The Absolute Best Lobster Rolls In Kennebunkport! Our Top Picks!

 

As part of our epic New England adventure, we travelled quite a bit throughout the Northeast United States. A highlight of this girls trip was the fabulous food – especially the lobster rolls we sampled in Kennebunkport, Maine. In this article, I’ll share where we ate the best lobster rolls!  

My absolute top picks are Mabel’s, The Clam Shack, The Colony Hotel and The Pilot House. Read more about each below as well as other favorites a little outside of Kennebunkport like Bite Into Maine, Nunan’s Lobster Hut, The Chowder House and Duffy’s Tavern.  

Our epic girls trip started in Vermont and ended 9 days later on the shores of the Atlantic in Kennebunkport, Maine.   

My sisters and my mom and I had a fabulous time relaxing at our place in Kennebunkport, overlooking the Kennebunk River.

Since I’ve never been anywhere close to this area, I didn’t know what to expect.

Boy was I pleasantly surprised. Kennebunkport is a beautiful seaside town with lots of local places to indulge in New England specialties.  

Lovin’ that Maine Lobster

Before we left for Maine, being the foodie that I am, one of my goals was to try lobster rolls at lots of places.

Everyone knows Maine lobster is the most tender, succulent lobster and hands down best lobster in the world!  There’s just nothing like fresh Maine lobster meat.  

And, I’ve always heard lobster rolls are a real delicacy so it’s always been a bucket list thing for me to eat a bunch of lobster rolls while in Maine. I mean, when in Rome….right?!!   

So, for my first time in Maine, I wanted to do it right and I’m sure you will, too. Take a look at the restaurants below and work at least some of these spots into your travel plans.

You won’t be sorry! Here’s where to get my favorite lobster rolls in Kennebunkport! 

 

The Best Lobster Rolls – Kennebunkport

Mabel’s Lobster Claw 

This adorable little spot was right down the road from our hotel and many people told us to go there. It’s a very small, very popular spot known to be Martha Stewart’s favorite place in Kennebunkport.

I think Martha Stewart knows her stuff plus with all the other recommendations it had, we really wanted to try it.

I called to make reservations at Mabel’s for any of the 4 nights we were going to be in Kennebunkport, but no dice! They were booked every single night so I pretty much crossed Mabel’s off the list.

That is until the day we had our lobster boat tour and the captain AGAIN recommended Mabel’s for classic Maine lobster rolls. Our excellent tour got over around 1:30 – post lunch crowd – so we decided to drive over to Mabel’s and see the wait time for walk-ins.

We got lucky! Only a 15 minute wait and we were seated at one of the outside tables! I, of course, ordered the lobstah roll. My sister had the haddock fish & chips special and my mom had the clam chowder.

I’m no lobster roll expert, but my very first Maine lobster roll DID NOT disappoint! Fresh, fresh, fresh! Served on a golden brown grilled roll, The fresh roll was awesome.

And it was packed with so much lobster! It was scrumptious and I ate every bite.  Tip: I got my roll the traditional way with a little melted butter. While you can order with butter, a bit of mayo or both, I opted for no mayo. Very delish!  

The Clam Shack

Every time we walked by this place there was a long line down the block. After we walked by the 2nd or 3rd time, I figured the draw had to be pretty good food at cheap prices.

After all, the shack is VERY unassuming – an order at the counter type place. When we finally stopped to check the prices, we discovered that lo and behold, they were about the same as everybody else that sells lobster and fresh fish.

So what gives?

Who Loves The Clam Shack?

Why are they SO BUSY all the time? We finally found out when we got into the Clam Shack nitty-gritty on our Maine food tour! As unassuming as the joint may look, the lobster, clams and everything else is anything but basic.

They actually have live lobsters in the tanks here, too. It was very cool to see them up close and personal!

Full disclosure that I learned much of this inside info about the Clam Shack via the Maine Food Tour. Getting the inside scoop on local places is one reason I love food tours.

And the Maine Food Tour is VERY good! Our guide was SO knowledgeable about Kennebunkport food. I highly recommend the Maine Food Tour and am planning to write a post dedicated only to the tour! It’s that good.

We found out that The Clam Shack is quite the decorated restaurant, winning numerous culinary awards including food wars on the Travel Channel.

And, there is a certain former President who swears by the food here. In fact, rumor has it that the owner of the Clam Shack, Steve Kingston, sometimes cooks for the Bush family on Sundays out at Walker’s Point.

