The Clam Shack Best Lobster Rolls This is the gold standard of lobster rolls. Each sandwich gets a mix of claw, tail and knuckle meat, a light spread of mayo and a drizzle of butter and is served on a white, round bun. Restaurant SymbolOnly 2 Western Ave Kennebunk ME 04043 207-967-3321 The Lobster Shack Best Lobster Rolls Come for the lobster and stay for the views. Each buttered roll is filled with large chunks of soft-shell lobster meat and a dollop of mayo. Plus, lobster rolls taste infinitely better when you’re looking at the ocean. Restaurant SymbolOnly 225 Two Lights Rd Cape Elizabeth ME 04107 207-799-1677 B&G Oysters Best Lobster Rolls No trip to Boston is complete without a stop at this South End staple. Don’t let the $29 price tag deter you--this meaty roll, topped with lemon and chive-spiked mayo and a touch of celery, is well worth every penny. Restaurant SymbolOnly 550 Tremont St Boston MA 02116 617-423-0550 Abbott's Lobster in the Rough Best Lobster Rolls This Groton, Connecticut, seaside shack offers two seriously delicious lobster rolls. Choose wisely between hot or cold sandwiches: the traditional lobster salad roll, garnished with mayo and celery on a hot dog bun, or Abbott’s famous hot lobster roll, buttered and served on a round roll. Restaurant SymbolOnly 117 Pearl St Noank CT 06340 860-536-7719 Neptune Oyster Best Lobster Rolls This tiny oyster bar in Boston’s North End draws crazy lines for its hot, buttered rolls served on brioche buns. You may need to start off with a fork before you can bite into these giant creations. Restaurant SymbolOnly 63 Salem St (at Morton St) Boston MA 02113 617-742-3474 Offshore Ale Company Best Lobster Rolls When you order a lobster roll at this Martha’s Vineyard mainstay, you get your money’s worth. These colossal sandwiches are available all year long, even when most of the island heads home for summer. Restaurant SymbolOnly 30 Kennebec Ave (at Park Ave) Oak Bluffs MA 02557 508-693-2626 Eventide Oyster Co Best Lobster Rolls Eventide Oyster Co. boasts Portland’s best lobster roll. The intensely tasty and innovative brown butter lobster rolls are more like sliders, so be wise and order two. Restaurant SymbolOnly 86 Middle St (btwn Franklin and Hampshire) Portland ME 04101 207-774-8538 Hinoki & The Bird Best Lobster Rolls The lobster roll at this Japanese-American eatery is far from traditional: The meat gets a twist with a hint of citrus, green curry and basil, and it’s served on a black, charcoal bun. But it’s pretty damn special. Restaurant SymbolOnly 10 W Century Dr Los Angeles CA 90067 310-552-1200 Red's Eats Best Lobster Rolls Red’s hot-dog bun is far too small to contain the heaping pieces of fresh meat that overflow onto the tinfoil wrapping (it’s a whole lobster’s worth, by the way). But no matter--we’ll happily work our way in with a fork, dipping generously into our side of melted butter. Restaurant SymbolOnly 16 Water St (at Main St) Wiscasset ME 04578 207-882-6128 The Lobster Roll Restaurant Best Lobster Rolls The best Lobster roll in the Hamptons is easily one of the best in the country. Should you find yourself summering there, treat yourself to a giant, cold-water lobster roll at this retro-style, roadside eatery. Restaurant SymbolOnly 1980 Montauk Hwy Amagansett NY 11930 631-267-3740 Pearl Oyster Bar Best Lobster Rolls The famous lobster roll at this West Village oyster bar is heavy on the lemony mayonnaise (and the price tag). But, made with huge chunks of fresh lobster meat and paired with shoestring fries, we might just splurge just this once. Or twice. Restaurant SymbolOnly 18 Cornelia St (btw Bleecker & W 4th) New York NY 10014 212-691-8211 Matunuck Oyster Bar Best Lobster Rolls Dinner and a show, anyone? Watch fishermen collect oysters they’ve farmed from Potter Pond as you take down a giant lobster sandwich on a split-top roll. Restaurant SymbolOnly 629 Succotash Rd Wakefield RI 02879 401-783-4202 New England Lobster Market & Eatery Best Lobster Rolls Hands down the best lobster roll in the Bay Area. Formerly a food truck, New England Lobster