West Commercial Lobster Roll: Clam Digger Restaurant

Every once in a while something sneaks up on you and surprises the shit out of you when you least expect it. And that's what happened the day I visited the newly dubbed Clam Digger Seafood Restaurant at the west end of Commercial Street on the outskirts of Portland's famed Old Port. You see... I drive by this establishment five mornings a week on my way to work. For the last million years or so, it has been a little run down shack called Benny's and as uninviting as it has always looked, I had this deep urge to try their lobster roll.

Over the past several months, I noticed some changes happening at the old Benny's – some improvements, some new picnic tables with nice umbrella's, some sprucing up of the old shack – and lastly, a new sign calling the upgrade Clam Digger. I was intrigued, to say the least. So one sunny lunchtime, I grabbed my favorite lunch buddy and headed on down to investigate.

Naturally, I ordered the lobster roll. Duh. The prices were reasonable for downtown Portland - the lobster roll alone was $19.99 and I upgraded with fries and coleslaw for an extra couple bucks. The next time I go back, I'll know that I don't even remotely need the fries and coleslaw – it was just too much food! (My lunch date didn't even finish her lobster roll! *insert surprised face emoji here*

Remember that thing I said about things sneaking up on you and surprising you? When I got my lobster roll, three things stuck out to me – things I generally despise when it comes to my lobster roll – the dreaded brioche roll, lettuce and big giant chunks of lobster. My hopes dimmed... I really wanted this place to be awesome.

So let's discuss...

First, the roll. The brioche... wasn't half bad. It actually didn't taste as briochey as I've had in the past and it was buttered up and grilled delightfully – I actually liked the damn thing. Yeah, I'm surprised too.

Second, the lettuce. A big leafy piece of lettuce was gently placed in the side so it was easily plucked out without dismantling the whole damn roll. Yay for garnishy lettuce!

And third, the big lobster chunks. This lobster was cooked to near perfection. Each chuck easily bit through without pulling a big piece off and into my lap. I was impressed. My only complaint would be the claw piece where the tip tasted a bit chalky but I'm not going slam them too hard for that. I've found that to be pretty common.

While I was eating this roll, I noticed that the mayo was applied directly to the roll and not mixed in with the lobster – something I'd never experienced but kinda liked. I also noticed that because of the amount of lobster in this thing, the beefier brioche roll was welcomed to hold it all together. Overall, I was quite pleased with the experience. The fries and cole slaw were tasty too... just too much!

According to the folks who waited on us, they hope to soon expand the business to include lobster bakes and live music at some point down the road. I'm glad someone is finally putting that place to good use and I hope people give them a shot! If you do... let me know what you thought.

High Rollin' Lobster Roll: The Highroller Lobster Co.

From the moment I saw this video after approximately 4,731,842 people sent it to me on Facebook, I've been obsessed with getting my paws on this magically cheesy creation from The Highroller Lobster Co. If you're not familiar with these folks, they operate a food cart in Portland and can be found most days at the corner of Commercial and Pearl Streets in the Old Port. I finally tracked them down at the Beer Meets Wood beer festival.

I've internally struggled with the offerings from Highroller because their traditional lobster roll is served on freshly baked brioche and I don't think I need to remind anyone how I feel about brioche. And, well, the cheesy lobster taco crisp isn't technically a lobster roll... but it would have to do. Just watching that video of how they construct the thing makes your mouth water and your brain short-circuit all at the same time.

The cheese taco crisp is completely off its rocker but it also contains four of my all-time favorite foods – lobster (duh), cheese, bacon, and avocado. Combine these ingredients and it's my equivalent of heaven. First, they take cheese and pile it on the grill, add some bacon pieces to it and fry that baby up. Once cooked, they make it into its taco shell shape, add some lettuce (I'm letting it go this time because it's a taco), lobster, avocado and two sauces of your choice (I picked lobster ghee and lime mayo.) When they first hand the thing to you, you're not quite sure how the hell to eat it.

My first few bites were just the shell because oh my god, crispy fried CHEESE! But then I decided to just dive in. I couldn't imagine how all these flavors were going to work together – especially since I've spent basically the entire summer preaching traditional lobster/bun/light mayo/butter/no lettuce. I'm here to tell you that this was one of the most delicious things I've stuffed into my face hole. I can't compare it to any of the other lobster rolls because it's in a delightful, cheesy class all by itself.

The only somewhat negative comment I could make is that the lobster was just a bit wet but it was still tasty. The price was average – $17 (+$1 for avocado, +$1 for bacon) – and I'm ok with that considering the labor that goes into producing this masterpiece. I've also decided that I want all my meals served in a cheesy bacon taco crisp.

I'm guessing time is running out on their season with the cool weather right around the corner so I suggest you get your butt downtown to see them. You might also find them at Bissell Brothers on a Saturday and if you follow them on Facebook or Instagram, they'll tell you exactly where they're going to be! I may need to get one more before the season ends!

The Nor'easter Lobster Roll: Boone's Fish House & Oyster Room

This post is waaaaay overdue and my apologies for being such a slacker. But it's getting really hard to get excited about writing a review on a bad lobster roll. And I seem to be on a current streak of sub par rolls. It's a tiny bit depressing.

This particular roll depressed me because overall I love Boone's Fish House & Oyster Room... I think most of their food is delicious and the location is on point. Their top deck on a beautiful sunny day is a spot I could park myself for a whole afternoon. (But don't forget your sunscreen because there's not an umbrella to be found!)

