Karen’s Hideaway

We ate there three times in two days. The grilled cheese w/​lobster was our favorite followed by the Big Sexy, which was a crab sandwich with bacon. Omg! Karen and family were so wonderful. What a gem of a little family operation. They steered us to a great inexpensive hotel too!

A 5 star review for a lobster truck/​trailer? Yes! Our fave lobster roll in Maine, with a very generous and fresh portion of lobster. We also had a ½ order of fried scallops which was equally delicious. We’ll be back, Karen. Your family was very welcoming!

I found this place on Unilocal before we went to Maine and hoped it would be great. We were not disappointed. Though nothing more than a road-​side stand, this place produced the best lobster roll I’ve had in Maine! We knew we were in the right place when there were locals ordering lobster rolls. The man in front of us was a retired lobster fisherman, so that’s a pretty good referral. I ordered the large roll and my husband ordered the Bobster Roll, a large lobster roll with bacon. Together I think the rolls had the meat equivalent of 3 decent sized lobsters. We also ordered a side of fries to share. Good thing, since the order of fries was gigantic and, though perfectly cooked, we were too stuffed to finish them all. It wasn’t the cheapest meal we ate on this trip (all the above plus 2 cans of soda was $ 39) but was one of the best!

The best, biggest, freshest and most reasonably priced lobster roll. Anywhere. Ever. Outstanding!!!

Kind of a dump but food was very good and done right. Great for a quick sandwich, hotdog or hamburger. Fries very good and an order comes in a tray normally used for a hamburger and fries — it is enough for two so be warned. Prices very good for this area.

Karen’s was recommended by a local Boothbay Harbor resident, and I grabbed a lobster roll on the way out of town today. The question is, and it is probably relative, what makes the best lobster roll??? In my opinion it involves the selection of lobster meat combined with the prepared condiment and, finally, the choice of the «roll.»
Karen’s place is a little, roadside joint that no one would probably pay attention to. Why should you, since there are so many of these little places dotted along the roads in Maine?
Since it is not possible that one, normal person can sample ALL of these little joints around Maine (if I was unemployed and wealthy, I would certainly consider this a very delicious pastime), I can only provide my opinion about Karen’s as compared to other lobster rolls that I have enjoyed throughout Southeastern Maine.
Karen’s Lobster Roll (I ordered the «small» which was only $ 11.00) contained all joint and tail meat (see photo). The mayonnaise was very, very light; in fact, you can order the lobster roll «naked» which contains no condiment whatsoever. The top-​sliced roll was toasted and buttery. You can select a «large» lobster roll on a hoagie for just a few dollars more; I only assume that you will get even more choice pieces of lobster meat!
By the way, this little roadside joint has a nice setting of clean picnic tables along with light music as well as bathroom facilities.
If your mouth is watering for a lobster roll on the way into Boothbay Harbor and you just can’t wait to check into your hotel, please stop at Karen’s — you won’t be disappointed!

Had lunch here today and I wished I had stopped here much earlier. This food is delicious, seriously get off the beaten path and try this place. We ordered the crab melt, grilled cheese and lobster, and the lobster roll. It was well worth it!!! Everything tasted fresh. The crab melt is fresh crab meat with cheese on Texas toast, all the flavors complemented each other. The bread was perfect and the crab meat was delicious and flavorful. The grilled cheese with lobster and the lobster roll were jam packed with lobster meat and not just bland old lobster meat, but fresh succulent meat. One of the best things about this experience was the people. The owner is the best. She allowed us to sample the pineapple Cole slaw which was original and very good. She also let us try her deep fried lobster meat, so so good. You should definitely try it here. You haven’t had lobster in Booth bay till you try this place.

3 stars based only on the lobstah roll.
Atmosphere: shack/​trailer
Service: friendly
Lobstah Roll: most mayo we have encountered yet. No lettuce. Sweet meat was hidden behind the mayo.
If you are a mayo person this would be a ⁴⁄₅

Crazy good food in a wacky setting!
Karen’s looks like a lot of roadside establishments in Maine, but the delicious food belies the humble appearance of the place. We got twin lobsters, a Big Sexy crab roll with bacon, and side of pineapple slaw. The food was fresh and toothsome. Karen is a trip, too.
Bonus: Classic Chevy Impala on site!
If you’re in the Wiscasset-​BBH area, give Karen’s a try. It’s a fun alternative to Red’s et al.

Great prices on lobster. Cooked just right and the corn is great. I do recommend some form of insecticide. Their picnic tables are in the back and at dinner time, there are many flies and biting insects. I used the off personal fan and found that it worked perfectly, didn’t get bothered by any flying insects.

The named rolls (e.g., the «Big Sexy») are incredible, too. Great spot!

I walked up starving and not sure what to order. She recommended the Big Sexy… And it was just that!!! ½ lb of crab sexiness. Yum! And her pineapple coleslaw is killer! Perfect place to stop for lunch.

The blobster is delicious. Bacon lobster roll. Why didnt i think of that. Reasonably priced. I would have given another star if the outdoor seating was cleaner.

Leave your fancy manners at home and being good cheers and a healthy appetite! Real good food for real good people. Highly recommended for a pleasant meal, «in the rough».

This was the best meal we had in Boothbay! Great lobster rolls, scallops and burgers. Lobster rolls are made with mayo here unless you request otherwise. Hamburgers are large and grilled to perfection on the flat top. This place doesn’t look like much from the outside but it has simple picnic table seating out back. Cash only and may be a bit slow as it’s a small operation. The price to quality ratio is spot on — great value!

Just stopped at Karen’s Hideaway for the first time on a very rainy day. We took it back to our camp site and had one of the best fried scallops dinners that we have had in a long time. The crab roll was real good too! The prices are very good.
We were very happy with what we both had and we will be back for more!

Excellent! Delicious lobster rolls! Great chips and fries. Amazing pineapple coleslaw!

Don’t miss this opportunity for a simply great lobster roll. We chose warm with melted butter and can’t imagine it any other way. Too bad this was our last stop out of town, but what a great way to remember beautiful Boothbay!
Excellent!

Absolutely outstanding. We stop here for carryout…10 minutes from home, perfectly prepared and packed for the ride home. Steamed in sea water, which is their claim to fame. I haven’t tried the lobster rolls, but I’m guessing based on the taste of the lobster that they may very well be the best in town. They recently won an award for best lobster roll and best hamburger… guess I’ll have to try the burger next, but it’s going to be hard to pass up the lobster and corn. Great owners, great service and great food.

Great Mom and Pop roadside food stand. I went here everyday in my trip to Maine for the lobster boil, but everything they had was great.
Especially their friendly personalities!