Our senior spring semester at Bowdoin has come and gone quickly. Unfortunately, right as many lobster shacks are opening for seasonal business, the Orient is printing its last issue. For our final column, we will outline our picks for the best lobster rolls in midcoast Maine, and share insight from Luke Holden, the founder of Luke’s Lobster, which has multiple locations in Manhattan and Washington, D.C.  

Drumroll please...

Libby’s Market
Brunswick, ME

If you love your roll with lots of lobster and mayo, this is for you. Libby’s portions are enormous, and the lobster is broken up for you and surrounded by just the right amount of delicious mayonnaise. The lobster is prepared very differently than our other finalists—it is more shredded than other rolls and is considered traditional Maine style. Libby’s has a charming quality. It is not a picturesque scene on the ocean, but a simple market just outside of downtown Brunswick. You won’t find huge crowds here typically, but you will find a delicious, relatively undiscovered lobster roll just minutes from campus. Don’t let the mayonnaise stop you from stopping by—you can always request a roll without it.

Five Islands
Georgetown, ME

There is hardly a more picturesque setting in which to enjoy a Maine lobster roll. Five Islands is located right on the water in Georgetown, where you can watch the fresh lobster come in right from the boat. However, due to its popularity, there is almost always a crowd. Five Islands is one of the few places that actually cooks the lobsters in ocean water, creating a complex taste. The roll consists of lobster piled high on top of a toasted hot dog bun, and its simplicity makes it shine.

The Clam Shack
Kennebunk, ME

Contrary to its name, the Clam Shack serves great lobster rolls. Forty minutes from Brunswick, the Clam Shack is the furthest we traveled but was well worth the journey. The lobster roll is served on a bakery fresh bulkie roll, rather than a hot dog or sub style roll. Tail meat is rarely included, presumably because of the value of that meat. Similar to Five Islands, the lobsters at the Clam Shack are cooked in the original salt water in which the lobsters were caught. The biggest detriment of the Clam Shack is the setting—while Kennebunk is quaint, when the tide is out, the sound looks like a mud pit.

Best Lobster Roll in Maine:

Red’s Eats
Wiscasset, ME

We had big expectations for Red’s, and yet the roll found a way to exceed them. The roll’s beauty is in its simplicity: toasted bun and lots of lobster. The consumer can decide to add mayo or butter, but these condiments are not required. The bun is delicious and not overbearing, and it overflows with lobster meat—you are bound to have a few chunks of lobster left over on your plate when you finish. The ultimate roll with the freshest and most generous portion of lobster gives Red’s our best lobster roll in Maine award. Seniors with only a few weeks left at Bowdoin—there’s no time to waste, make your way up to Wiscasset and enjoy what Maine does best, by the shack that does it best.

Luke Holden’s input

After we completed our journey to many lobster roll shacks all over the state of Maine, we felt it would be prudent to consult an established lobster roll connoisseur on the subject. 

Cape Elizabeth native Luke Holden founded Luke’s Lobster, which brings fresh Maine lobster rolls to New York City and Washington D.C. Luke’s brother Bryan graduated from Bowdoin in 2011 and opperates Luke’s Lobster with him. Their father has been in the seafood distribution business for 35 years, and taught his sons the art of lobstering. This connection gave Luke an “in” with the Maine lobster supply that other restaurants don’t have. 

“I probably would still be in Maine working in the industry if it weren’t for college internships,” Holden said. 

Luke described his lobster philosophy to us simply: “I hate mayonnaise,” he said. “I believe in a minimalist style.” 

Luke applauded the Clam Shack and Five Islands for cooking their lobsters in salt water, explaining to us the importance of this step to the flavor of the lobster. Luke believes in the simplicity of the roll, and at his restaurants uses only a toasted, split top bun with a quarter pound of lobster. Mayo is optional on Luke’s roll, and his seasoning is primarily celery salt.