Where to Find the Best New England Lobster Roll in Winter

Robert’s Kittery, Maine. or more casual, Bob’s across the street.

Mac’s Seafood Market and Kitchen in Eastham, MA makes a superb hot lobster roll. Check them out if you’re on the Cape in the winter (or the rest of the year for that matter!)

You left out Vermont. The Anchor Seafood Restaurant in Wilmington, Vermont has great lobster rolls. And I know you are going to disagree with this, but: in my neighborhood in Glendale, Queens, NYC, the local Stop & Shop has lobster rolls all year long for $8.99. We all know the lobster meat is thawed out from being frozen. But they still give you a claw and piece of tail. It’s great comfort in the dead of winter.

Hi again, Mike: It has already been a very long winter in the entire coastal areas of Massachusetts, as I’m sure you’re well aware, not to mention the entire eastern seaboard!!!!!!!!! The Barking Crab on Sleeper St. in Boston, MA seaport district has already been under water from the March Nor’easter!). My mothers’ cousin Stu (his real name was Jacob!) rented a house at Salisbury, MA beach every summer for the entire summer (fortunately it was away from that beach, on a street near the beach. There is a street both in front and in back of that house, which always had a lot of traffic when we visited him there frequently). He used to direct traffic, in the middle of the back street, when we needed to get cars in or out! His wife worked for IRS (they lived at 225 Foster St. in Lowell, MA, which is the neighborhood where Charlenes’ apartment was located, the Highlands, in the movie The Fighter) and was paid unemployment benefits for the entire summer when they had no work for her. He was orphaned young and my mothers’ family raised him, so the sky was the limit when we visited. He liked Brown’s Lobster Pound in Seabrook, NH, where he took us frequently for lobsters. I also love their delicious fried clams and onion rings (I know they had a fire last August). He also took us to a fabulous restaurant in Dover, NH, The Flagstones, which was very elegant where my mother took me for lunch when she had business there (Dad asked me when we returned to his store where we ate and I “very importantly” informed him we ate at Tombstones!!!, we also ate there several times, my father really liked it too, while I was at UNH, and he didn’t even laugh at me!!!!!!…lobster stew, my very favorite…I have the Locke Ober (now out of business) recipe that they served to JFK (it is a 2-day project making, so I decided to “eat it elsewhere”), whom I met when he was campaigning; he stopped to talk to me and my friend Peggy, I will never forget meeting him; he really had a way about him!), which was near Newick’s; that building was torn down many years ago. That area is called Broad Cove where Newick’s is located. I had an apartment while I was at UNH and bought and cooked many Newick’s lobsters, which were $1.10/pound in the fall when there was red tide that summer affecting the clams in that area. I ate them every week. I love Newick’s fried clams and onion rings, also! Another of my mothers’ cousins had a home on Ocean Boulevard in Rye, NH (Salisbury, MA and Rye, NH were also flooded in this storm…Ocean Boulevard in Rye, NH was closed due to this nasty storm), where I visited him several weekends while I was at UNH. He was really fun, too, and liked taking me to Newick’s. There was a tv program called Tombstone Territory, which obviously stuck in my young mind regarding having lunch at The Flagstones!!!!!!!!!! I have recently discovered, “poking around” on the internet Lena’s Seafood in Salisbury, MA, which is supposed to open for the season soon, yikes!, since Salisbury, MA beach was just flooded out, worst storm there in over 50 years a beach resident said who was interviewed on WCVB-TV, Needham, MA, makes batter fried clams, looks like that opening is going to be delayed. I’m looking forward to going there for them, having always gone to Newick’s and Brown’s Lobster Pound for fried clams. Lena’s’ batter fried onion rings are also supposed to be outstanding, I’m looking forward to having those with their batter fried clams. Their lobster rolls are also supposed to be outstanding. That business was originally on Salisbury, MA beach; that property is now condos. My husband and I have gone to Newport, RI many times over the years. That’s one of the first places he took me after I met him in 1980. We ate at several fun places there and we never ate at Anthony’s Seafood, which we have driven by countless times. I saw their feature on Diners, Drive-Ins, Dives a long time ago and I am aware their food in their restaurant and adjoining fish market are outstanding. I just read all of their Yelp reviews. I’m looking forward to eating there and buying fish and scallops to bring home to cook, as well. Looks like we’re having another Nor’easter this Wed…fortunately I haven’t had too much trouble “getting around” this winter. My husband grew up in Hull, where they had to build a concrete sea wall long ago the entire length of the bay side beach, which was one block from the house his mothers’ mother had built for his family to live in. She was over 80 when she passed away. Having grown up where he did, my husband made sure our house wasn’t “on the water”!!!!!!!! There is an estuary with marsh grass 1/2 mile from the house. That’s the “closest” my husband wanted to be to the Atlantic Ocean when we bought this house in 1986!!!!!!!!!! I’m also very impressed with Matunuck Oyster Bar, however, I’m not “wild about oysters”. I went on his website and watched his video and also saw a program about him on the RI Public television station. He is really something!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How could you not include The Beach Plum Restaurant. Their lobster rolls have been voted the best of the best in the NH seacoast countless times!??

The “Chart room” at Kingman Marina in Pocassette ma has an amazing Lobster Roll. In the summer ( they are only open Memorial Day thru Labor Day) the also have Crab salad stuffed local tomatoes…so delicious????

O’Rourke’s Bar& Grille in historic Pawtuxet Village, Cranston, RI has the best lobster roll. Sells out constantly. Summer & Winter. Your first won’t be your last.