The Lobster Trap — Restaurant in Asheville

Went for the first time today with the family. At first glance, the tables were placed close together but the ambiance was great. We went to try to catch the musical performance that they have in the evening. Throughout the evening it became more and more apparent that the staff were on top of everything and the service was excellent!

For the food, I got the crab cakes which had great texture. The slaw was seasoned well and the corn pudding was absolutely scrumptious with a nice crispy exterior and sweet pudding in the middle! It reminded me of the sweet corn tomalito that I used to make for my oldest brother. That may have been my favorite part of the plate. The combination of flavors, textures, with the sweetness of the corn pudding and tanginess of the slaw overall blended well together. I felt something was missing in terms of seasoning... Just slightly.. but it was still a good meal. I may retry the dish again next time to try figure it out.

My husband got the lobster roll which had a generous amount of lobster served on a roasted brioche roll. The brioche enhanced the sweetness of the lobster and he thoroughly enjoyed this meal. It was served with fresh made chips dusted with old bay which he loved though the kids were not a fan of the chips. I believe the ratio of the lobster and thickness of the bread made it a little difficult to eat, but it looked like my husband enjoyed every bite.

My son got the lobster Mac off the kids menu which still served a good portion, and he was humming his appreciation for the food as he was eating. My husband and I split this as a side, of which my daughter ate several scoops as well. It had a good amount of lobster meat without going over board. We all thoroughly enjoyed this bowl of creamy cheesy goodness.

My daughter got the grilled hot dog served on a toasted brioche bun. I at first thought she would not eat it when I saw the char on the hot dog, but she quickly devoured it and loved every bit of it.

For dessert, the kids chose the ultimate ice cream. It came with three large scoops of locally made ice cream drizzled with chocolate syrup. The kids finished the whole bowl. I got the key lime pie with was rich with a buttery crust and caramel syrup, but my hands down favorite was what my husband chose: the warm bread pudding. It had a perfectly caramelized crisp topping and a soft center and was placed on top of the caramel sauce on the plate. It was divine!

Both kids told me to give a five star rating and asked to come back again. I whole heatedly agree!

EtA: went back. Though I though the Mac was a little overcooked, kids still enjoyed it.. my daughter opting to get a side of the lobster Mac with her hotdog. The hotdog this time wasn't charred as much which was great. I tried the shrimp and grits. The grits were great, loved the texture, the spices and shrimp tasted great. The only thing would be that it was a bit too salty. I thoroughly enjoyed the bread pudding and got it was a scoop of butter pecan ice cream. Next time I would be happy to instead just get a small plate and then bread pudding as dessert. So much food, I was stuffed!! The service with the guys coming through clearing plates and the waiter...

Asheville is jam packed with the best of the best food. That being said, if this were in a town with less amazing options it may be a five star, but with the price tag the expectations rise.

We got the lobster stuffed mushroom. Overall taste was good, but the cheese was a little over roasted (char on top was a bit too black) and they were lacking in volume of lobster. Seasoning was reserved, but it made the mushroom taste shine so I get that.

I had the scallop dish. Firstly, the scallops were cooked to perfection, not overly buttery and the texture was spot on. That being said for 39$ I want more than four. Yes it came with pork, but the scallop is the hero. The pork was sliced too soon and clearly dried out. The pork’s crust was delightful, but brought down by the dryness. The potatoes were just that - potatoes. They needed about two more min on cook. They were dry. The dish just felt incomplete- like it needed a puree or a sauce to bring some life back. Again, for the price tag I want a complete dish. I can go get a scallop dish at about ten other restaurants that feel far more complete. It’s good it’s just not $39 good. At that level every detail counts.

The lobster newburg. Flavor 10/10 the lobster was juicy and buttery and the sauce divine. The pastry delish, but again at the price tag it lacked a completeness. The green beans needed slightly longer on the cook and lacked seasoning. The palette wants like a mash potato with it, not a lot, just something. It’s like the dishes were all good, but just lacked a cohesive something.

The cocktails, flavors are well thought out and carefully created, but that ice…when you use that style ice it immediately dilutes the work and completely destroys the drink. Invest in better cocktail ice.

Service was on it! No complaints there at all. I just see better options in AVL for seafood. No there aren’t many seafood exclusive restaurants, but for lobster and scallops you can throw a dart and hit them just about at any fine dining. I’d say if we go back it would be for a boil, but being an eastern nc native it’s tough to top...

We have always reserved this place as a special go to for our Mum, because she and dad loved to eat lobster together. Every wedding anniverary, birthday, and anniversary of his passing we go. While we love the atmosphere and location, and the drinks, last night will be our last visit. We were excited to get a table in the front, and the music was lovely. The menu is sadly much smaller, and much more expensive, and lobster dishes have been changed to serve only whole lobsters at a price that is not ok for us. So besides the bisque, dad's favorite, we opted for drinks, soup, salad, bread and appetizers for the three of us.

The first thing I will say is the wait staff should not be told to not write anything down, when they cannot make it the 50 ft to the kitchen and remember the order. The dishes came out without the bread, which was forgotten, and then when it did arrive was cold and hard. The trap salad was good, Mum's scallops were good. The prawns were really nice, the goat cheese /gazpacho sauce was limited but delish and the saving grace for the bread even though it was so hard. We ordered the steamed mussel bowl, which finally arrived after mum was already done with her scallops, and it was clams instead. It was removed in a bit of a huff, and when it returned 20 minutes later, it was horrible. The broth was like dishwater, no flavor at all. We had to add salt pepper, tobasco, anything we could find to make it edible at all. The mussels were very slight, and the bread inedibly hard. We asked for the grilled broccoli that we ordered, again forgotten, and when it did come out it was not grilled, it was not seasoned, it was burnt and cold. All in all a very disappointing, expensive venture for us.

We are so appreciative and supportive of our community and the rebuild after Helene. We support local as often as we can, but this was not ok. Sadly we will not return, and look to find another place where Mum can enjoy lobster for her...