Red Lobster's $50 Lobster Roll Is Bad!
Plus: The Otter makes a great lobster roll (with citric acid!), notes on rising lobster prices, and price hikes at Crane Club and Red Hook Lobster
Scroll down for reviews of the lobster rolls at Red Lobster and The Otter; paid subscribers also get access to our clutch city guides like The Splurge List
The era of $50 lobster rolls is upon us
Lobster rolls have never been my favorite thing.
For the pure taste of this regal crustacean, I prefer it steamed in salt water. I like it grilled over coals. Lobster is not liver; its flavors are subtle. It does not deserve to be drowned out by the sting of celery. It doesn’t need to be tamed by buttered rolls or tarragon. I do not want it chilled into a mayo-based chokehold — for a very steep sum.
For the most part, I just don’t want a lobster roll. Or at least that’s how I used to feel. Until the day I dropped by Red Hook Lobster Pound.
And I fell in love.
Part of the charm was the texture. Owner Susan Povich only used silky claws and bouncy knuckles. There was no tail meat to give your jaw a workout. And it packed serious crustacean flavor.
Part of the allure was the minimalism. The chilled Maine roll wasn’t dripping in mayo. Cooks applied the condiment like a gentle lip gloss. The lobster could speak for itself. And the warm Connecticut roll was even better: drizzled in butter and redolent of the sea.
But most importantly, the rolls were just $15 each, much cheaper than the posh Manhattan varieties I was trying at the time. They were so affordable I ate two in one sitting. And then, I went to see the Queen Mary 2 at port blasting its diesel fumes into the crisp Brooklyn air. That’s dockside dining in New York!
The year was 2011, and so you’ll understand that prices have gradually risen since. The restaurant hiked its rolls up to $32 a few years back — amid rising electricity and insurance costs, as Eliza Shapiro of the New York Times reported.
Then, just this week, I noticed that the price had jumped up again, to $39.50. That means a roll will now cost $51 after tax and tip.
Translation: my two-roll snack from the 2010s would now run over $100.
To be clear: Red Hook Lobster Pound, like the neighborhood itself, has evolved over the past decade. What used to be a small shack is now a full-service restaurant. Every order comes with fries. But the truth remains that what was once one of the city’s most affordable lobster rolls is now one of the priciest.
Love costs more in this city every year.
Red Hook Lobster Pound is not alone.
Lobster rolls have gone the way of martinis and too many shrimp cocktails. That is to say: This everyday indulgence has become a straight-up luxury in New York and elsewhere — due to rising demand for lobster abroad and smaller seasonal catches in Maine.
Trump’s tariffs against Canada could push up prices even further.
But for now: New York has at least six restaurants where a lobster roll costs around $50 after tax and tip.
That’s a tough break for a sandwich that’s more of a snack than a proper meal. You don’t eat half of a lobster roll now and save the other half for later, like with a Philly cheeseteak. You polish off a lobster roll in a few minutes and then you figure out what’s really for dinner.
The Otter by Alex Stupak currently serves one of the city priciest versions, at $44 before gratuity. Fries are extra. But here’s the thing: It’s a truly excellent roll, with all sorts of unexpected seasonings…like citric acid!
There’s also the new roll at Red Lobster in Times Square; it debuted last month, less than a year after a new chief executive took the reins. It is a crime against shellfish. And it too will cost $50 after tax and tip. And therein lies the rub: There are more mediocre lobster rolls than good ones in New York. And that’s making lobster price inflation sting all the more acutely.
Behind the Paywall:
Review: Red Lobster’s brand new lobster roll
Review: The Otter’s excellent lobster roll with “citric acid”
How to ace an order at Luke’s Lobster
A list of prominent lobster roll prices across New York
Serious price hikes at Crane Club and Le Bernardin
Review: Why you should try The Otter’s garlic clam pasta