This Lobster Roll Sits on a Throne of Lies: Scarborough Fish & Lobster

The title for this blog post just came tumbling out of my head when I was thinking back to the feelings I had about this lobster roll. My plan was to change it but as time passed, I just figured it was appropriate. Maybe the next person won't get duped like I did.

The lie starts before you even get in the door of Scarborough Fish & Lobster on Route 1 in Scarborough. There's a folding roadside sign boasting "Maine's Best Lobsta Roll." Now I've had a lot of lobster rolls around this state and I'm not sure I can even say there's a best. I have favorites for different reasons – but honestly, I have yet to encounter the perfect lobster roll experience. Don't make claims you can't stand behind.

The order is simple – Lobster Roll - $13. I'm 99% sure this is the second cheapest lobster roll I've reviewed on this blog after the Patch's Variety disaster of 2018. As I sat at a semi-dirty picnic table amongst several steaming lobster pots, I wondered what the hell I had gotten myself into. I desperately hoped to be pleasantly surprised.

The lobster roll was delivered to the table and at first glance, I was impressed with the presentation. The full claws sticking out each end of the roll was an adorable touch, but that's where my praise screeches to a whiplash-inducing stop. As I inspected the status of the hot dog bun, I noticed I was given an end roll – so it's like getting a sandwich using the part of the bread that almost every single person will reach past for the good slices. Was I being targeted? Did I snub someone in the kitchen? To add insult to injury, it was over toasted and not buttered – not a good start.

Could the lobster be this roll's only semi saving grace? The answer to that question would be not a chance. It was tasteless. It was sad. It was a complete waste of my time. So much so that I don't even want to waste any more time writing about this disaster. Over and out on this one.

Sorry, Scarborough Fish & Lobster... I had high hopes for this quirky little seafood shack.

The Other Wiscasset Lobster Roll: Sprague's Lobster

One Friday last summer, I made the decision to finally try Red's Eats in Wiscasset, ME. As promised by basically everyone, it was delicious – a ridiculous lobster roll with an obscene amount of lobster meat. But it was also a pain in the ass. The line was enormous, even getting there a 1/2 hour before they opened, and we waited over an hour for that tasty little morsel. So your feelings are definitely conflicted – am I blissfully happy because the lobster roll is just THAT GOOD... or am I bitterly annoyed that it took THAT LONG?!

Several people asked if I had ever been to Sprague's Lobster directly across the street. Huh? There's another lobster roll joint across the street? I mean I probably passed it a hundred times but never really knew anything about it. So this summer, Sprague's gets its turn and I was anxious to see how they compared to their greedy neighbors across Route 1.

It was an overcast Saturday and when we arrived in Wiscasset, it was the same ol' shit. A crawling line of traffic slowly snaking its way down Route 1 through the quaint downtown area. When we finally made it to our destination, Red's had a line that looked to be a good hour and a half to two hours long... and I was able to find a parking spot in Sprague's small lot so things were looking pretty good.

The line at Sprague's was maybe three people. Perfect. The expansive dock was a welcome spot with a view of the Sheepscot River, a plethora of picnic tables and even a few retailers peddling some crafty wares. You place your order at the little shack and they call your number... like any normal seafood takeout spot. And their menu is rather extensive with several non-seafood options in addition to anything from lobster and crab rolls to full-on lobster dinners.

So naturally, I ordered a lobster roll. (I mean, that would be pretty funny if I spent all this time writing a blog post and just ordered a hamburger.) The sign was simple - Lobster Roll - $21.99 - no other information. (Be warned, this place is cash-only but they do have an ATM right there.)

Now for the good stuff. Upon first inspection, the lobster roll appeared to be top notch. The traditional hot dog bun was nicely toasted and there was a substantial amount of naked lobster meat... I love a place that has the confidence to serve their lobster with no dressing. The roll tasted fresh and delicious but there were a few pieces of tail meat that were just a tad chewier than I prefer. And the pieces were big so the fact that you have to try and bite the tail meat in half will often highlight it's chewiness. But it definitely didn't ruin my day because in the end, it was still pretty damn tasty.

Overall, I thought it was a great spot - so much less stressful than Red's. The nice girl at the take-out window also told us it was ok if we brought our cooler of beer to have with our lobster rolls. These places will always get high praise because who doesn't love a BYOB establishment. She just suggested we go to the hidden picnic tables (which honestly were the best because they were right on the river side of the dock.)

Route One Lobster Roll: Day's Crabmeat & Lobster

Tucked along Route 1 in Yarmouth, Day's Crabmeat and Lobster sits on the banks of the Cousins River. I've driven by this place a gazillion times but this was the first time I actually stopped – having heard good things about their offerings. This particular Sunday, I had taken the dog over to Wolfe's Neck State Park for a little adventuring and was in desperate need of some sustenance so I swung in to see if they lived up to the hype.

Day's is a takeout window with outdoor seating out back that overlooks the river. It's not a bad little spot for being right on Route 1. I knew this was going to be a tricky feat to pull off with the leash of a less than agreeable bloodhound in one hand and my food in the other, but I was up for the challenge and I was hungry. The order is simple...

Day's Famous Lobster Roll.... market price
Day's fresh picked lobster, cut up and served on a grilled roll, with our without mayo and pickle.

The day I was there the market price was $14.99 which isn't a bad price at all! Once I got my roll and lemonade, the dog and I headed out back to find a picnic table away from the other diners so she wouldn't be tempted to make any unwanted visits to neighboring tables. I got all situated and ready to eat my lunch and realized I forgot my phone in the car and I needed to take a picture of this damn thing. So sadly, I ended up just eating in the car. Not very exciting for me or the dog.

