Before the summer ends, we decided we should check out all of the famous and maybe not-so famous lobster roll joints in town and seek out the best lobster rolls NYC. There has been a recent surge in outposts and take-out lobster shacks and of course there are the old stand-bys like Pearl Oyster Bar and Mary’s Fish Camp. We learned after ‘Dog Day Afternoon‘ that a  marathon is not the way to execute a smack-down.  So over the next few weeks I will be adding entries and photos…one at a time.  A lobster roll must be savored, not to mention that would be one costly afternoon!  So here’s what we have so far…

Best Lobster Rolls NYC

Ditch Plains Drop-In
http://www.ditch-plains.com/menu4.php?which=Drop-in&menu_id=7
Brooklyn Bridge Park – Pier 1 Gatehouse

Our first lobster roll of the summer was during our Brooklyn Bridge Concession Stand Tour during which we did a bit of a food marathon, but began the day with this lobster roll…

This sandwich had a nice balance, not too much mayo.  It was served on a potato roll.  At $14, it was a solid value.  The flavors are long forgotten, but I remember we enjoyed it at the time. Our plan is to hit Ditch Plains in Manhattan for a re-taste!

Ed’s Lobster Bar Kiosk
http://lobsterbarnyc.com/
Outdoor Patio, Winter Garden, World Financial Center

On my way home from work, I breezed thru WFC and stopped at Ed’s Lobster Bar for some take-out Lobster rolls.  We just ate at Ed’s in Soho last week, which inspired us to do a lobster roll smack-down.  On that visit we had steamers, which frankly we’ve had everywhere in town that carries them…another great smack-down food!  I opted to go with the full size ‘Ed’s Lobster Roll’ for $25 as opposed to the $14 mini.  No point in scrimping!  For a mere $54.44 I was on my way with 2 lobster rolls, 2 bags of chips and 2 cokes.  The accouterments  are ‘free’ with the large roll.

Ok, so it doesn’t look too impressive in this state!  However, we opened up the packages to reveal rolls packed with lobster meat…

We guessed this had to be 3/4 lbs of lobster packed into a freshly grilled buttered roll.  It was light on mayo and heavy on the chunks.  There were various textures of lobster, some was shredded and there were some large pieces of claw and tail.  All in all, it was pretty perfect. Of course it’s hard to justify such expensive take-out, but we enjoyed it outdoors on our balcony.

From the standpoint of comparison, at least both were outdoor stands (Drop In and Kiosk, respectively).  The only unfair advantage was we chose the full size at Ed’s instead of trying head-to-head $14 rolls.  I’d say the roll at Ed’s was the winner for two reasons; one, it was grilled and two, it was buttered.  That means tons of flavor.  The potato roll did not add to the sandwich in the same way.  BUT, we will reserve judgement until we re-try the roll at Ditch Plains in the West Village.

BLT Fish Shack
http://www.e2hospitality.com/blt-fish-shack-new-york/
21 West 17th St – Ground Floor – Chelsea

BLT Fish Shack is the casual, raw bar version of BLT Fish (since the Hospitality Group has to keep re-inventing BLT’s).  I had read that their lobster roll was among the top 10 in NYC, so we put it high on our list.  We started the meal with their version of BLT signature bread, which was incredibly good and followed with oysters, which were also awesome.  The fries are the same as BLT Burger and rate very high as well.  My corn on the cob was served with the garlic butter from the bread and it wasn’t so great.  But all that gets saved for the BLT Fish Shack review. The lobster rolls are the focus here.

After Ed’s Lobster Bar’s rolls at $25 packed  solid with lobster, we just looked at one another in awe when our $28 lobster rolls arrived.  They were the size of the Ditch Plains $14 rolls for starters.  The rolls were burnt.  And the lobster was not dense, nor was the ‘mayo mix’.    Some of my lobster was either under-cooked or just watery like those soft shell lobsters they serve at Mermaid Inn!  The mayo was runny, perhaps because there was more of a vinegar-mayo dressing?  Keep in mind these  rolls are tiny hot dog rolls…

Had we not tried Ed’s prior to this roll would we have loved it?  I don’t think so.  Not for $56. Sorry BLT Fish, but your lobster rolls are not the best value for the price.  And that is the most politically correct I can be about it.  Let’s hope by the end of the tastings they don’t rank in the ‘suck’ range.  So far, third out of three.  Not good.