The Lobster Shack

I had a friend visiting from the west coast who wanted to see a Maine lighthouse and get a lobster roll. This was definitely the right place to take her. The line is long, but the views are amazing. There is ample seating outside as well as some seating inside. Many folks had their pups with them at the picnic tables.
Onto the food: The lobster roll is small, but it’s perfect. It’s a buttered/​grilled hot dog bun, fresh lobster meat, and a buttery mayo mix on top so YOU can decide how creamy you want your roll to be. They don’t put celery I it– keeping it simple. Yum. They keep the lobsters in a tank and cook them to order there. Not sure about the fries, though… they tasted and looked like ore-​ida crinkle cut. The prices are higher than I would have liked, but when tourists will pay, prices will rise. I would probably come back if I were in the area!

The absolute best lobster roll in Maine and we have tried quite a few. The crab roll is amazing as well as the clam cakes. Can’t wait to get back here.

Nothing beats the feeling of eating a fresh lobster roll perched on a cliff enjoying the sunshine. The fried clams were perfectly crisp too. The view is unbeatable, making The Lobster Shack an undeniable pit stop to experience Maine in the summer.
Buyer beware: Lobster roll is slightly on the smaller side

Very disappointed with the food here. We were so eager to stop by at this place as we’ve heard about this place from TV shows, travel books and friends. The lobster roll was just ok and it came with fries that taste like they were frozen. The dipping butter for the lobster plate was very rancid. The clam chowder might be the worst we have ever had. It was very thin and had no flavor whatsoever. The view, on the other hand, was amazing. You come here for the view, not for the food.

Lobster roll does not disappoint. The diamond in the rough was the fried clams. Outrageous. Top it all off with a blueberry crumb pie. Prepare for a good night’s sleep.

The primary reason to go here is the view. Don’t get me wrong the food was a ok but the view was spectacular.
Going here I would expect some well executed fried goodies like clams and fish. The lobster roll was meaty with a large dollop of mayo. All pretty well executed.
But again come here to sit outside and enjoy your food while staring at the coast.

THE LOCATION
For those familiar with the beauty of Cape Elizabeth, also know to visit Portland Headlight which is about a six mile drive from this iconic New England style seafood shack residing at the very edge of Dyer Cove down a quiet residential street.
THE PARKING
Thankfully this privately owned property is enormous, so there is ample lot parking for all visitors and guests. It’s best to go during off peak hours.
THE ATMOSPHERE
Rustic and rugged, history can be found in the form of artifacts displayed among the walls and hung strategically along the ceiling beams. Not short on charm and appeal, this small cozy restaurant is quaint and intriguing for all ages.
THE FOOD
All in all, when you visit a seafood restaurant, the cuisine is everything. It pains me to have to write this, but the food at this historic eatery was disappointing to say the least. It wasn’t terribly bad per say. It was just not memorable. Along with being extremely poor on value, it was overpriced for its quality and overall composition. As evidenced in the photos, the portion sizes are fit for a small child. My hand was included in the picture for scale to illustrate the absurdity of the quantity being sold for the prices shown. And no, I don’t have man hands. Taste wise, the food does not warrant going out of the way to attain even though the endless stretches of breathtaking rocky shoreline make up for the lack of wow inside.
—Fried Clam Boat with Fries $ 17.99
—Lobster Roll $ 17.99—
—Cup of Clam Chowder $ 3.99—
—Tossed Green Salad $ 5.99—
—Mini Blueberry Pie $ 3.99—
THE SERVICE
Before stepping through the glass front door, you might want to be ready with your order because the counter is suddenly RIGHT THERE approximately five feet from where the entrance and exit are. There is literally no room for thinking, lingering, standing or otherwise. Place your order, pay, take four steps to the left, provide a name on a wait list for seating, and proceed to maneuver around with other waiting patrons like a game piece in Frogger. Fortunately, the personnel are friendly and hospitable, so there is no occasion for panic such as that out of an episode of Seinfeld. Next!
THE BOTTOM LINE
Once is quite enough. Some may say it’s too many.

Told my friend I wanted lobster so she made sure I got it. Three times. In one day.
We started with the Lobster Shack for lunch so I could get a lobster roll and chowder. The main appeal of the restaurant is the view, unencumbered by fencing or blockades of any kind. It’s gorgeous. We lucked into a sunny afternoon so sitting outside was actually nice.
As the locals know to do, we brought a bottle of wine to share with our lunch and it was just a lovely experience. The food didn’t blow my mind, but it wasn’t blah by any means. For the view, I can see why they keep coming back. It may be touristy, but I don’t see anything wrong with that. Very glad they brought me.

