzu corn cabbage slaw (I personally don’t see the need to fancify slaw in this manner), and old bay fries which were tasty but not at my preferred level of crispiness. The roll contained a generous (I’m guessing 8 oz.) portion of lobster, and it was good but did not compare to any of my informal lobster roll dining experiences. I wouldn’t go out of my way for this perfectly good roll, but I wouldn’t say no to it either.
Guilford Lobster Pound (Guilford)
For the moment, The Guilford Lobster Pound is my favorite stop for a hot buttered lobster roll, despite all of its drawbacks: Impossible parking, extremely limited menu, cash only, and $24 for a 4 oz. roll that does not include any sides and will leave most people hungry. That being said, the roll itself is buttered and perfectly toasted (you can catch a glimpse of that in the photo), the lobster as good as any, and the seating area, while small, has a lovely view of the marsh and the water. I went twice because I had to make sure.
We will move on to test Ford’s (as mentioned above), Captain Scott’s Lobster Dock, Lobster Landing (enjoyed years ago), and Lenny and Joe’s Fish Tale (used to have a good roll at the New Haven Location)…as well as other suggestions as we come across them. To be continued.
