Kennebunkport Lobster Roll #3: The Clam Shack

I read a lot of "Best Of" lists when it comes to lobster rolls - always looking for the one that got away. Sometimes I agree with the list maker and sometimes I wonder if they were on crack when they ate the lobster roll and sometimes I wonder if they actually ate the damn thing. The Clam Shack in Kennebunkport shows up on those lists. A lot. I've been trying to get down there for years to try their offering, but Kennebunkport can be daunting to locals on a summer Saturday with its swarms of tourists – but because of our current situation, I figured I'd give it a shot.

The Clam Shack is 100% on board with all the COVID-19 safety precautions. There are many requests to wear masks any time you're not at your table – so many signs that not wearing a mask is (like the tourists in front of me in line) just friggin' barbaric. I watched the staff carefully sanitize each socially distant picnic table after each party left so I felt super safe!

The Clam Shack sits on the Kennebunk side of the bridge overlooking the Kennebunk River right in the middle of all the action. It's hard to miss. It's a true shack so you order at the window and the masked/gloved staff member delivers the food to your table. I ordered the Lobster Roll Lunch Box for $23.95 which includes the lobster roll, pickle slices, coleslaw, and fries. I was excited about this roll despite it not being served on the traditional split top roll – I am a traditionalist, after all.

The Clam Shack has an entire page on their website dedicated to their lobster roll:

NO FRILLS, BUT WORTH ALL THE FUSS  

Our lobster roll is an award-winning take on the classic New England sandwich. It's become a rock star in the Maine seafood scene, receiving culinary accolades from major food publications to national television shows. The Clam Shack roll crushes the competition because of our commitment to using fresh, locally sourced ingredients and never compromising on quality.

So the good news... the lobster meat was delicious. Boiling the bugs in fresh seawater makes the meat so incredibly salty and delightfully sweet. I have a hard time believing there are lobster shacks out there that don't prepare the meat in this way. Also, when ordering, they'll ask if you'd like mayo, butter, or both. Pick both. Definitely pick both. It's mildly life-altering. I only wish there was more of it on my plate.

And the bad news... as much as I wanted to be on board with the hamburger/bulky-style roll, I found it to be too distracting. Because only the inside of the bun is grilled, you miss out on the crunch of buttery, toasted goodness that the New England style roll provides. The "Reilly Roll," locally made in Biddeford, was also just bready and sweet enough to overpower the amount of lobster meat on the sandwich. If they piled up the lobster meat a little more, I think the bun may have worked a little better.

I really wanted to love this sandwich, but my feelings were mixed. For me, a lobster roll is all about the lobster and how it's prepared and how it tastes – not the bread. A nice traditional hot dog roll is not an overpowering flavor and if it's buttered and grilled perfectly, the only real taste it brings to the lobster is butter. And I'm not sure there's anything that pairs with lobster better than butter. 

In the end, while the bun didn't work for me, the lobster did so if you don't mind a bready lobster roll, you may love this one. I'm curious if others feel this way or I'm just too picky about my bread!