The Boone's lunch menu boasts three lobster rolls to choose from:

SHOAL COVE LOBSTER ROLL // knuckle + claw meat, mayo, lemon, shredded iceberg, grilled hot dog roll • $24.95 

NOR'EASTER // knuckle + claw meat, warmed in butter, grilled hot dog roll • $24.95 

COW ISLAND LOBSTER ROLL // pound and a quarter lobster, mayo, lemon, shredded iceberg, grilled hot dog roll • $30.95

I got the Nor'easter. Mainly for its lack of greenery.

Now that I look back, I wonder if it was even a good idea to order a lobster roll. Why didn't I just stick with my first choice? I would've been so happy with the fried scallop BLT. Or even a nice piece of haddock with a side of crispy brussel sprouts. But noooooo.... I had to get greedy. I see "lobster roll" on a menu and my mind goes all crazy and my eyes get big and I can think of nothing else.

First, let's talk about the "knuckle + claw" meat. WHAT? Back in the day, I would've jumpy clapped at the idea of just knuckle and claws because it took me a while to warm up to the texture of the tail meat. Hell, I didn't even like lobster until I was in my 20s. Crazy, right? I started small with the claws and worked my way up to the tail. So I'm by no means anti-claw.

This lobster roll was not good. There were some pieces of claw meat that almost looked chalky when I bit into them. How does that even happen? Overcooked? It grossed me out a little bit. If the flavor had been good, I probably could've overlooked the chalky claw ends... but, alas, the flavor was a disappointment too.

The best part of the lobster roll was the delightfully grilled bun and the side of very tasty, tangy potato salad. No really, that's the only nice thing I can say about the experience. To think this lobster roll is just about the same price as The Beach Plum. There's absolutely no comparison.

I often recommend Boone's for its location and food. I'll continue to do so... I'll just steer folks clear of the lobster rolls.

Portland Waterfront Lobster Roll: Portland Lobster Company

There aren't many spots along Portland's waterfront as cool as Portland Lobster Company. It sits on a pier to the right of DiMillo's and smack dab amidst the bustle of Commercial Street. PLC appears to be just a tiny spot from the outside, but once you order your food and head out back to the covered outdoor seating area, you see how massive the place really is. We went on a Monday, arrived at just about noon on the dot and the place was already 90% full.

They offer live entertainment all summer long and boast a pretty decent beer list. There's a great view of the harbor and working waterfront. And don't fret... if your party contains some non-lobster lovers (blasphemous!), there's plenty of items on the menu to satisfy those landlubbers. I love this spot... especially on a day when it's too hot to be baking in the sun and the covered seating area is a welcome reprieve when you just want to sit outside.

They have just one lobster roll on the menu - but one that was Voted BEST OF PORTLAND 2017.

THE LOBSTER ROLL - Fresh picked meat from one pound lobster, brushed with sweet butter. Served on a toasted roll with both mayonnaise and lemon, cole slaw and french fries on the side. MARKET

The market price was $16.99 that day which was a pleasant surprise. The big shock, however, was the lobster roll itself. It could be I expected too much from a place voted Best Of... or maybe they were bogged down with orders and didn't spend enough time preparing my lobster roll. Regardless, I was disappointed.

The roll was poorly toasted. It appeared to have no butter on it and may have been toasted for about eleven seconds. For me, this seems like the easiest thing to do so I'm always annoyed when it comes to me in this state. If you're going to say it's toasted, just make sure the damn thing is actually toasted. Is anyone tired of me saying "toasted" yet? Now it doesn't even sound like a real world...

There was a fair amount of lobster meat on the bun – a little haphazardly tossed on maybe, but an acceptable amount nonetheless. It was lightly dressed with butter which hardly tasted sweet and I was offered no mayo on the side (which I may have actually used this time!) The meat was a mix of claw and tail and well-cooked, but the lobster oddly tasted bland. This is not my first trip to PLC and I don't remember my previous lobster rolls to be tasteless so I'm confused what they did or didn't do.

Definitely, don't let this review sway you from visiting Portland Lobster Co. It's a great spot in Portland's Old Port and since this lobster roll was voted Best of, I feel like maybe there were just having an off day. They could've been short-staffed, their bun toaster might have called in sick... I just find it hard to believe that this is the quality of lobster roll that everyone is getting.

Commercial Street Lobster Rollin': Gilbert's Chowder House

Located on Portland's Commercial Street, Gilbert's Chowder House has been a waterfront fixture for as long as I can remember. You know... with me being so old and all. I haven't been there in years but what I do remember about them is the really awesome seafood chowder. This time I went there specifically for the lobster roll...naturally. My first one at this particular establishment.

They offered just one choice:
Maine Lobster Roll.... $16.95
(served with chips and a pickle)

My excitement over this lobster roll was pretty low which makes me realize that it's way more fun to write about a sandwich that you love than one you just feel meh about. I mean the lobster itself tasted okay – it was properly cooked – but it appeared to be all claw meat. If there was some tail in there, it was hard to find buried under all the claws. I also didn't go digging around for it.

The mayonnaise level was high. If you're going to put mayo on a lobster roll, you should add just enough to make someone wonder if it's even actually there. It needs to be lightly dressed... this one was definitely not lightly dressed. There were blobs even.

On the plus side, the bun was traditional, toasted and tasty. Sorry guys but the bread alone can't carry the lobster roll. The price was one of the cheapest I've seen this year. And Gilbert's also has a great little outdoor seating area with plenty of tables. The view is great if you're facing in the direction of the Portland Waterfront. (Otherwise, you're just looking at the building or the parking lot!)

Overall, it was a pretty lackluster lobster roll experience. But if you ask my lunch date, she'll tell you the seafood chowder is to die for so don't rule them out all together! Even I'll go back for the chowdah!