Maine Eats guide · checked October 2026
Maine lobster shacks & lobster rolls
37 lobster pounds, wharf-side shacks and lobster roll stops from York to Eastport, each checked in business in October 2026 going by its own site or menu, Maine news, or a town or chamber listing. 26 of them are seasonal, so check the season listed with each before you drive.
An iPhone and iPad app, free. Not in the App Store yet.
Pounds, shacks and wharves
A lobster pound began as a saltwater pen for keeping lobsters alive. Today the name usually means a waterfront place that cooks them to order, in big pots of seawater or over a wood fire, with picnic tables outside; a lobster shack is the takeout version. The Maine lobster roll is usually served cold, the meat lightly dressed with mayonnaise in a toasted, buttered split-top bun, and many places will make it with warm butter instead.
The 37 on this list
27 are lobster pounds or shacks and 24 list a lobster roll, many both. 26 are seasonal, and 19 post their season, which is listed with each place. The longest at the same address: Fox's Lobster House in York Beach (York), there since 1936; Abel's Lobster in Mount Desert, there since 1939; Nunan's Lobster Hut in Cape Porpoise (Kennebunkport), there since 1953; Cook's Lobster & Ale House in Bailey Island (Harpswell), there since 1955. Maine's oldest restaurants has the 22 places with 40 or more years at the same address.
How we made the list: we looked up each place in October 2026 and kept it only when a 2025 or 2026 source showed it in business at that address: its own site or menu, a dated post, Maine news reporting, or a town or chamber of commerce listing. A shack or stand that posts its opening and closing dates has them printed beside it; one we couldn't source this year was dropped. No review site fed into it, the order is by region and town, and no rating decides anything. Call ahead, since hours and menus shift. Our sources are on the about page.
In the Maine Eats app the same places come nearest-first from wherever your phone is, and each opens Apple's own map card for opening times, pictures and the route.
Jump to a region
The list is grouped by the Maine Office of Tourism's 8 regions, which we draw on county lines.
Town pages: Portland, Bangor, South Portland, Bar Harbor, Lewiston, Biddeford, Brunswick, Augusta, Auburn, Scarborough, York, Old Orchard Beach, Ogunquit, Waterville, Kennebunk, Kittery, Wells, Westbrook, Ellsworth, Saco, Kennebunkport, Wiscasset, Damariscotta, Cape Elizabeth, Mount Desert, Rockland, Camden, Freeport, Boothbay Harbor. Region pages: Maine Beaches, Greater Portland & Casco Bay, Midcoast & Islands, Downeast & Acadia, Lakes & Mountains, Kennebec Valley, Maine Highlands, Aroostook County.
Lobster shacks & rolls: questions
Are Maine lobster shacks open all year?
Not all of them. 26 of the 37 here are seasonal and 11 aren't marked seasonal. 19 of the seasonal ones post their dates, and we list them with each place. A place that's closed for the winter hasn't closed for good, so check its season before you drive.
Lobster pound or lobster shack: what's the difference?
Mostly the setting. A pound keeps live lobsters, often in tanks or a saltwater pen, and cooks them to order for a lobster dinner: the lobster, corn, steamers, butter. A shack is a takeout counter, usually for lobster rolls, chowder and fried seafood. Of the 37 places here, 27 are pounds or shacks and 24 list a lobster roll.
Cold with mayo or warm with butter?
In Maine the lobster roll is traditionally cold: lobster meat with a little mayonnaise in a toasted, buttered split-top bun. Warm meat with melted butter is often called Connecticut style. Many places serve both or ask which you want; where a place told us, it's in the “Known for” line.
Which lobster place here has been at its address the longest?
Of the 13 places on this list with a checked year at the same address, the longest-running is Fox's Lobster House in York Beach (York), there since 1936. Places without a checked year may be older, so this answers for our list, not for the whole state. Maine's oldest restaurants has the 22 places with 40 or more years at the same address.
Maine Beaches
5 places, by town. The region around Biddeford, York and Old Orchard Beach; the Maine Beaches page has its other guides too.
The Clam Shack
2 Western Ave, Kennebunk
Lobster rollClam shackSeasonal Known for: lobster roll; fried seafood; fresh-squeezed lemonade · Season: seasonal; check before you go · At this address since 1968
Takeout seafood shack on the Kennebunk River bridge by Dock Square; its lobster rolls use chilled meat with mayo on the grilled bun, warm butter, or both.
