The Lobster Shack at Two Lights — Restaurant in Cape Elizabeth

After some shopping in Portland, visiting the Portland Head Light, and not wanting to backtrack this Thursday (9/26) around 12:30pm, I found this restaurant on Google. The photos of lots of outdoor seating and the reviews looked great, but the day was rainy and windy and I wasn’t sure about the indoor seating. We took a chance. Place was easy to find, parking lot was a little rough in places, but we have an SUV. We headed up the stone steps—the Shack is about 30 ft above the parking lot and looks out over the outdoor seating area and the ocean! The waves were crashing on the rocks in the light rain and wind; absolutely beautiful. The layout of the Shack is small and simple- walk in the entrance to be met by the friendly cashier and open top lobster tanks! My wife and I placed our order: she got the clam chowder, I got the lobster roll with crinkle fries and coleslaw, and we both got soda fountain drinks. The cashier gave us our receipt, we passed the pick up window to the drink station, and sat down at a table for two. Indoor seating was limited to about thirty, and was full, but people were moving in and out so I don’t think customers had to wait long. Our order was ready quickly and I went up to the pickup window, and then stopped by the condiment station just past the drink machine. My wife’s bowl of clam chowder with oyster crackers was delicious and filling— she wasn’t able to finish it. My lobster roll was on a top split hotdog bun toasted and buttered, with a generous amount of lobster (tail and claw), a dollop of mayo and a dill pickle chip. It was sweet, juicy, and the perfect texture. The fries were crispy and salted just right. The coleslaw was amazing! It was sweet with a hint of apple, but no apple chunks. We got some to go it was so good. I would love to return on a sunny warm day to enjoy a meal outdoors watching the surf crash on the rocks. Our visit will be a fond memory for my...

My friend recommended this spot for lunch. Not for the food, but for the views and he was absolutely correct. The food is mediocre at best but the views really are beautiful. It's located next to the coast. The only downside to the view is that it's really windy over there so you need one hand to eat and the other to keep the paper plates/napkins from flying away. There is plenty of outdoor seating - at least when my fiance and I went on a Monday at around 2:30. You go up to the window to order your food, and then you can just grab a table and wait for them to call your name over the PA system, to pick up the food. Here is what we ordered:

Fried shrimp - teeny tiny frozen shrimp. It's like those Seapak popcorn shrimp you get in the freezer aisle at Costco, except those taste better

Clam cake plate (3 clam cakes, french fries, cole slaw, and a biscuit) - this was described to us as a crab cake but with clams instead. It was not. It was a breaded disc of something, but I definitely didn't taste any clams in there. I guess just avoid any fried seafood here because it's not going to be freshly made. The fries weren't bad though

Lobster roll boat (Fresh lobster meat on a bed of lettuce, toasted bun, topped with a dollop of mayo. Served with french fries and cole slaw) - this wasn't bad but certainly not the best lobster roll I've had in Maine. The giant dollop of mayo was a bit off-putting

Lobster stew (sauteed lobster meat in half & half) - this was terrible. There was very little lobster in there but maybe that was a blessing in disguise because for the few pieces that were in there, they were tiny and super chewy. The consistency of the stew was very watery. It tasted more like a lobster milk than a stew

I can see the appeal of the Lobster Shack but I don't think the views are worth the food. I say - pick up a lobster roll elsewhere and just drive to any part of Maine's coast...

I feel like this place is a 3-star overall, based on the expectations and the price you pay. Was it good? Sure, it was fine. Was it worth $110 for 2 people to eat? Good lord no.

Parking - pretty difficult. The lot was jam packed and we had to wait on the road for a spot to open. I'm sure the neighbors hate this but I guess this is what Maine is going to be like for 3 months a year. Granted it was a Saturday, if I'm being fair. So not the best day to go.

Service is slow. We waited in line for 45 minutes. No other way to say that.

Service was friendly enough. While the overall is slow the girl at the register was friendly, even though it's obviously a mad house on the weekends.

Prices are absurd. I get that you're paying for the experience but my gosh, $30 for friend clams? When did this happen? The lobster is market price which basically means 4x what you would pay at the market for it. The butter they served with this was bland, almost unsalted. The lobster roll, while pricey, was quite excellent. Clams were very good, for the record.

Fries were bad. The biscuit was inedible. Just throw it at the seagulls. The coleslaw was offensive, as others have noted. It tasted rancid.

The view from this location is fabulous. Can't argue with that.

Might as well try it if you're here. I would suggest a weekday, however. Yes, it was the busiest day of the week in the summer. But this was the only day we could come to Portland so it is what it is.

Would I go back? Probably not, as I would try some other...