Have Lobsters Jumped The Shark? NYC's Five Millionth Lobster Roll Place Opens

The Underground Lobster Roll Pusher (Courtesy Cody Raisig/Thrillist)

It was fun a couple of years ago when a lobster glut contributed to a big lobster roll boom in NYC, with the excellent Luke's Lobster opening up and an underground lobster guy delivering illegal rolls to street corners. But now it seems like the city is crawling with lobster rolls, and with the opening of The Claw in Chelsea—where a lobster roll sets you back $16.50—we're about ready to tear off our plastic bibs and pull an Eddie Furlong on this lobster tank crane game.

The Claw's $16.50 roll seems to be setting a new standard for overpriced crustaceans on a roll—at least at casual joints. The small "shack" is the kind of place where, according to Urban Daddy, you'll sit on "a white banquette beneath a wicker ceiling fan and treat yourself to a basket of crab beignets (yourself will thank you) or some brioche-topped lobster mac." In Greenpoint, it gets even more obscene: The lobster rolls at The Lobster Joint cost $17! Luke's Lobster's rolls have crept up to $15 (originally $14), while Ditch Plains costs $14 and the long-running Red Hook Lobster Pound weighs in at $16.

At the Urban Lobster Shack, meanwhile, you can get a "decent" $11 roll that, according to Midtown Lunch, "tastes somewhat like lobster." On the other end of the spectrum, there's Ed’s Lobster Bar in Soho, where the roll costs $27 and critic Ryan Sutton says it tastes "awful."

Still, we have to admit there's something irresistible about buttery, succulent lobster meat nestled in a perfectly toasted roll—and all this trash talking about lobster rolls has us craving just one more for the road. Then that's IT, it's time to fetishize another seafood sandwich concent. Clam Rolls, your time has come.

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By John Del Signore in Food on December 20, 2011 5:20 PM

Comments [rss]

FreeDumb1

hold the mayo

FreeDumb1

Lukes is good

anon

It amazes me that people enjoy ruining their lobster with mayonnaise. For the price of these lobster rolls, its so much tastier (and healthier) to get a nice 1 1/4 lb broiled lobster.

Ian MacAllen

You can never get enough good lobster rolls. But lobster rolls are only acceptable when its also acceptable to wear white.

karate

Luke's Lobster is hands down the best lobster roll in NYC. It is every bit as good as the real thing that I've had for years and years up in Maine and on Cape Cod - often far better. New England spots love to serve their lobster rolls drenched in mayo which is insane. Luke's ROCKS!

And in the interest of science I sought out the Red Hook Lobster Truck, thinking that it would be good to have a backup plan... HUGE waste of time and money. Red Hook's rolls were pre-made, with the lobster sitting in the roll for God knows how long, making the bread totally waterlogged. You walk up, pay and they hand you a room temp., wilted roll. Awful, avoid and seek out Luke's instead.

Luke's makes every roll while you wait. Best damn street food in NYC!

soulsisterq

I agree! And Luke's makes an excellent crab roll, too!

bearzy123

and shrimp roll

Mr Mel

I paid $25 for a lobster roll at Dock's the other night. It wasn't great but the people I was with were.

Detex

Yup, got to go to New England to get a good one. It is amazing what people will pay in the city. In Maine or even CT they are $10 tops!

FreeDumb1

days lobster shack freeport maine at least 15$ a roll

TheRealCannibal

Have to agree, Ed's Lobster bar is a shameful institution. Apart from being overpriced, they just aren't any good.

I will be happy when the lobster roll trend dies.