Overall this lobster roll was okay... not fantastic, but not completely terrible. The traditional split top bun was nicely grilled and there was a good amount of lobster stuffed into it, but there was just too much mayo. The person who took my order never asked "with or without" mayo as it stated on the menu... I most certainly would've left the mayo off this one. Shame on me for not saying I didn't want the mayo. There were a few pieces of lobster that were a bit big and slightly too tough to easily bite through. But the price was right!

I'm not ruling Day's out for another visit. It's a cool little place and conveniently located and I'd really like to try it with no mayo... I think the amount of mayo on this roll was just too distracting. I think the next time I'll also visit sans dog.

Lobster Roll With a Side of Lobster: Red's Eats

I've lived in Maine my entire life and this was the first time I had ever dined at Red's Eats in Wiscasset. (I was beginning to feel like I should have my Maine-ah status revoked!) Located on Route One in the "Prettiest Village in Maine," Red's has been a seafood mecca for over 75 years. Needless to say, I was pretty excited to finally be sampling what some claim to be the best lobster roll in Maine! I've driven by this place so many times only to find a line that wrapped around the building and looked to be hours long so I was prepared to wait and crossed my fingers that I didn't waste time in line for crap.

Let's get the bad stuff out of the way first... the way they operate immediately annoyed me. If you say you open at 11:30 am, and you have a line that stretches halfway down the block, you should OPEN AT 11:30! They were 5-10 minutes late opening... and I had skipped breakfast so I was extra hungry for this lobster roll.

We arrived in line at 11:20 am and finally made it to the window at 12:20 pm. Not horrible, but when I got to the window to order, I realized that there was one window for both ordering and picking up your orders. And there was one person taking orders and plating orders which caused a bit of a log jam in an already tight area. Seems to me if you cut another hole in the building and made a "pick up" window with a different person handing out the orders, that might make the line go a little faster. But I've never owned a take-out joint so what the hell do I know. Or maybe they want that constant line so the people driving by, slowing down and jamming up traffic wonder what the heck all those poeple are waiting for! It helped a tiny bit that the pleasant girl at the window apologized and thanked us for being patient.

Now to the good stuff... Your order is simple at Red's: LOBSTER ROLL. It comes naked, with a side of butter. The end.

When my number was finally called to collect my feast, I nearly skipped up to the window. Even the crowd of pushy people and giant dog under foot couldn't foul my mood. The first thing I noticed? A massive amount of lobster. Like so ridiculous you couldn't even see the bun. Too much lobster? Never! Anyone who says that's too much lobster clearly hates lobster. There was so much you couldn't even pick up the bun, so I had to kick a bunch of pieces onto my tray... hence my lobster roll with a side of lobster!

The traditional split top roll was grilled fairly well but not that buttery grilled I love so much and it was a little smushed. I guess that's to be expected when there are about 100 pounds of lobster meat jammed into it.

Piping hot Kate's homemade butter was served on the side. They have a tea kettle of butter going continuously and pour a side of it right before they hand you the tray. The cold, fresh lobster was chunked a bit bigger than I prefer but the meat was tender and I didn't feel as though I needed piranha teeth to bite through a piece. A recent CBS Sunday Morning story featuring Red's said they use the meat of a whole lobster in every roll. I don't believe it for one second -- I'm pretty sure there was more than that! And all for just $22! (The prices have come down quite a bit since the spring.)

We found a nice clean table in a shady area at which to enjoy our lobster rolls. The view is not half bad with the Sheepscot River visible through a sea of blue umbrellas. I recommend this joint as a stop on your way up Route One if you're not in too much of a hurry and don't mind standing in line.

Falmouth Lobster Roll: Foreside Tavern

I should've written this review weeks ago but I just couldn't bring myself to put pen to paper... or fingers to keys might be more accurate. The Foreside Tavern on Route 1 in Falmouth is not a restaurant I associate with lobster rolls and when I saw it on the menu, I briefly considered ordering, but then moved on to nachos... or something equally as hard to screw up. But then my two dining mates both declared they would be having the lobster roll. Maybe it was peer pressure but I caved, threw caution to the wind and ordered it.

Boy, was I sorry. This was probably the worst lobster roll I've had so far this year. I feel like I was drawn in by the promise of brown butter (and not wanting to be the only one at the table not eating a lobster roll), but I should've been scared away by the brioche.

LOBSTER ROLL
Brown Butter, Brioche
MKT

The brioche bun was... distracting. It was grilled (yay) but it was SO bready that I couldn't actually taste the lobster (boo). To remedy the situation, I had to tear off about two inches of the bread and push the remaining lobster into what was left of the bun so I could taste the lobster. This might have been mistake number two.

The lobster was served warm with brown butter. I've only had a couple of lobster rolls where the lobster was served warm and I've come to the conclusion I prefer my lobster cold. If not prepared correctly when warming it up, guess what happens? The lobster dries out. Bleck! And what they called "brown butter" wasn't very flavorful and just made the lobster look dirty.

At one point, I started to think maybe I had consumed so many lobster rolls this summer that my taste buds had become lobster snobs so I asked my lunch dates if it was just me or was this roll not great. They both agreed with me so this is not me or my taste buds being picky.

Sadly, for the first time this summer, I didn't finish my lobster roll. The bread to lobster ratio was too high and I ended up eating the last few bites of lobster meat out of that dreadful roll because I wasn't about to leave lobster behind no matter what! The price was listed as Market and I don't actually know what they were charging, but whatever the price, I'm sure it was too much. Stick to the regular menu items here... it's not a bad place, just not the right place to for this particular meal.

After reviewing four consecutive sub par rolls, I'm looking forward to telling you all about some great ones so stay tuned!