Nunan's Lobster Hut
9 Mills Rd, Cape Porpoise (Kennebunkport)
Lobster shackSeasonal Known for: boiled lobster dinner; lobster stew; lobster roll; homemade pie · Season: May 21 to October 17 (2026 season) · At this address since 1953
Family-run Cape Porpoise lobster hut serving lobster dinners in the rough from 5 pm; no reservations, no credit cards.
Barnacle Billy's
50-70 Perkins Cove Rd, Perkins Cove (Ogunquit)
Lobster shackSeasonal Known for: boiled lobster; lobster roll; clam chowder; rum punch · Season: April 10 to October 25, 2026 (also April 3-5) · At this address since 1961
Tower family lobster place on Perkins Cove known for boiled lobster with drawn butter and its rum punch; Barnacle Billy's, Etc. is the table-service sibling at the same address range.
Fisherman's Catch
134 Harbor Rd, Wells
Lobster shackSeasonal Known for: lobster boil; steamers; mussels; blueberry pie · Season: seasonal; check before you go
Rustic family-owned lobster shack on the Wells salt marsh with dine-in and takeout, live music, and four-course outdoor lobster boils in summer.
Fox's Lobster House
8 Sohier Park Rd, York Beach (York)
Lobster shackBlueberry pieSeasonal Known for: boiled lobster; lobster roll; Maine blueberry pie · Season: April 29 to October 18 (2026, its 61st season) · At this address since 1936
Oceanfront lobster house next to Nubble Light with dining rooms and a take-out picnic patio; lobsters are boiled in its own pound and the owner bakes the blueberry pie.
Greater Portland & Casco Bay
10 places, by town. The region around Portland, South Portland and Brunswick; the Greater Portland & Casco Bay page has its other guides too.
Bite Into Maine
1000 Shore Rd, Cape Elizabeth
Lobster rollSeasonal Known for: lobster roll · Season: April to early November · At this address since 2011
Lobster roll food truck in Fort Williams Park by Portland Head Light, window service only; the business also runs shops in Portland and Scarborough.
The Lobster Shack at Two Lights
225 Two Lights Rd, Cape Elizabeth
Lobster shackLobster rollClam shackSeasonal Known for: lobster dinner; lobster roll; fried clams; clam cakes; clam chowder; lobster stew · Season: April 4 to October 25 (2026 season)
Seasonal lobster shack at the end of Two Lights Road with picnic tables on the rocks below the lighthouse; lobster dinners, rolls, fried clams and clam cakes.
Harraseeket Lunch & Lobster
36 Main St, South Freeport (Freeport)
Lobster shackLobster rollWhoopie piesSeasonal Known for: lobster roll; cooked lobsters; steamed clams; whoopie pie · Season: May to October (last day of the 2026 season: Columbus Day, Oct. 12) · At this address since 1970
Family-run lunch counter and lobster pound on the South Freeport working waterfront; lobster rolls, cooked lobsters and its own whoopie pies, BYOB.
Cook's Lobster & Ale House
68 Garrison Cove Rd, Bailey Island (Harpswell)
Lobster shack Known for: lobster; lobster roll; clam chowder · At this address since 1955
Waterfront lobster house on Garrison Cove next to the Cribstone Bridge, grown from a 1955 take-out stand; stays open through the winter.
Eventide Oyster Co.
86 Middle St, Portland
James Beard winnerLobster rollOyster bar Known for: oysters; brown butter lobster roll · At this address since 2012
Big Tree Hospitality's oyster bar in the Old Port, known for its raw bar and a brown-butter lobster roll.
James Beard: Best Chef: Northeast 2017 (winner): Andrew Taylor and Mike Wiley, Eventide Oyster Co.; Best Chef: Northeast 2015 (nominee): Andrew Taylor and Mike Wiley, Eventide Oyster Co.; Best Chef: Northeast 2016 (nominee): Andrew Taylor and Mike Wiley, Eventide Oyster Co.
Luke's Lobster Portland Pier
60 Portland Pier, Portland
Lobster roll Known for: lobster roll; crab roll; steamed clams
Luke's Lobster's flagship restaurant on a working pier, serving its split-top lobster rolls with views of the lobster boats.
Portland Lobster Co.
180 Commercial St, Portland
Lobster shackLobster rollSeasonal Known for: lobster roll; steamed lobster dinner; clam chowder; steamers; fried clams; crab roll · Season: seasonal; check before you go
Seasonal waterfront deck on Commercial Street with steamed lobster dinners, lobster and crab rolls, fried clams and live music.
The Highroller Lobster Co.
