Locum Life: The Summer of 30 Lobsters

I never grew up eating lobster. Once upon a time my mom ordered it at a NYE dinner at fancy steakhouse and I didn’t get to try any. So, as soon as I got my first locum tenens job in Maine in the summer of 2021, I. Stuffed. My. Face. Fast forward to 2022 when one of my best locum tenens jobs ever brought me back to main for several months and much longer than expected/advertised, I made sure to eat as much lobster as I physically could. Partially just to annoy people at home and back in the South that couldn’t do it (hah), but also to see for my own connoisseur self, WHERE is the BEST Lobster?! Now, there are ENDLESS places. I mean, choosing between a few hundred little lobster pounds is difficult, but i’ve seen a decent number and these are the reports! Here’s a link to my google map of all the ones i’ve added to my list, there are so many left to go to, but, while “lobster season is year-round” most are only open May/June through October.

Lobster with the Best View: Five Islands Lobster Co. (Georgetown, ME)
Cheapest *Good* Lobster Roll: Erica’s Seafood (Harpswell, ME) *Although depending on the season this varies, and if you’re willing to travel farther out, I’m sure you could get one for under $20. Also, home-made ones are obviously the easiest…*
Best Lobster Reuben: Archer’s on the Pier
Best Lobster Roll Lobster Meat: C-Ray (Bar Harbor, ME)
Best Lobster Roll Bread: Muscongus Bay Lobster (Round Pond, ME) *It’s homemade here!*
Best Lobster Chowder/Bisque: Abel’s Lobster (Mount Desert, ME)
Best Lobster Tacos: Claws (Rockland, ME)
Best Paella with Lobster: Havana (Bar Harbor, ME)
Best Surf and Turf: MDI Lobster Co. (Mount Desert, ME) *Some of the best ribs i’ve EVER had.*
Most Unique Lobster Roll: Bite Into Maine (Portland, ME) *Curry, chipotle, wasabi oh my!*
All Around If I HAD to Choose: Fishermens Catch (Raymond, ME) *Because i can get 3 different rolls at once!*

My “Pending” List for Next Season: Barnacle Billy’s (Ogunquit, ME), Day’s Crabmeat and Lobster (Yarmouth, ME), Scarborough Fish & Lobster Co. (Scarborough, ME), J’s Oyster at Old Port (Portland, ME), Eagles Nest (Brewer, ME), Bluebird Ranch (Machias, ME)

Here’s pictures though of all the places i went! Lobster and Maine are the best. They’re numbered in the ORDER that I went to them in, NOT in quality (rated by # of 🦞’s out of 5)!

1. The Lobster Haul (Damariscotta, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
Scenery:🦞
What to Get: Lobster Sliders

2. Red’s Eats (Wiscasset, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
Scenery: 🦞🦞🦞
What to Get: Lobster Roll (Probably the most meat of any roll in the state)

3. Harraseeket Lunch and Lobster (South Freeport, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞
Scenery: 🦞🦞🦞
What to Get: Seafood Chowder

4. Gurnet Trading Co. (Brunswick, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
Scenery: 🦞🦞🦞
What to Get: Crab Roll

5. Taste of Maine (Woolwich, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞
Scenery: 🦞🦞🦞
What to Get: Lobster Newburg vs. the “World’s Largest Lobster Roll” (It’s like over $100 or something because I heard someone else order it when I was there)

6. Pepper’s Landing (Brunswick, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
Scenery: 🦞
What to Get: If I went back, the Kennebunkport Roll

7. Archer’s on the Pier (Rockland, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
Scenery: 🦞🦞🦞
What to Get: Lobster Reuben

8. The Hungry Lobster (Rye Harbor, NH)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞
Scenery: 🦞
What to Get: Lobster Bisque with Sherry Cream Butter Sauce

9. Thurston’s Lobster Pound (Bernard, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
Scenery: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
What to Get: Mussels and Lobster Dinner vs. Roll

10. West Street Cafe (Bar Harbor, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
Scenery: 🦞
What to Get: Downeast Special (Lobster (1 1/4lb), cup of clam chowder, fries, coleslaw, blueberry pie)

11. Abel’s Lobster (Mount Desert, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
Scenery: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
What to Get: Lobster Chowder

12. Ben & Bill’s Chocolate Emporium (Bar Harbor, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞
Quality: 🦞
Scenery: 🦞
What to Get: Lobster Ice Cream (Actually don’t get it…)

13. C-Ray’s Lobster (Bar Harbor, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞
Scenery: 🦞
What to Get: Lobster Roll and Musels

14. Havana (Bar Harbor, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞
Scenery: 🦞
What to Get: Paella

15. The Travelin Lobster (Bar Harbor, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
Scenery: 🦞
What to Get: Lobster Grilled Cheese

16. Erica’s Seafood (Harspwell, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
Scenery: 🦞🦞🦞
What to Get: Crabster (Crab + Lobster Roll) and Fried Clams

17. Claws (Rockland, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
Scenery: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
What to Get: Lobster Tacos

18. Five Islands Lobster Co. (Georgetown, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
Scenery: 🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞
What to Get: Lobster Roll

19. Young’s Lobster Pound (Belfast, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
Scenery: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
What to Get: Lobster Dinner (with Steamers)

20. Muscongus Bay Lobster (Round Pond, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
Scenery: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
What to Get: Lobster Roll (JUST FOR THE HOMEMADE BREAD)

21. Fishermens Catch (Raymond, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞
Scenery: 🦞(🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞 if you go to the beach nearby)
What to Get: Rollin’ – Lobster Roll, Clam Roll & Crab Roll (It’s amazing)

22. McLoons Lobster Shack (South Thomaston, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
Scenery: 🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞
What to Get: Lobster Roll and Steamers

23. Sprague’s Lobster (Wiscasset, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞
Scenery: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
What to Get: Lobster Roll and Mussels

24. Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound (Trenton, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞
Scenery: 🦞🦞
What to Get: Lobster Chowder (Roll is too little meat for the price)

25. MDI Lobster Company (Mount Desert, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞
Scenery: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
What to Get: RIBS

26. Boothbay Lobster Wharf (Boothbay, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞
Scenery: 🦞🦞🦞
What to Get: Lobster Quesadilla

27. Shaw’s Fish and Lobster Wharf (New Harbor, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
Scenery: 🦞🦞🦞🦞
What to Get: Mussels; but just do not order the fried lobster or she’ll tell you that’s an awful idea…

28. Maine Diner (Wells, ME)

Cost/Worth: 🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞
Quality: 🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞
Scenery: 🦞
What to Get: The Triple D (“3 Maine Diner Classics featured on the television show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Cup of Seafood Chowder, Lobster Pie, Codfish Cake.”), unbelievable lobster pie