Roll Call

From the moment A found out I was traveling to New York, he insisted that I stop by Pearl Oyster Bar and order their lobster roll. He claimed it was one of the top 3 foods he's ever had in his life. With a claim like that, I knew I had to try it. 

Pearl Oyster Bar

The lobster roll at Pearl Oyster Bar sells for market price, which is normally somewhere between $26 and $30. On the day I went, it was going for $29. It only takes about 5 minutes for the roll to be served, which is great if you're in a hurry. My first thought when I saw the roll was, "Holy shit that's a lot of lobster". My first instinct was to grab a fork and scrape off a couple pieces of lobster from the top so the roll would comfortably fit in my mouth. However, I didn't want to appear like an inexperienced lobster roll eating noob, so I went straight for the roll with my hands and opened my mouth as big as possible. From the moment the roll touched my taste buds I was in heaven. Every part of the creation was mouth watering good. I was most taken aback by how delicious the bread roll was. It was soft, buttery goodness and the slightly sweet flavor worked perfectly with the lobster meat. I can't think of anything wrong with the way the lobster was prepared. I will admit that when I first saw it, the amount of mayonnaise made me cringe. When I ate it though, I couldn't taste a disgusting amount of mayonnaise. For some reason, it just worked. Pearl does not skimp on the amount of lobster used for their lobster roll. $29 for a sandwich might seem high, but it's absolutely worth it. 

Luke's Lobster

The lobster roll at Luke's Lobster is prepared very differently from the one at Pearl Oyster Bar. At Luke's, the buttered roll is spread with a thin layer of mayonnaise. The lobster meat is stuffed in and topped with some lemon, melted butter, and their secret blend of seasoning. As you can see from the photo, you can't even see the mayonnaise--there's only a thin layer on the roll itself. At $15, the roll is about 2/3 the size of Pearl's. I do love butter, but the taste of butter on the bread roll was too strong. Also, the bread roll was not as soft as Pearl's and it didn't have that melt in your mouth feel. The lobster meat was fresh and juicy, and the seasoning added a nice kick. There were a couple big chunks, but a substantial portion of the meat seemed to be shredded pieces of lobster.

If you only have time to stop by one place to get a lobster roll, make it Pearl Oyster Bar. Although double the price of Luke's, their lobster roll is the best I have ever had in my life. Yes, it's smothered in mayo, but I promise you the mayo does not overwhelm the taste of the gigantic chunks of fresh, succulent lobster. If you're worried about calories, skip the fries, but I can guarantee you will not be able to stop yourself from finishing the entire lobster roll.