Kennebunkport Prelude Lobster Roll: Alisson's Restaurant & Pub

For the past few years, I've been trying to get down to see the Nubble Lighthouse in York all lit up for Christmas. Stuff happens and life gets in the way and I would always end up missing the window. But the stars aligned this holiday season and we found a Sunday evening to venture down south to see the lighthouse... and apparently so did every other human in the state. With a layer of fresh snow beckoning, the place was packed with hopeful photographers eager to get that perfect shot.

Lighthouses make me happy. Lighthouses decked in white lights make me downright giddy. So despite the cold weather and frigid wind, we hung out and snapped pics as the sky continued to darken. And behind us, the sky turned a brilliant orange as the sun disappeared. And then I was hungry.

We headed up Route 1 passing through quaint coastal town after quaint coastal town brilliantly decorated for the holidays. It was a lovely drive that found us making the right hand turn and heading into a quiet Kennebunkport to find a place to grab some dinner. We ended up at Alisson's Restaurant & Pub where a lively crowd had gathered and football graced every television screen.

After careful review of the menu, I settled on the Famous Maine lobster Roll. Duh. Mounds of Maine lobster lightly mixed with mayo in a grilled roll, served with french fries, coleslaw or deviled-egg potato salad for $19.95. When my meal arrived, I was quite pleased to see it served in a jumbo hot dog bun (that could've been toasted just a tad more) with a respectable amount of lobster meat. But that's where my pleasure ended. Sadly the potato salad was the best part of my dinner.

I'm not exactly sure what the problem was. The lobster meat didn't taste that great. It definitely wasn't a case of too much mayo or frozen lobster meat. It just tasted off. Well... not off enough that I didn't finish the sandwich, but it was definitely not making any headlines for me. I know there was fresh lobster available since I watched my husband devour the twin lobster special. (Or maybe the fresh lobster was reserved just for that special.) Dunno... it was a real head scratcher for me.

Newly Year-round Lobster Rolls: Bite Into Maine & Highroller Lobster Co.

When I began this lobster roll noshing adventure, it was my goal to only write one review per establishment. That was before the food truck/cart folks started opening brick and mortar operations and completely throwing my plan off its rocker. And when some of your favorite seasonal lobster rolls are now available year-round, that calls for a celebration... and a blog post.

As you may remember, Bite Into Maine was one of my favorite lobster rolls from last summer. With food trucks at Portland Head Light and Allagash Brewing, they've made the top of numerous lobster roll lists. When I heard they were opening a small place on Route 1 in Scarborough, I might have done my best Michael Flatley performance. (Hint: I probably looked more like a toddler standing on hot coals.)

Their spot on Route 1 is diminutive. With about enough seating for maybe a dozen diners, this location definitely lacks the capacity to handle summer crowds. Luckily they're not planning on giving up the food trucks anytime soon. The menu for the Scarbrough location has a few additions like Lobster Grilled Cheese ($11.95) and a Lobster BLT ($11.95). But they also stay true to the lobster rolls offered at the two food truck locations. During this visit, I decided to switch up my order and got the Maine Style with light mayonnaise and fresh chives ($17.95). As expected, it was friggin' delicious!

Now if that wasn't exciting enough for you, Highroller Lobster Co. has also graduated from food cart to a full blown restaurant on Exchange Street in Portland. The thought of being able to stuff that taco cheese crisp lobster roll thingy in my pie hole whenever I feel like it makes me ridiculously happy. (Cue more spazzy dancing.) And for that reason, I was excitedly there for lunch on the day they opened. It's a cool place. Lots of red and white with a big wooden lobster and a lot of amazing neon. Oh and a pretty killer and ever evolving beer list.

I thought about trying something different on that opening day menu. A traditional lobster roll perhaps? Maybe a Lobby Pop? It was tempting, but each time I read the menu description of that damn Lobster Cheese Crisp Taco ($17), I just couldn't pull the trigger on anything else. I mean it's cheese, it's lobster, it's avocado... it's ridiculous and delicious.

So go forth and be free of the seasonal and weather dependent food truck/cart and eat your lobster rolls or tacos or pops in rain, sleet or snow!