104 Exchange St, Portland
Lobster rollRed snappers Known for: lobster roll; lobster roll with butter or flavored mayo; 'The Red Snappah' foot-long red hot dog; corn-dog-battered red snapper
Old Port lobster roll restaurant that grew out of a 2015 food cart; rolls come with mayo variations or butter.
Bayley's Lobster Pound
9 Avenue 6, Pine Point (Scarborough)
Lobster shackLobster roll Known for: lobster roll; lobsters
Fourth-generation lobster pound and fish market on the Pine Point waterfront, with the Bait Shed restaurant on its dock; the family credits itself with some of Maine's first lobster rolls.
SoPo Seafood
171 Ocean St, South Portland
Lobster rollOyster bar Known for: raw bar; lobster roll; lobster bisque
South Portland seafood market and raw bar with a full lunch and dinner menu built on Gulf of Maine catches; Maine lobster is always on the menu.
Midcoast & Islands
8 places, by town. The region around Rockland, Camden and Boothbay Harbor; the Midcoast & Islands page has its other guides too.
Young's Lobster Pound
2 Fairview St, Belfast
Lobster shackSeasonal Known for: hard- and soft-shell lobster; clams; mussels; lobster roll · Season: seasonal; check before you go
Lobster pound with picnic tables on the Passagassawakeag River in Belfast.
Muscongus Bay Lobster
28 Landing Rd, Round Pond (Bristol)
Lobster shackLobster rollSeasonal Known for: lobster roll; lobster chowder; Damariscotta River oysters · Season: late May into fall (2025 season opened May 23)
Family-owned wholesale and retail lobster business on Round Pond Harbor with outdoor waterfront tables and a small beer-and-wine bar, the Bait Shed Bar.
Larson's Lunch Box
430 Main St, Damariscotta
Lobster rollSeasonal Known for: lobster roll; crab roll; char-broiled burgers; fried clams · Season: mid-spring through October
Outdoor takeout shack in a parking lot just north of downtown Damariscotta, serving lobster and crab rolls in season; its page says it will be back in spring 2026.
Five Islands Lobster Co.
1447 Five Islands Rd, Five Islands (Georgetown)
Lobster shackLobster rollClam shackSeasonal Known for: lobster roll; boiled lobster; fried clams; steamers; haddock chowder · Season: summer into fall (2026: daily in August, then weekends only Sept. 11 to Oct. 11)
Counter-service lobster shack on the working wharf in the fishing village of Five Islands, with picnic tables facing Sheepscot Bay; no alcohol sold, coolers welcome.
McLoons Lobster Shack
315 Island Rd, South Thomaston
Lobster shackLobster rollSeasonal Known for: lobster roll; Lobster Rolls Royce (half-pound roll); lobster stew; crab roll; blueberry bread pudding · Season: seasonal; check before you go
Lobster shack on Spruce Head Island across from a working lobster wharf, with island views; the menu changes daily with what is available.
Robinson's Wharf
20 Hendricks Hill Rd, Southport
Lobster roll Known for: lobster roll; lobster; scallops
Waterfront seafood restaurant with a seafood market and gift shop just across the swing bridge from Boothbay Harbor; the market is open year-round.
Red's Eats
41 Water St, Wiscasset
Lobster shackLobster rollSeasonal Known for: lobster roll; lobster plate; fried seafood baskets · Season: late April/May to mid-October (2026: opened May 6, target closing Oct. 13)
Family-run takeout stand at the foot of Wiscasset's Main Street on Route 1, known for lobster rolls and long summer lines.
Sprague's Lobster
22 Main St, Wiscasset
Lobster shackLobster rollSeasonal Known for: lobster roll; lobster dinner; live lobsters to go · Season: seasonal; check before you go
Family-run lobster stand on the Creamery Pier in Wiscasset known for lobster rolls and lobster dinners.
Downeast & Acadia
14 places, by town. The region around Bar Harbor, Ellsworth and Southwest Harbor; the Downeast & Acadia page has its other guides too.
Stewman's Lobster Pound
35 West St, Bar Harbor
Lobster shackSeasonal Known for: Downeast lobster bake; lobster roll; crab roll · Season: typically early June to early October; opened Memorial Day weekend in 2025
Oceanfront lobster pound on the downtown Bar Harbor waterfront serving lobster bakes; a second Stewman's is at the Bar Harbor Regency.
