BoothBay Harbor Maine

[jesoda]

Heading to Boothbay the first week of August. Looking for your classic lobster shak on the water. any suggestions?

[Harp00n]

All good recs here with one glaring omission; Eliot Winslow's Robinson Wharf.
Just over the bridge in Southport, it just doesn't get any more "classic shack" in the Boothbay area. Eliot left us in 2006 but that Yankee spirit lives on at The Wharf. http://www.robinsonswharf.com

Harp

[Keefer Lucas]

As a Boothbay native I recommend the Lobsterman's Wharf (formerly known as "The Co-op") on the east side of the Harbor - if Hollywood scene scouts where looking for a lobster dock atmosphere, they'd stop here.

Its also well worth pointing out that recommendations in South Bristol and Pemaquid are an hour or more away from Boothbay Harbor, especially during the summer. If you are in Boothbay Harbor, the Lobsterman's Wharf and Robinson's Wharf in Southport (five minutes from the Harbor unless the bridge is open) will give you what you want with considerably less drive-time.

[harry_sparrow]

Correction:

Lobsterman's Wharf is in East Boothbay, next to Washburn and Doughty's shipyard that was just destroyed by fire.

The Lobster Wharf is in BBH.

Let's see, The Lobster Dock, The Lobster Wharf, and Lobsterman's Wharf - how confusing is that?

[catnip]

I agree with you Keefer but if you like watching a working waterfront harbor in motion then I suggest you try Shaw's in New Harbor.
New Harbor is an actual a small working lobsterman's harbor with Shaw's right in the middle of it all.
You could spend all day watching the boats come in and out of the place and get some great seafood as well.
But if a touristy place,with many small stores and shops, is more to your liking then Keefer is right that the food is as good the co-op as anywhere else in the area.
We usually stop there several times on our annual trip to the area.
I really like their crab rolls which someone(might have been you Keefer)told us about a few yrs. ago.
They are the best crab rolls I've ever had.
Catnip

[Harp00n]

The sad part of it catnip, and discussed on this Board before, is that far too few tourist know HOW GOOD a crab roll can be. Unless of course, they're visiting from The DelMarva or a local or a local "summer complaint" clues them in.

Harp

[jackattack]

Sorry, but Eliot would roll over in his grave if he knew what the service was like at Robinson's these days.

[Harp00n]

The truth of the matter is that the service was never that great.
Those of us with rose colored glasses like to use the term "quirky".
:-0)

[Keefer Lucas]

Exactly Harp00n. Frankly, there isn't a wharf-like dining experience anywhere that locals wouldn't have a nightmarish story to share.

Harry Sparrow - thanks for the correction, no one knows better than me the difference between Lobsterman's (known locally as simply "Lobsterman's") and the Lobster Wharf - frankly, I'd just as soon continue to refer to the Lobster Wharf as the "Co-op" to avoid my own confusion ;)

[Harp00n]

:-0)

[aliris]

Eliot may be "gone" but at least last summer his wife, Marge, was still cruising the garbage cans for stray crackers!

Some have recommended picking up a lobster roll at the Trevett store which is run by the same family that runs a lobster operation right there at the bridge to Barter's Island. I'm blanking on the name of the company. Me, I had a roll there last summer with a "local" who swears it's the best, and I thought it tasted suspiciously frozen. I agree, this makes absolutely no sense since they're bringing in fresh lobsters there all the time. All I can say is, for me the roll there wasn't terrific but I keep hearing from many it's wonderful. It's a beautiful spot and worth a try if you've time to experiment. The price is right too, for sure. If you're lucky a boat will want to go through the hand-operated crank bridge.

I agree with the conversation here that the Lobster -- whatever-it's-called nowadays, the former "Co-Op" wharf is the most gritty/grimey place around. Robinson's has been gussied up beyond recognition. Personally I have never seen the attraction of the East Boothbay Losterman's Wharf next to the burned boat builders', though seeing the ruins may be scenery enough to attract!

[Mainegal]

For that classic, no-frills Maine lobster shack experience, head to the Pemaquid Peninsula, the next penisula up the coast, about 30 minutes by car. In Round Pond are Round Pond Lobster and Muscongus Bay Lobster Co-op (RPL serves lobster and lobster dinners only, MBL has a few more choices and more seating), other possibilities on this peninsula are the New Harbor Co-op, in New Harbor, Pemaquid Fishermen's Co-op, in Pemaquid Harbor, South Bristol Fishermen's co-op in south Bristol, and Borod cove Marine Services, in Bristol. All are simple places; most are bring your own go-withs, from bread to wine. There's also Shaw's, far more expensive and touristy, but with a full bar and a menu ranging from steak to fried foods.

[jspear]

If you are driving up the coast, stop at Cudney's harbor, outside of brunswick. I little out of the way but worth it, I think....

[harry_sparrow]

Not necessarily shacks, but all on the water.

BOOTHBAY HARBOR::

http://www.boothbaylobsterwharf.com/ (I like the salmon sandwich here.

)

http://www.thelobsterdock.com/

http://www.mcseagullsonline.com/

EAST BOOTHBAY:

http://www.lobstermanswharf.com/

NEW HARBOR (about an hour drive from BBH

)

Shaw's Fish & Lobster Wharf

GEORGETOWN - this one's a shack. (about an hour drive too, but the other way)

http://www.fiveislandslobster.com/

WISCASSET

I'll leave Red's Eats to someone else - I've never been willing to wait in line.

[catnip]

We've eaten all of Harry's reccs and you should try them all if you have the time.
They're all different and fine!
If you can hit Red's without the line it's worth the try but ,like Harry said,we don't waiot in line for this place either.
Catnip
ps---we really like Shaw's up in New Harbor.
We stay acroos the street at the Gosnold just to walk over to Shaw's for fine food!

[harry_sparrow]

I forgot to mention that Five Islands is BYO.

[grundoon]

Actually, I was somewhat underwhelmed by the lobsterman's wharf in East Boothbay (which I understand recently underwent a change in management). They make a fine tuna salad sandwich, but their lobster roll was the biggest disappointment of our trip.

[ScubaSteve]

gotta disagree. loved the Lobster roll here last month. fresh, not too chilled, just enough mayo to give you the needed fat and a (comparative) bargain @ $16.00. i had two.

my only quibble was that the roll (while fresh) was not toasted.

[grundoon]

Glad that you had a better experience. My roll had been toasted but then allowed to cool before it got to the table. That coupled with lobster that seemed less-than-fresh led to my disappointment. Fortunately, I had an excellent lobster roll (lack of split-top bun notwithstanding) at Waterman's Beach a few days later to make up for it.

[ScubaSteve]

ahhh, that's a peeve. when we were there we were pretty much the only ones so i just hung out at the window while they made it. if my girl wasn't sitting at a table (warding off those rude seagulls) it probably would not of lasted the walk back to our spot.

[grundoon]

We were there (group of 7) at prime time on a crowded Friday night. They were slammed and their timing probably suffered as a result. That's how we knew about the tuna (one person at our table got it and it looked really good). We came back late on Saturday night (having had lobster mid-afternoon) and got the tuna and a bowl of chowder to end the day. It was perfect...