Sheepscot Bay Lobster Roll: Five Islands Lobster Company

One of my favorite off the beaten path spots along the coast is Five Islands Lobster Co. in Georgetown. As you drive into Five Islands, at first you think, holy crap, am I driving down someone's driveway? But then you come up on the huge working lobster wharf and a sea of picnic tables and you think, holy Maine! Five Islands sits on Sheepscot Bay just as it opens up to the Gulf of Maine and is known as the "prettiest harbor in Maine." I would have to agree... it's pretty damn scenic.

There's not much better than sitting only feet from where your lobster is plucked from the ocean knowing that it hasn't been languishing in a tank for a few days. Not only can you get a lobster roll, but they serve up good old cooked (in salt water) lobsters and fresh locally dug steamer clams. On the day I was there, it was late afternoon and the third stop on a lobster roll filled day. It was fun to watch out-of-towners navigate the intricacies of extracting the meat from the reddened shell or how exactly to tackle those bewildering steamed clams. You almost want to just help them before they starve to death!

Lobster Roll
Freshest in Maine! We pick our own lobster meat daily, add just a touch of mayonnaise and serve it on a buttered grilled hot dog bun with lettuce.

Big Boy Lobster Roll
When you can't get enough, make it a Big Boy! We stuff twice the amount of lobster meat into a homemade potato roll for twice the fun!

Most of you would've guessed I went for the Big Boy – not this time (mostly because I was afraid of the potato roll)! This regular lobster roll was pretty good and definitely fresh. I enjoyed the briny flavor of a lobster picked directly from the ocean and cooked perfectly in salt water. While there wasn't a boat load of meat in this roll, the flavor of the lobster was delicious and the light mayonnaise was not overwhelming. Heck, I wasn't even sure mine had any mayo. And then there was that useless piece of lettuce that served no purpose at all and I'm just going to ignore. I really loved the salty lobster, but overall I think the rest of the sandwich could be improved.

The bun was weakly grilled – not buttery or golden brown. Since it says they serve it on a buttered grilled hot dog bun, I'm wondering if the butterer was asleep on the job that day. Five Islands charges $19 and serves the lobster roll with chips. You can pay extra for fries or onion rings but after three lobster rolls in one day, I was fine with the tiny pile of ruffled potato chips. The price wasn't too bad although, for a few dollars less, I'd go back to McLoon's every time!

Seating at Five Islands is plentiful but I found the picnic tables to be a little dirty and sticky. Like maybe they didn't have that one person who went out and wiped them down a few times during the day. Or maybe that person was sleeping on the job too. Also, if it's a hot day, there's not much for relief from the sun since there aren't many tables with umbrellas. They don't serve alcohol but you're welcome to BYOB!

I would still definitely give this one a thumbs up and say it's worth the short drive to Georgetown if only for that quintessential Maine view and the beauty of Sheepscot Bay. You could even swing in for some takeout and dine on the beach at Reid State Park just ten minutes away!