Co. evolved into a full-fledged fish market. Of the three types of lobster rolls, stick with the wildly fresh and tender naked version, which comes with butter and lemon on the side. Restaurant SymbolOnly 824 Cowan Rd Burlingame CA 94010 650-443-1559 The Ordinary Best Lobster Rolls This upscale, stylish seafood restaurant on King Street is a far cry from your typical beach shack. But hey, the lobster is flown in straight off the boat from Maine, and it’s served with a tangy hint of Tabasco, chives and Old Bay. We want to go to there. Restaurant SymbolOnly 544 King St Charleston SC 29403 843-414-7060 Mary's Fish Camp Best Lobster Rolls Mary’s Fish Camp is a West Village spot with a beach-shack vibe. The lobster roll is minimalist, but it’s flawlessly executed...assuming you don’t mind a plentiful serving of mayo. Restaurant SymbolOnly 64 Charles St (at W 4th St) New York NY 10014 646-486-2185 Champlin's Best Lobster Rolls At this authentic New England establishment in the summer town of Narragansett, the sandwiches overflow with just-caught lobster meat. Do yourself a favor and save room for the fried clams. Restaurant SymbolOnly 256 Great Island Rd (near the Block Island Ferry) Narragansett RI 02882 401-783-3152 Acadia Best Lobster Rolls Expensive!!! It may be positioned on a lake, but the name gives it away: This place is all about Maine. Chef Ryan McCaskey spent his childhood summers there, where he learned a thing or two. P.S: The buns are shipped straight from Maine. Restaurant SymbolOnly 1639 S Wabash Ave (btwn E 16th St & E 18th St) Chicago IL 60616 312-360-9500 Red Hook Lobster Pound Best Lobster Rolls Choose between the Maine- and Connecticut-style rolls at this cult-favorite New York establishment. Word on the street is it sells up to 5,000 rolls on a good summer day. Restaurant SymbolOnly 284 Van Brunt St (btwn Verona St & Visitation Pl) Brooklyn NY 11231 718-858-7650 Knuckle & Claw Best Lobster Rolls These buns are smeared with mayo and filled with a quarter-pound of buttered whole claw and knuckle meat. But the key to these bad boys is a generous sprinkle of secret spice mix. Restaurant SymbolOnly 3112 W Sunset Blvd Los Angeles CA 90026 323-407-7365 BeetleCat Best Lobster Rolls BeetleCat is a newcomer to Atlanta’s culinary scene, but its lobster roll--poached in butter and served on a toasted, round bun--might just fool you into thinking you’ve stepped into a lively Boston oyster bar. Restaurant SymbolOnly 299 N Highland Ave NE Atlanta GA 30307 678-732-0360 Ironside Fish & Oyster Best Lobster Rolls Purists may have some qualms with Ironside’s decadent roll, garnished with brown butter, mayo and chives and crispy fried onions. But once you try one, you’ll there is absolutely nothing to complain about. Restaurant SymbolOnly 1654 India St (W Date St) San Diego CA 92101 619-269-3033 Thames Street Oyster House Best Lobster Rolls We know, you’re in Maryland for the crabs, but give the butter-doused lobster roll from this Fells Point tavern a try. It comes with a side of vinegar cucumber salad, and it’s all pretty spectacular. Restaurant SymbolOnly 1728 Thames St (at Ann) Baltimore MD 21231 443-449-7726 20 Feet Seafood Joint Best Lobster Rolls (Lobster Roll not on the online menu.) Turns out, Dallas’s food scene is more than Tex-Mex and BBQ. 20 Feet’s Maine-style lobster roll, served with touch of mayo and hint of lemon, is enough to satisfy homesick Yankees. Restaurant SymbolOnly 1146 Peavy Rd (at Garland Rd) Dallas TX 75218 972-707-7442 Smack Shack Best Lobster Rolls It may be the Midwest, but Smack Shack’s signature sandwich is a solid interpretation of the New England classic: chilled lobster salad, cucumber and tarragon served between Texas Toast. Restaurant SymbolOnly 326 North Morgan St Chicago IL 60607 312-973-1336 Smack Shack Best Lobster Rolls It may be the Midwest, but Smack Shack’s signature sandwich is a solid interpretation of the New England classic: chilled lobster salad, cucumber and tarragon served between Texas Toast. Restaurant SymbolOnly 603 Washington Ave N Minneapolis MN 55401 612-259-7288