Stewman's Lobster Pound
123 Eden St, Bar Harbor
Lobster shackSeasonal Known for: Downeast lobster bake; lobster roll · Season: typically early June to early October; opened Memorial Day weekend in 2025 · A branch of Stewman's Lobster Pound, Bar Harbor (35 West St)
The second, oceanfront Stewman's, on the grounds of the Bar Harbor Regency hotel on Eden Street.
LDI Lobster Dock & Dine
202 Little Deer Isle Rd, Little Deer Isle (Deer Isle)
Lobster shackLobster rollSeasonal Known for: lobster roll; steamed lobster; chowder; fish sandwich; ice cream · Season: seasonal; check before you go
Seasonal takeout with outdoor tables on Eggemoggin Reach beside the Deer Isle-Sedgwick Bridge, reachable by land or by sea.
Look Lobster Rolls and Market
7 Sea Street, Eastport
Lobster shackLobster rollSeasonal Known for: lobster roll; crab roll; live lobsters · Season: closing for the 2026 season on October 8
Waterfront lobster shack and fish market in Eastport with a deck looking over Passamaquoddy Bay, run by the Jonesport-based Look Lobster Co., which also has sites in Addison and Portland.
Jordan's Snack Bar
200 Downeast Highway, Ellsworth
Lobster rollDairy bar Known for: lobster roll; Big Jim triple cheeseburger; shrimp and scallops; soft serve · Season: now open year-round · At this address since 1981
Ellsworth snack bar on the Downeast Highway with seafood, burgers and weekly soft-serve specials, a playground and game room, and Wednesday-night cruise-ins.
Union River Lobster Pot
8 South St, Ellsworth
Lobster shackSeasonal Known for: lobster; seafood · Season: opens in June
Seasonal lobster restaurant overlooking the Union River in Ellsworth.
Ruth & Wimpy's
792 US Route 1, Hancock
Lobster shack Known for: lobster cooked over wood-burning cookers; seafood plates · At this address since 1990
Family-owned roadside lobster restaurant on Route 1 where Wimpy still cooks the lobsters outside over wood-burning cookers; out front stands 'Wilbur,' an 11-foot fiberglass sculpture by Joe Rizzo.
Fisherman's Wharf Restaurant & Seafood
69 Johnson Street, Lubec
Lobster roll Known for: lobster roll; lobster eggs Benedict; lobster dinner
Restaurant of The Inn on the Wharf, in the old boiler room of a former Lubec sardine factory on Passamaquoddy Bay; lobster turns up at every meal.
Chipman's Wharf
304 Wyman Road, Milbridge
Lobster shackLobster roll Known for: lobster roll; lobster dinner; seafood pie
Family working lobster wharf in Milbridge with a seafood market and a daily lunch grille, with tables on the waterfront and an upstairs deck.
Abel's Lobster
13 Abels Lane, Mount Desert
Lobster shackSeasonal Known for: lobster; clams; traditional Maine seafood · Season: May 17 to October 20 per its page (year not given); opened May 15 in 2025 · At this address since 1939
Seasonal lobster pound and clam house with a dining room and waterfront seating in Abel's boatyard near the head of Somes Sound.
Beal's Lobster Pier
182 Clark Point Rd, Southwest Harbor
Lobster shackLobster rollSeasonal Known for: lobster dinner; lobster roll · Season: restaurant closed from October to May; opened May 15 in 2025 · At this address since 1969
Restaurant on a year-round working lobster pier on Southwest Harbor, where lobstermen unload their catch beside the tables; it also ships lobster nationwide.
Thurston's Lobster Pound
9 Thurston Rd, Bernard (Tremont)
Lobster shackLobster rollSeasonal Known for: lobster dinner; lobster roll; crab roll · Season: Memorial Day weekend through mid-October · At this address since 1993
Wharf-top lobster pound under yellow awnings over Bass Harbor, where boats unload the day's catch.
Gateway Lunt's Lobster Pound
1133 Bar Harbor Rd, Trenton
Lobster shackSeasonal Known for: lobster dinners; lobster specials; fresh seafood · Season: open daily May to October; opened May 6, 2026
Traditional lobster pound on Route 3 across from the Bar Harbor airport.
Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound
1237 Bar Harbor Rd, Trenton
Lobster shackSeasonal Known for: lobster boiled in seawater over wood fires; steamed clams; clam chowder; lobster stew; blueberry pie · Season: dine-in June 21 to October 25, 2026; retail pickup and shipping year-round
Roadside pound on Route 3 just before the bridge to Mount Desert Island, with a row of wood-fired seawater cookers out front and a 'LOBSTERS' sign on the roof.