We heard they might be like actual, personal friends. Obviously I can’t say whether any of this info is 100% true because, well, I’m not friends with either one of them so they didn’t tell me directly. But, this is what I heard.

We also learned that The Clam Shack actually did a “Lobster Summit” for President Bush & Vladimir Putin during 43’s term as President.

Word has it that the event featured pristine lobster, hand-picked by the Clam Shack staff for the group of dignitaries. Woo – woo!!

It’s also been said that Steve and the Clam Shack also catered Barbara Bush’s 90th birthday party at the Bush home on Walker’s Point. Wowza.

Like I said, we learned a lot of this inside info on our fabulous Maine Food Tour before we sampled any grub. And I”ll say it again, get yourself on the Maine Food Tour when you’re in Kennebunkport! Let’s just say we had high expectations after getting the inside scoop.

Then came sample time…..

As part of the tour we were treated with smaller versions of the famous fresh lobster rolls along with some fried shrimp. I liked the rolls. A LOT. This time I switched things up and got mine with both the mayo and the buttah. Yummo.

The rolls were filled with really fresh lobster meat that was so succulent and tasty. The shrimp was awesome as well. I can see why there is always a line down the block for The Clam Shack. They’re the real deal!

Get yourself to the Clam Shack if you’re in Kennebunkport. And if you’re not, you can buy one of their lobster roll kit online and have it shipped to your door. And you’ll have all you need make your own lobster rolls at home!  

I think it’s soo cool how the Crab Shack has stools painted to match the different buoys.

And who knew that each lobsterman had a different color buoy? I learned a lot on the lobster boat tour with Kylie’s Chance.

This is the other tour we did in Kennebunkport that I highly recommend!

It was so interesting and fun to get out on the water with knowledgeable fisherman and see what real lobstermen do. Especially to this midwestern girl who barely knows the lobster claw from the tail 🙂

Colony Hotel

If you’re looking for a swanky location from which to indulge in your lobster roll, look no further than the Colony Hotel. This iconic hotel is a throw back in time and quite a lovely place.

The waitress at our hotel recommended we hit the Colony if we wanted to experience old-school Maine vibes. She also said the restaurant within the hotel, the Marine Room, is somewhat of a hidden gem because not that many people know about it.

This alone sounded great to us – we were excited about going somewhere off the beaten path! Let me just tell you that everywhere in Kennebunkport is BUSY!

And most places do not take reservations. So be prepared to wait.

Or do what we did and seek out the more out of the way places.

Let me just throw in something here. Take the time to get to your some of your service people on your trip. The people who live and work in the area always know the best things to do.

Always. Without fail, our best recommendations have come from our wait staff, bartenders or the front desk clerks. Just be nice to these people and they’ll be more than happy to share the best places to go around town.

Our breakfast waitress was a gold mine of information. In addition to telling us to get to the Colony, she told us the best places to find good souvenir t-shirts and the nearby towns that are worth checking out.

She loves living in Kennebunkport and it shows!

The Colony is such a cool, historic hotel with to-die-for views. I kid you not, this place had the absolute best water view of our entire stay in Maine. And the food in the Marine room bar wasn’t bad either!

Come here to hobnob with the upper crust, take in the tremendous views and dine on wonderful fresh lobster rolls and clams. I’m betting you’ll like it. Probably a lot.

The Pilot House

Our lobster boat captain told us about the Pilot House. It’s actually located right across the bridge from Kennebunkport, in the village of Kennebunk.

This place is next door to our lobster boat tour company and, like the Clam Shack, every time we went by, this place was packed! They have a good sized outdoor dining area as well as indoor seating.

And according to our captain, this is where the locals go for fresh fish.

The joint was hopping with live music outside and plenty of cold drinks.

On the menu, they serve up both lobster rolls and lobster blt sandwiches, so you have your choice of two scrumptious lobster sandwiches, along with plenty of other yummy fish dishes like scallops, clams, shrimp as well as burgers and such.

From the look of things here you won’t be disappointed. The Pilot House is just a great place  to grab some delicious food (lobster or otherwise!) while listening to live music and kicking back with a beer or two.  

Duffy’s Tavern

One night we trekked over to the nearby town of Kennebunk after several people recommended Duffy’s Tavern to us.

