Luke’s Lobster – Delicious Lobster Rolls in the East Village

[Lau]

**For full post and pics**: http://www.lauhound.com/2010/12/luke%...

I’d heard about Luke’s Lobster for a long time, but for some reason it took me a long time to finally decide to go. That was a mistake because this place is great.

Luke’s is a tiny shop in the East Village with maybe 10 stools and small counter tops to eat on. It does have a sort of nice New England type décor that feels pretty comfortable and homey. However, it is a very small, so it’s not the type of place you’re going to hang around for a long time.

On to the food:
- Lobster Roll: Normally, I don’t like a lot of lobster rolls because they are doused with mayonnaise and diced celery, neither of which I’m not particularly fond of. Thankfully the lobster roll here is much different (I’ve never been to Maine, so I don’t know if this is how they normally are). The bread is really good, it’s lightly toasted with a little bit of butter (I believe) and it tastes very fresh, the dough is slightly sweet which really goes well with the lobster. The lobster meat is really good; it’s sweet and not overcooked. The meat is seasoned lightly with some celery salt, paprika and a small dab of mayo. It was excellent, we really liked it. By the way the roll is a bit on the small side; I could probably eat two of them. 4.25/5
- Crab Roll: The crab roll is the same, but with crab meat. While it was good, it wasn’t as good as the lobster roll because the meat wasn’t as sweet, so I felt it was a less flavorful than the lobster roll. However, overall it was still quite good. 4/5
- New England Clam Chowder: this was the one disappointing dish here. It really just tastes like the same clam chowder you get out of a Campbell soup can. It was a bit too salty as well. 2.5/5

Overall, I really liked the lobster roll and I will definitely be coming back. Highly recommend.

[julilouie]

Luke Lobster in the summer and fall is served at the hester street fair every weekend. Nothing like eating a lobster roll outside on a park bench in the summer time.

[thew]

i've only been at the UES side branch, but i prefer pearls. it isn't the mayo - it's the lack of seasoning. i found the lobster,crab, and shrimp rolls at lukes were underseasoned...

[Lau]

i could see that as it's not seasoned heavily although i prefer it that way as you can actually taste the meat

[thew]

proper seasoning brings out flavor, it doesn't hide it

[Lau]

fair although i like the one at luke's better, taste is completely intangible, so there isn't really a right answer on this

[ExFlexitarian]

Count me in as a fan. While I don't mind mayo on my lobster rolls, I particularly like Luke's Lobster free approach because it tastes much cleaner - you get the full, beautiful taste of lobster with no extra fuss. They also use *only* claw meat (most restaurants get away with using both tail and claw) which makes for a much more tender bite.

Finally, for what it's worth, my New England friends tell me this is the most authentic lobstah roll in the city. I have no idea if it is indeed authentic, but it's delicious. And that's all that matters, right?

I just wish there was more seating in the EV location.

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Luke's Lobster
93 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009

[Lau]

yah its not that big luckily its not that far from where i live, so its easy to pop in if i want

it is def delicious

[MotoEater]

yes and they are opening one on the Upper West side I hear. Yipppeeee!

[Lau]

its very good, i think they have one on the UES, so UWS makes sense

[gutsofsteel]

I don't like the Luke's lobster roll - served freezing cold, basically cold lobster on a bun. Uninteresting, and a waste of money.

Give me Pearl's or Mary's any day.

[Lau]

yah i dont think we have the same taste in lobster rolls....mary's and pearl's both use a ton of mayo, which i was actually directly referring to in my post. They completely cover it in mayo, i basically didn't end up eating half of it at both places. If you like mayo i'm sure its fine, but i don't like mayo

[RCC]

I think you are unfairly exaggerating when you say that Pearl's is "completely cover it in mayo". I don't mind mayonnaise and actually prefer my lobster roll to have just enough of it, and I think Pearl's has just the right touch of mayonnaise.

[Lau]

well i mean that is in the eye of the beholder, but i found it covered in mayo...although as i said i don't like mayo. Here's a pic, it's def got a lot of mayo on it which is fine if you like mayo
http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/6dSiCq...

[MotoEater]

how much does the lobster roll at pearl oyster bar cost?

[Lau]

$17 i think

[kathryn]

Was there a few nights ago and yeah, it was more like $27. I find it actually a bit too much, especially with the shoestring fries. We usually split it and get other appetizer items to supplement. Ordering a double? That sounds like a heart attack on a plate to me.

[cubanat]

Pearls' is in the high $20's like $27 I think. Last time I was there was 2 years ago and I had to get the double roll to suffice. Both places are awesome but for a craving and much cheaper I'd go to Luke's in a heartbeat.

[RCC]

See? Just like I told you. Luke's could probably use more mayo, whereas Pearl's has just the right amount.
Here's my pic.

[Lau]

like i said eye of the beholder, that to me looks like a lot of mayo and looks just like the pic i previously posted...clearly this is just a difference in taste, you like mayo and i don't

[Pan]

As usual, your taste seems like mine. I don't like a lot of mayo, and to me, RCC's pic has lots of mayo in it. Whether that's the usual amount of mayo for a lobster roll is beside the point to me. I plan on trying Luke's and seeing whether I once again like a place you recommend.

[kathryn]

They're also not entirely consistent 100% of the time. I've had rolls with a bit more more mayo than RCC's photo.

[gutsofsteel]

I don't think they use a "ton" of mayo at all...I think the amount is perfect. They do not completely cover it in mayo, not at all.

[scoopG]

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