Beautiful Beals Island Lobster Roll: Bayview Takeout

Sometimes the best surprises are discovered off the beaten path. On a recent trip up the coast, we explored just about every mile of the state from Bar Harbor to Lubec. Some of those miles were in the Jonesport/Beals area which I'm guessing might be the lobstering capital of Maine judging from the thousands of lobster traps everywhere! I seriously have never seen so many traps... they were stacked at least ten high on just about every surface on the waterfront.

We arrived on Beals Island mid-morning without having stopped for breakfast and I was ready to chew my own arm off I was so hungry. Unfortunately, the Island lacked a suitable breakfast joint so we stopped at the local Post Office for a recommendation. The woman there said if we could wait until eleven, the place across the street was the best in town. That place across the street was a little non-descript building with a couple of takeout windows called Bayview Takeout.

They don't have a website but their Facebook cover photo has a sign that boasts they've been voted Best Lobster Roll in Maine/Mass. Not that I needed any encouragement to eat one! I happily ordered my lobster roll the only way the menu offered it — LOBSTER ROLL - $20. I'm here to tell you that I think their sign tells the truth! That lobster roll was TO. DIE. FOR. And worth every penny of that $20. Hell, I might have paid more!

The first thing I noticed about my roll was its girth. This damn thing was stuffed with lobster to the point that the hot dog bun was almost lying flat open. And it appeared to be garnished with a full lobster claw. A lobster roll garnished with lobster? That, my friends, puts a huge smile on this girl's face. I didn't even flip out when the lobster blew out the bottom of my bun. How can you be mad about that? A bun blowout is the first sign they've loaded the roll with what some might call too much lobster. I call it just enough!

The split top hot dog bun was superbly buttery and grilled. The lobster was lightly dressed with just a smidge of mayonnaise. The chunks were the ideal size and cooked to perfection. There was no stupid lettuce. And the view was just what I would expect — the ocean beyond a dock holding a stack of lobster traps and buoys. Perfectly Maine.

If you're ever up that way... do stop in. (And take me with you!!)