Just like a trip to Pittsburgh wouldn’t be complete without eating a Primantis Sandwhich. Similarly A trip to Maine (Portland to be precise) wouldn’t be complete without some lobster.
This establishment is beautifully located by the coast overlooking the beautiful Portland headlight in cape Elizabeth. They have plenty of outdoor and somewhat limited indoor seating. I would normally go for outdoor dinning every chance I get but we were sightseeing in the heat all day that we opted for a indoor seating.
After about 15 minute standing in the line — I finally got my Lobster :) which was reasonably priced (as I was told). We actually got the Lobster Dinner Roll with an extra lobster which came small side dish (which I split with my cousin). Thanks to a previous Unilocal Review — this saved us from paying the extra $ 10 or so for the side dish/​condiments. The lobster was fantastic.
Would definitely stop by again.

Parking: Medium size. There is actually two parking lots, one next to the rocks and the other one belongs to the restaurant. I believe you can park down the street where some of the houses are because that is where I saw people park their cars and walked down the street to the restaurant.

Time and Day: Came on a Monday at 12:30 PM and it is pack. Parking is a pain, but you can fortunately park at the houses down the street and walk over. There are some who just rode their bikes here (smart idea).
Food: Ordered 1 Crab Roll ($ 11.49), 1 Lobster Roll ($ 17.9), and 1 Clam Cake ($ 2.49). Food overall is mediocre. The clam cake should have been called the fried cake as I barely tasted any clams. Even though it was only $ 2.49, don’t get it. As for the rolls, I couldn’t taste the difference between the Crab Roll and Lobster Roll. So get 2 Crab Rolls instead of one Lobster Roll and avoid the fries. They look like they just bought a giant bag at the nearest Wal-​Mart and fried them.
Service: No real service here so I cannot comment on it. Basically they give you your order number and call you when you order is ready. On a sidenote, if it is raining, there is limited seating available because most of the seats are outside.
Price: Price is based on season and when we went, the price was pretty high. $ 18 for the Lobster Roll is a joke. If you are here, skip the Lobster Roll and go for the cheaper Crab Roll instead.
Overall: Mediocre food and high prices. You would only want to come here for the view on the rocks. So skip the Lobster Roll (go somewhere else that is cheaper), walk along the rocks and take some photos, and check out the souvenir nearby. Honestly, I don’t know how this place won the «Best Lobster Roll» award.

Amazing views but it is a tourist trap. The food is blah!
Located at the end of a long kinda sketchy drive. Big parking lot. Be ready for long long lines.
In and outdoor seating. Service was friendly.
Lobster Roll — $ 17.99 — Market price. Super tiny. Lobster was fresh. The glob of mayo was gross. Ruined the lobster it touched.
Clam Cake — $ 2.49 — More cake then clam. Could barely taste any clam. And it was DRY!
Clam Chowder, cup — $ 3.99 — Watery mess. I would rather eat any canned chowder then this again.
Whoopie Pie — $ 3.49 — Cake was good. Cream was fluffy and light. Good basic whoopie pie.
The view of the ocean and the Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse was the only thing I enjoyed.

On our trip to Maine we had to get some lobsters and a lobster roll. This spot was recommended to us by a friend as she knew we were heading to Portland for a couple of nights.
Unfortunately we had a horrible weather when we arrived, which just took away some of the specter of the view and ambience.
We decided to split the lobster dinner (with an extra lobster), a lobster roll platter, and had two drinks and a whoop or pie.
The lobsters and lobster roll were fantastic, and although the lobsters were beautiful they were just smaller than I was expecting. I know Maine regulates their lobster farming pretty strictly, but we assumed they’d be larger. The lobster roll was one, if not the best, we’ve ever had.
Combos each come with great crinkle cut fries and decent coleslaw.
Now, for the whoopie pie. We hail from Johnstown, PA which according to me is the originator of the «gob» so we knew we’d see them up here as they claim they originated from here (frankly I don’t know, but it’s what I believe since I’m from there!).
It was soft, if not overly soft, and had what seemed like buttercream cake icing. Good, but not a gob in my mind. In total we spent about $ 75 which isn’t bad for 2 lobsters and all of the extras, obviously not something we’d do on a regular basis.

This place has one of the best locations! Right on the water, outdoors and that rustic feel to it without trying. We met up here with friends and they had some wine waiting for us and ready to go. I had my husband stand in line with the kids and his friend to catch up. I sat at the table with some wine with my girlfriend. It was so scenic and so nice out, I wished I prepared for it a bit more. I rushed over in a maxi dress but fortunately, my girlfriend had a hoodie for me to keep warm.
The kids were running around and enjoying nature with one another. We sat down and had the crab roll, the scallops plate and some fries. Everything was delicious. I wished I took the time to look at the menu myself because I would have ordered more had I known they had a wide range of selections of seafood.
I’ll have to come back and try more of their food. :)

This is the kind of place locals and visitors alike (mostly visitors) love to visit. You come for the food, but you stay for the views.
If you are looking for better lobster, you can find it. But you can’t find anyplace that serves it with this type of location/​view.
I know my review isn’t glowing, when in reality food here is quite fantastic. I’m only reducing this place by one-​star for two reasons:
1) You can get more elsewhere. Lobster roll didn’t quite look or feel full, a few more pieces of meat would have been great. For that matter, neither did our shrimp boat. It was about half full.
2) It’s really a get-​them-​in, get-​them-​out type of operation. They have such a high volume of visitors, do not expect any level of customer service other than simply «efficient».
Get past those two points, and you’re in for a great experience. Sit outside, enjoy the sound of the water washing up on the rocky shore… then take a stroll on that same shore after you’re done with your meal. It’s more like climbing over amazing boulders but you won’t be sorry you did!
Definitely recommended.
PS — there’s really not much in the way of cellphone reception out there. Great for most of us, but your kids will hate you for it when they can’t snapchat their meal to the world.

