Sea Salt Lobster in Saco, ME: Back in the Saddle Again!

Dear loyal readers... well hello again! After a bit of a lobster roll reviewing hiatus (2+ years... yikes), I'm back! I'm definitely not saying I haven't had a lobster roll in over two years, but of the three I ate in the summer of 2021, only one really warranted a review so I'll be going back to Erika's Seafood in Harpswell to get a do-over of what I remember to be a phenomenal roll. And we all remember the lobster prices during the summer of 2022 - I think I may have had only one last year. You honestly can’t be any more disappointed in me than I already am in me.

The new and improved lobster roll reviewer in me has decided to let go of many of my pet peeves in 2023 and just eat the damn lobster roll as it is served to me. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll order some of those not-so-traditional types and see what happens. So give me lettuce if you must… but just know, I still draw a hard line at celery. Celery will never belong in a lobster roll. NEVER.

On Saturday, I headed down to Sea Salt Lobster on Route 1 in Saco for lunch. Sea Salt opened in 2015 and according to the website, they're a modern take on Maine's Lobster Shack. The menu offers tastes ranging from traditional lobster and crab rolls to fried seafood options to burgers.

Sea Salt offers five different lobster rolls - each served with a choice of fries or house-made seasoned potato chips and cole slaw. Market Price was $30. We all know how I feel about “Market Price” but it’s become so common lately, it’s hard to fault a place for doing it.

Saco: Mixed with mayo with iceberg lettuce

OOB: Warm mixed with butter

Town Line: Mixed with mayo topped with melted butter served with iceberg lettuce

Biddeford Pool: Mixed with mayo, bacon, lettuce and tomato

Kennebunkport: Mixed with cilantro lime aioli with red pepper pickled cabbage, Pico de Gallo, and cajun

I ordered the Town Line because if you offer me mayo AND butter, I’m going to pick that option every single time! It was pretty damn decadent. The buttery, perfect grill on the New England-style hot dog roll immediately made my mouth water. And yes, there was lettuce, but not a ton and it was shredded and did not act as a filler. The lobster was prepared well and tossed in mayo and then doused in more butter. If there’s enough butter present so it’s basically running down my arm as I eat the roll, that is a good day! I went with the house-made chips which were delicious, and my lunch date said the fries were great too!

Sea Salt is a cute little restaurant with a good selection of beer, wine, and cocktails and a great spot for lunch or dinner. Next time I might have to try the Biddeford Pool because, well, BACON! 

Kennebunkport #2 Lobster Roll: The Boathouse

Procrastination: the action of delaying or postponing something. 

I am a master of procrastination. Mostly it occurs when I'm not exactly excited about doing something and in this case, I have very little love for the lobster roll you're about the read about. This is by far a record for the longest delay in posting a review - I ate this lobster roll on December 6, 2018 – over FIVE months ago! I'm not saying I've gone this long without actually consuming a lobster roll, but over the winter I tend to frequent proven establishments like Bite Into Maine.

So back to the roll at hand. Last December, our holiday luncheon for work took place at The Boathouse in Kennebunkport, Maine. The Boathouse is a waterfront hotel and restaurant located on the banks of the Kennebunk River. It's a bright and sunny spot with super views. I honestly wouldn't mind going back and trying something else on the menu because, you guessed it, I wasn't impressed with their lobster roll.

The Lobster Roll
Mayo, lemon, chive, New England roll
$28

Like many I've disliked, at first glance, it looked so yummy. Lettuce-less and full of lightly mayo'd lobster, I happily dove in. And unhappily forced myself to finish... The main problem with this lobster roll was the temperature of the meat – it was ICE cold. So cold that it gave the lobster a slimy texture that did not work for me.

I honestly never in my life thought I would have complaints on the temperature of lobster meat. It didn't necessarily taste frozen, but it appeared that were keeping the crustacean on ice... lots and lots of ice. When I think back, I kind of roll my eyes at myself because holy crap, am I that much of a lobster snob that I need to have it at an optimum temperature to not bitch and whine about it? I was so distracted by it that I didn't even really grumble about the bready roll which I also sort of hated.

Also, can we just talk about the price? You've got to be pretty full of yourself to charge $28 for a mediocre lobster roll. Geez, even Red's Eats doesn't charge that much and if you've been there, you know what I'm talking 'bout. I now direct my eye-rolling at the person who sets the pricing on this menu. It was a rare occasion that I would've been happy for a "Market Price" tag.

Now that spring is here, expect to see more here on the blog. And hopefully, I'll have some kick-ass lobster rolls this season that blow my socks off! As per usual, if you have a favorite I should add to my list, let me know!

Potato Chip Lobster Roll?: Lay's New England Lobster Roll

Lay's Potato Chips released eight new temporary chip flavors as this past summer in an effort to highlight the local cuisine of regions around the country – a promotion called Taste of America. The eight flavors were available in stores regionally for a short time – Chesapeake Bay Crab Spice (Mid-Atlantic), Pimento Cheese (Southeast), Cajun Spice (Gulf Coast) Chile Con Queso (Southwest), Deep Dish Pizza (mid-America), Fried Pickles (Midwest), Thai Sweet Chile (Pacific Northwest) and, why we're all here today – New England Lobster Roll.

When I first saw this, I was skeptical. I might have even made a PFFFFFT sound knowing full well not even the most skilled potato chip maker could pull off this flavor. And definitely not without it tasting like the Portland waterfront smells on a 95-degree day. And honestly, I wasn't keen on putting that flavor in my mouth.

But you know the story... one friend buys a bag, then another friend buys a bag and the next thing that happens is you've been peer pressured into buying a bag and trying them. But it's a friggin chip and I knew it wasn't going to kill me to give it a go. So I ate the whole bag... for the good of the blog!

Once I actually had this bag of chips in my hands, I couldn't wait to stuff a whole handful in my mouth. I'm not going to lie... I'm not the most graceful chip eater. I love chips so much, I can't eat them fast enough. I wanted to bust open the bag in the car on the way home from the store, but surprisingly, I showed a little restraint and waited...

I know the suspense is killing you so I'll just come out and say it: THESE CHIPS TASTED ABSOLUTELY NOTHING LIKE A LOBSTER ROLL. There wasn't so much as even the essence of lobster. It was almost as if the taste testers of these chips had never even been in the same area code as a lobster. When I perused the ingredients of this product, nowhere did I see the mention of lobster in any form... but one ingredient listed was called New England Lobster Roll seasoning. Huh? I call bullshit. Lay's threw some spices together and voila – let's give it a fancy name!

Here's where you're probably thinking I hated these chips with a passion. Nothing is farther from the truth. While the chips tasted as far from a lobster roll as humanly possible, they were very tasty. I detected the base chip to be sour cream and onion which is generally not my favorite Lay's flavor but the seasoning boosted them to a different level. And the "seasoning"? Definitely NOT lobster roll flavored, but familiar. My guess is they just took the same flavor from the Chesapeake Bay Crab Spice and threw it on these chips. HELLOOOOOOO... have you ever heard of Old Bay??

I'd eat another bag in a heartbeat if they were still available in the stores. I would just imagine they were called something other than New England Lobster Roll... because that is a LIE!