Lobster Shack Tour - Winner Winner Lobster Roll Dinner

Katie Wanders food tours became my new favorite thing.  

It's kind of an excuse to go bananas on a certain type of food, you know, in the name of "research".  The New Haven Pizza Tour is complete, and the Connecticut Donut Tour is well underway.  The Lobster Shack Tour was my first "food tour baby" if you will, and honestly, it took the longest to complete and how could we close out summer without knowing which lobster roll reigns supreme? Here we are, at the end of summer and in all honesty, a few years later than expected but a lobster roll winner has been crowned in the KW books.  

I started it all in 2016 when I had the idea of finding which overly priced seafood sandwich was worth spending my money on. I wrote a post all about the scoring system, about lobsters, and how this little tour was going to work.  Then, I spent the rest of the summer doing the hard, hard, work of sampling lobster rolls from lobster shacks (not big restaurants) around the Connecticut shoreline.  

Guilford Lobster Pound

I finished this tour and found seven CT lobster shacks worthy of a review. While a lot of Connecticut eateries offer lobster rolls, I wanted to focus on the lobster shacks. You know what I mean.. the almost always seasonal, generally small, limited menu offerings that were known for their lobster rolls.  I didn't just judge the roll although it was a big part. For the roll, I judged on butterage, rolls used, meat ratio and type. On a bigger scale, I judged on ambiance, parking, ordering, BYOB and dog-friendly settings, and more. A lot of restaurants have different-sized rolls at different pricepoint but to keep it fair, I stuck to the standard/smaller roll. We only judged the Connecticut style lobster rolls (warm, with just butter) because the cold mayo variety just doesn't fly here. 

I finished the tour at the Lobster Shack in East Haven and so, we can wrap up the tour and rank these rolls from my favorite to my least favorite.  So sit back, dream of lobster, and read where you can find the best Lobster Shack on the Connecticut shoreline right in time for summer. 

#1 - The Lobster Shack - East Haven, CT

46/50

Good size, good price, perfect bun, meat ratio and butter! Cute outdoor area but not right on the docks. 

The Lobster Shack

#2 Captain Scott's Lobster Dock - New London, CT

45/50

Smaller roll but the best price - great ambiance 
and a good amount of options.   

Captain Scott's Lobster Dock

#3 Guilford Lobster Pound - Guilford, CT

44/50

Smaller roll (but $$$) - great balance of meat/butter and awesome bun. Great ambiance right on the dock where the lobsters come in.

Guilford Lobster Pound

#4 Lobster Landing - Clinton, CT

44/50
Great size, price and ambiance (cutest little shack) 
a soggy bun and meat was OK.

Lobster Landing

#5 Liv's Lobster Shack - Old Saybrook, CT

42/50

Very cute spot with VERY limited parking and often long waits. Great lobster roll but smaller and expensive.

Liv's Lobster Shack

#6 Abbot's Lobster in the Rough - Noank, CT

41/50

The standard option is all claw meat and came on a HAMBURGER ROLL - big operation lost a bit on charm - good price with sides. Still insulted by the bread choice. 

Abbot's Lobster in the Rough

#7 Ford's Lobsters - Noank, CT

40/50

Amazing atmosphere, you eat right on the docks and a great menu - but you have to wait a bit and be seated at a table (limited space) - high price, roll was much too bready with limited meat

Ford's Lobster

There you have it.  

Six lobster rolls and a few top choices with a few that aren't worth the price. A New England summer is not complete without a lobster roll on the water and I hope this guide steers you in the right direction for all your hot buttered lobster roll dreams.