The Lobster Shack is a seafood restaurant in Cape Elizabeth, right near the edge of the water. Although it’s a small place, it has large outdoor seating and parking space. The outdoor seating is beautiful — it has over a dozen red picnic tables that give a view of the water.
Much like a fast food restaurant, when you walk in, you order your food, and you number is called out when it’s ready. You pick up your food on a red tray and find a place to eat. The constant calling out of order numbers was annoying when we were eating.
I got the veggie burger, and it was pretty much the same burger I get at every restaurant. It’s Morningstar or Boca or another frozen veggie patty company. The meal reminded me of any fast food place. To be honest, I’m just glad that they had a vegetarian option. At most of these seafood restaurants, there are no vegetarian options!
For just the food, I would give this place 3 stars, but the overall ambiance and experience deserve 4 stars.

Came to grab a snack while enjoying the view of the coast, had no idea the $ 20 in my pocket would get us such a filling meal!
Me being a silly Marylander, I thought «lobster stew» would be like a Maryland Crab Soup with a tomato broth, vegetables, and bits of seafood. Little did I know it would be chunks of lobster in cream — not a cream-​based broth — just cream. It was good, but rich.
A «slice» of strawberry rhubarb pie was a quarter of an entire pie! The «mini» blueberry pie was equally huge. So the point is, there are lots of delicious calorie-​dense foods (as my Mainer friend told me about my meal: «Welcome to Maine; we will fatten you up here!») and there’s something for everyone. But don’t take my word for it; the line out the door reveals the draw that this place has.

Wir waren zweimal dort. Das Essen ist zwar etwas teurer, aber geniessbar und man sitzt traumhaft. Jederzeit wieder.

This is hands down the best place I dined at on my 2 week New England excursion.
The prices are high – $ 26 for the lobster dinner? I thought lobster is supposed to be way cheaper in Maine. Maybe this has become a misconception? I don’t know. But what I do know is that the atmosphere here is truly amazing and makes the experience a memorable one for sure.
You can eat inside the lobster shack if you want or if the weather is bad. They have several tables inside you can dine at and the inside is decorated very nicely with lots of signs and fishing memorabilia and stuff like that. But you definitely want to dine outside to truly get the full experience that is the Lobster Shack at Two Lights. There are dozens of picnic tables lined up outside. At the end of these rows of picnic tables are rocky cliffs that are being continuously beat on by the ocean. While you eat you occasionally hear the sound of a fog horn while listening to the waves violently crash against the rocks. You can smell the sea and occasionally get a nice breeze and maybe even a slight mist come off from the ocean. The best part is that while you’re waiting for your food or after you’re finished eating you can walk down on the rocks and explore and meander down by the ocean.
As for the food well lets face it its kind of hard to mess up a lobster dinner. I tried some of my sister’s crab roll and it was really good. But honestly what really sets these lobster shacks apart are atmosphere, prices, and service. Food came out in a reasonable time but again prices seemed high to me. However, this place goes above and beyond in the atmosphere category. I can’t imagine there being a better place to have a true Maine lobster experience. I feel that for me to award a five star review to a place based almost entirely on its atmosphere says a lot.

This place is awesome. What more could you freaking want? Views, lobster, and reasonable prices that is what this place is all about.
The lobster roll may not be the largest but it packs a lot of bite. I liked how it it was not too mayonnaisey. I like to be able to taste that sweet meat not have it smothered in sauce… so kudos to them for making it right!

Any place with outdoor seating and a view like this will always steal my heart.
Now, the lobster roll is small. And it is halfway filled with lettuce so you get less lobster than other places. But it’s pretty tasty. It comes with a dollop of butter so that adds to the taste. I’d recommend you get your own versus share it if you are hungry.
What really put a smile on my face was the pies, namely the pecan pie (my fave). The quality was fantastic, bar none. We also got strawberry rhubarb and blueberry. Each slice was huge and mindblowingly delicious.
Check out the gift shop while you are there.

Cute little lobster shack with outdoor seating and view of where your food came from. Small gift shop near by. Twin lighthouses standing guard just up the hill.
Seafood is very fresh and well prepared. Generous, but not huge, portions. Casual dining experience. Worth a visit for a tourist or a local wanting fresh seafood.
I imagine during peak times you would do best to avoid a rainy day because there is limited indoor seating.