Duffy’s is a family friendly spot in downtown Kennebunk that was fairly busy – especially for this non-touristy location on a Tuesday night! We had reservations and I’m glad we did.

We were all hungry and the thought of waiting for a table didn’t appeal.

Almost as soon as we were seated the waitress came over to greet us and told us about the specials so the service was great. After checking out the menu, I almost ordered another classic lobster roll once again.

I was deciding between the small and the large lobster roll when the baked haddock caught my eye. Served with smashed potatoes and broccoli, It was a winner-winner!

The fish had a really good, light breading – just the way I like it. And, the smashed potatoes were out.of.this.world and the portion size of the potatoes especially was really big!! 

The clam chowder got high marks from my mom, too! I’d definitely go back to Duffy’s next time I’m in Kennebunk – give it a try!  

The Best Lobster Rolls In Kennebunkport: The Ones We Didn’t Try 

Sometimes you just can’t do it all. This was the case for us when we were in Kennebunkport. We wanted to have lobster rolls everywhere in town – but we just didn’t have time to get to all the fabulous places we wanted to try.

There are so many VERY good places to have lobster rolls in Kennebunkport that you just might have to stuff yourself and try them all!  

Allison’s

We saw Allison’s the first day we got to Kennebunkport. Located right on the main drag in Dock Square, it’s kind of hard to miss. From then on, it was on our radar as a top spot to hit in Kennebunkport. Lobster lovers will like Allison’s as they might have the largest selection of lobster rolls we saw.

Here you can sample the South of The Border Lobster Roll, Lobster Bisque Lobster Roll, Truffle Lobster Rolls and their Picnic Style Lobster Rolls. It’s lobster roll heaven!  

Nunan’s Lobster Hut – Cape Porpoise

Another spot for lobster rolls in Kennebunkport is actually not located directly in Kennebunkport, but only a hop, skip and a jump down the road in Cape Porpoise. Nunan’s Lobster Hut is known far and wide as one of the best lobster roll places in all of Maine. And it’s also one of the oldest..

Nunan’s has been in business for almost 70 years!

Family roots run deep at Nunan’s – the lobster hut has been run by the same family for generations now. I think it’s safe to say they know what they’re doing here. This is like the lobster shack of your dreams!

They have their own lobster boats for goodness sake!

The Chowder House – Cape Porpoise

Just down the road in Cape Porpoise is another not-to-be-missed Maine lobster roll spot, The Chowder House. The Chowder House is an classic Maine restaurant serving up lobster rolls, whole lobster, fresh caught fish and other seafood like clams and scallops

Not fancy, but authentic, this is classic New England fare in a picturesque seaside location. This is the type of casual place where you can just grab one of the picnic tables and dig into one of the best lobster rolls in Maine.

Even though we didn’t get there this time, it’s another place high on our list for next time we’re digging lobster rolls in Kennebunkport (or Cape Porpoise!!)

Bite Into Maine – Cape Elizabeth

Located a little further out in Cape Elizabeth, Bite Into Maine got absolutely rave reviews from the many people that we talked to about lobster rolls around town. More than one person told us it’s worth the 45 minute drive north to Cape Elizabeth.

In fact Food and Wine named Bite Into Maine’s lobster roll one of the best rolls in the nation! How about that?!

And they don’t just serve up one kind of lobster roll – they have quite a few unique varieties of lobster rolls here. We drove into Maine from the North from New Hampshire and actually drove through Cape Elizabeth to see the Portland Head Light and Fort Williams State park.

At the time I didn’t know about the Bite Into Maine food truck and their top rolls were so close!  I wish I would have because they’re well known to serve up some of the best lobster rolls in the state. The food truck here in Cape Elizabeth is just one of their 3 locations. 

Wrap Up For Lobster Rolls In Kennebunkport

If you’re planning a visit to Kennebunkport, make sure you get out an explore all the amazing lobster rolls and all the other fabulous fresh seafood the area has to offer.

There’s so much goodness and fresh lobster in Kennebunkport that I’m sure you’ll find a few favorites!

Tell me where YOU like the lobstah rolls around Kennebunkport. And are you a butter or mayo fan? Or maybe a little of both?

I think a little of each might be the winningest lobster roll! How About You? I’d love your thoughts!

Remember I’m just a midwestern girl who barely knows how to spell lobster, so any insight from real New England professional lobster catchers or eaters is welcome!

Noun: Lobster Catcher: Fisherman?!!

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