Southwest Harbor Lobster Roll: Beal's Lobster Pier

Beal's Lobster Pier, a family-owned, year-round working fish and lobster pier in Southwest Harbor, has been operating since 1932. In 1969, the family opened a restaurant at the end of the pier with a vision to serve up the freshest seafood to its customers. On a recent trip to Mount Desert Island, I elected to give the Beal's lobster roll a try. I've read good reviews and I figured how much fresher could the lobster get?! And I enjoy the authenticity of eating my lobster roll right on the pier where the fishermen bring their catch!

With these off-the-beaten-path places, getting there is always half the fun! I love to explore the state I grew up in and I had never been to Southwest Harbor so I was excited to see sights like Bass Harbor Head Light on my way to lunch on the Pier. Beal's offers typical lobster pound fare with the addition of fried seafood selections, a few choices for the non-seafood eater, and beer!

The menu boasts five different Beal's Famous Lobster Rolls:

Classic with a touch of mayo, Traditional warmed in Beal's Buttah, Centennial with cucumber dill mayo, Garlic Lovers warmed in Beal's Garlic Buttah, and Spicy Buffalo warmed in Beal's Buffalo Buttah.

The view.

I opted for the Classic this time with a Black Bear Brewing Liquid Sunshine. The lobster was lightly dressed with a reasonable amount of mayo (which for me is barely any!) But sadly, I didn't love it. This place was really great with such a pretty view and everyone was so nice... I really wanted to love this lobster roll!

I'll start with my least favorite part... the roll. It seems like an insignificant piece of the puzzle, but bread can make or break the lobster roll. Sure, it was grilled perfectly. Sure, it was a split-top roll. But it was not your traditional split-top roll. While it didn't specify on the menu, I'm 99% sure this was a brioche bun — the doughy grave for lobster meat. I am not a fan.

There was some fancy lettuce... blah, blah, blah. The amount of lobster was suitable but the chunks were pretty big and a smidge tough. I'm sorry, but I feel like a lobster pier should be experts at cooking the stupid lobster. Maybe I'm being picky. Maybe it was a fluke. Maybe someone was off their game that day. Or maybe my teeth just aren't sharp enough. Whatever the reason, I think I should be able to bite through a piece of lobster without having to gnaw it like a damn rodent!

The price was listed at Market (cowards). I'm guessing it was about $21 and came with chips and a pickle. A little over priced considering I've gotten rolls with way more lobster for a few bucks less but this is also pretty hardcore tourist country so I get it. I probably won't be rushing back to Beal's in the future, but with lobster on every corner on MDI, I'm ok with that.