Lobster & Crab Rolls at Luke’s Lobster – NYC
A few weeks ago, I told David I was in the mood for lobster and he told me to go find another boyfriend. (Oh no he didn’t!) So I took matters into my own hands and went to Luke’s Lobster myself. Much faster than getting a new boyfriend.
I love lobster rolls, but they’re pricey stuff, usually around $27 in this town. At Luke’s Lobster, lobster rolls are $14, practically half the going rate. The price is a reflection of the owner’s connections. Luke Holden grew up in Maine, and his dad, Jeff Holden, owns Portland Shellfish, a seafood processing company. As a result, their relationship with local lobstermen enables them to ship the lobster directly from the docks of Maine to the East Village.
At Luke’s I ordered a small Lobster Roll ($8) since I wanted to try one of the other seafood rolls. The small is referred to as snack size, and it’s exactly that. When I first saw it, I thought it was a joke, but the tiny roll — toasted and buttery — was chock full of fresh knuckle and claw meat with only the tiniest bit of mayonnaise and a sprinkle of celery salt. It’s all meat, no filler; the exact polar opposite of the luscious mayoriffic lobster rolls from Pearl Oyster Bar. It was surprisingly satisfying, but next time I’ll probably ask for a little more mayo and lemon. The great thing about Luke’s Lobster is that you can always add more mayo if you want it. Taking out mayo is problematic.
The Crab Roll ($5/small) was just as fresh and delicious, with chunks of sweet crab. Again, the small order was tiny, but it was a whole lot of crab. Well worth it, even if your boyfriend didn’t take you.
Luke’s Lobster
93 East 7th Street (betw 1st & Ave A; map)
New York, NY 10009
212-387-8487
Hahaha, this post just screams passive-aggression. To be fair, those sandwiches look comically small. I’m not sure how I’d feel for 4 bites costing $8.
LOL come on David, lobster is not that much! It is a small price to pay to make your woman happy. Is the regular roll twice the size?
@Nicholas – Trust me, I am never passive with aggression. If you ever met my BF, he would tell you. As for size, it is small, but compared to other places the price is reasonable.
@someguy – In David’s defense, he takes me to a lot of fancy restaurants. And yeah, the small is basically half a full roll.
i went for the 7th Street Food Fest and received the snack size. it was great. you have to live in nyc to realize it is a good deal for what you get.
is david kosher? if so, LL is reason to break it. (this coming from a bad jew.)
My friend lives a couple of blocks away. I will try the lobster roll the next time I visit.
Ah so David treats you well. Now I hear bells in the distance.
How many inches would you say it is? I can’t tell from the picture…
@Steve – No, he’s not kosher, just extremely picky, and also a former vegan.
@someguy – Far, far in the distance.
@wonders – It’s very small, definitely less than 5 inches.
can somebody please bring those rolls to japan?
ive been to maine; the rolls there are really big. BUT the people are creepy… like steven king… (have you seen the controversy w/ the rich lady w/ no real maine connection trying to take over the lobster shack business?)
@uken – I’m sure someone will one day. Lobster rolls are popping up everywhere.
@®å – Never met anyone creepy from Maine before, and haven’t heard about the Lobster Shack drama.
Luke’s is delicioso. I’ll have to get the crab roll this week.
@abdulnaby – Definitely delicioso, let me know how you like it.
I got the lobster roll two weeks ago. Very good but I forgot to add the homemade spice.
@someguy – They add a little on top before serving, but extra is nice. Mmmm….