Cundy's Harbor Lobster Roll: Holbrook's Lobster Wharf + Grille

Just another summer evening and a drive up to the Mid Coast. That seems to be our go-to activity in these weird, germy times. My biggest fear is that I'm going to leave my house and forget my mask. Our destination: Cundy's Harbor... or Cundy's Hahbah, depending on where you're from. I guess I say the latter. 

There's really not much happening in this Harpswell neighborhood unless you're a lobsterman or a local. Regardless, I'll never take for granted being able to hop in the car to drive a coastal route or just find a spot to stare out at the ocean. I would seriously sell a kidney to be able to afford to live on the coast with its cool ocean breezes and sticky salt air. To be woken up by the squawking seagulls rather than the neighbor's obnoxiously loud chickens.

Ok... that's enough dreaming for one afternoon. Let's get down to the good stuff. We stumbled upon Holbrook's Lobster  Wharf + Grille on our drive and just in the nick of time as the "hangries" were starting to set in (that's the last time I forget to eat my post-work snack!) My first thought was that this place was completely adorbs. Pots and baskets of flowers littered every surface and there was ample outdoor seating along the wharf. We picked out a spot at the very end overlooking the water where we were entertained by a seal on the hunt for his dinner.

Lobster Roll: $18.99

I'll start with the high points of the lobster roll. This thing was delicious - the best tasting lobster I've had all summer. I'm guessing that crustacean went from trap to table to my trap all in the span of about 30 minutes. I haven't had lobster that tasted that salty and fresh in a long time. It made my heart and my taste buds wicked happy! The roll wasn't overly stuffed, but the meat in it was top quality and flavor. If it was mixed with any mayo, it was not easily detected. The roll was nicely toasted and served its purpose of holding all that beautiful lobster together while not contributing a whole lot to the overall flavor. 

As usual, the low points of the experience make me sound like a picky asshole. Would you believe me if I said I was trying to be better about that? No? Me neither. 

The price was the first thing that irked me. I found $18.99 to be high for just the lobster roll. No chips, no coleslaw, no pickle... nothing included at all. I didn't even get a plate to put it on. It just came in its little ol' cardboard holder. That's what happens when two people order two meals and there's one tray of food. I splurged an extra $2.99 for a small side of rather tasty potato salad. And if you're going to charge nineteen bucks for a lonely lobster roll, at least fill the bun until it's threatening to burst.

But seriously, if you're in the area, swing in for a bite. I also think this joint might be a BYOB establishment... or the people sitting near us may have just smuggled in the booze illegally. Next time I'll show up prepared!

Harpswell Neck Lobster Roll: Estes Lobster House

Harpswell, Maine is one of those towns I just love to explore but don't get there enough. Seems that whenever we find ourselves up that way, we always hang a left and head to Orrs Island – pulled by the promises of great food (especially the lobster rolls) and amazing desserts at Morse's Cribstone Grill.

So this one Saturday, my lobster roll hunting co-pilot for the day suggested we explore some of the hidden gems of Harpswell – and who am I to turn down that kind of adventure? I would love to tell you all about those hidden gems, but then the secret would be out and, well, if you don't know about them already then you'll just have to use your imagination. But you know... exploring off-the-beaten-path beaches really works up an appetite!

Estes Lobster House is a place I've probably passed a dozen times in various trips to this part of the state but never stopped. It's literally on a strip of Harpswell Neck Road that might be 100 feet from water on one side to water on the other side. It's a great location with a spectacular view and it's been around since 1947! The restaurant is situated so that if you're sitting outside on the patio in the evening, you'll (hopefully) be treated to a stunning sunset.

Estes has been on my mental list of places to try a lobster roll so I figured, hell, I'm already here... let's give it a shot. The menu describes their offering... Fresh Lobster Roll - Hand-picked lobster meat lightly mixed with mayo on a toasted oversized roll.
(Comes with fries OR coleslaw) $20.99

The first red flag was "toasted oversized roll." This scared me just a tiny bit because, to me, that phrase just screams "brioche!" And just because I had ONE good experience with the brioche style roll, I'm not all in (or even really partially in) on these doughy monsters. Strike one... this thing was so bready and giant, I wanted to cry. Just look at the picture and tell me you don't think that is just waaaay too much bread.

Ok... next step... let's see how the lobster tastes. It was lightly dressed with mayo so that's nice and the lobster tasted pretty good. Unfortunately, there just wasn't enough of it to overtake the bread. And as I got to the end, there were some pieces of my lobster that tasted a slightly slimy which made me gag just a little. Maybe that was a result of the heavy ratio of claw meat in the roll? I dunno... it was weird.  The coleslaw was great though...

A part of me wants to go back to Estes to try some fried seafood or something else on their menu. It's such a cool spot and the place is like a complete throwback inside... something tells me that they need another chance to impress me. So don't shun it just because the lobster roll wasn't great!