Seeing as my food tours are all about terroir, it’s not surprising that I try very hard to always taste the local food or dish whenever I travel. (This is actually so second-nature for me that I find it strange when others around me don’t do the same thing.)
In Maine, this meant I ate no fewer than three different lobster rolls in three days.
This was not a hardship.
The first lobster roll I had was at Alisson’s, the first restaurant we tried on our first night in Kennebunkport. It was well-reviewed online and a fairly good value for the touristy town center.
The lobster roll could have easily been phoned in, but it was surprisingly good, with nice chunks of lobster and a very buttery bun. We also enjoyed playing Trivial Pursuit with the cards that you’ll find on every table (a fun challenge with my French in-laws!), making this a very memorable first evening in Maine.
The second lobster roll I tried was at the Black Point Inn, a restaurant we visited in Scarborough on one of our days driving around and exploring the area. The lobster roll here was quite good: a little bit more dolled up than the one at Alisson’s, and with a not-unwelcome leaf of lettuce protecting the bread from the salad, which had more mayonnaise than Alisson’s (which is more than I like, but still, it wasn’t gloppy or overpowering).
This lobster roll was also the ticket to getting to explore the cliffs behind the inn, which you can usually only access if you’re a guest at the hotel. (It was 1000% worth it.)
But the last lobster roll I ate in Maine was undoubtedly the best: the one from the Lobster Shack in Perkins Cove.
It could, I admit, have been the ambiance that sold me, at least at first: a true New England lobster shack, this restaurant has no frills and no pretensions.
Our lunch was served in plastic baskets with a heaping pile of chips, and my side of corn on the cob came with a pat of butter I could (and did) roll the ear in, without ceremony.
The chunks of lobster in this roll were huge and meaty – I even got a whole claw! And while the sides do leave something to be desired, the lobster makes this restaurant a home run, at least as far as I’m concerned.
Alisson’s Restaurant -Â 11 Dock Square, Kennebunkport, ME 04046
Black Point Inn -Â 510 Black Point Rd, Scarborough, ME 04074
Lobster Shack -Â 110 Perkins Cove Rd, Ogunquit, ME 03907