Lobster Shack — Restaurant in East Haven

Ate here this past Saturday. No cap, it's one of the best meals I've ever had.

APPETIZER I had the shrimp and corn bisque. Smooth and flavorful, and at the perfect temperature.

ENTREE I had the lobster roll with fries and slaw. It was amazing. The lobster was tender and flavorful, dressed with a bit of butter. The roll was pillowy and just on this side of toasted. The fries may have been the best I've ever had. Crispy yet tender, in a generous portion. And the slaw was outstanding. Fresh and crisp, and perfectly dressed as well. It was the right complement to the rich roll and starchy fries.

DESSERT I had a simple coffee and cream. It hit the spot (and probably kept me from a bit of a food coma afterwards).

SERVICE Outstanding! Francesca was A+. Friendly and welcoming, but not awkward or overly familiar. Checked in on me at the right times; not too often, not too infrequent, and absolutely not right after I took a bite of something. I definitely wanted dessert after the main dish, and I was initially thinking something heavy. She steered me straight by suggesting a coffee.

Also, when I entered, I totally misread the seating arrangement and just parked myself at a table without waiting to be seated. Mea culpa. The staff were kind and graceful, with no fuss and no scene. I appreciated the easy professionalism more than I can properly express.

AMBIENCE Chill and home-y, but still clean and professional. Has an appropriate nautical vibe that never gets chintzy. Good balance of light colors and polished natural woods. Adequate room to have your own space, but not so large that it's a labyrinth. Music was pleasant and relaxing jazz. The main room looks out onto the water.

PARKING The restaurant has its own free & adequate parking lot right by the entrance.

LOCATION As mentioned before, it's near the water. Generally surrounded by homes, but not crowded in. At the end of a beachside street so it's nice and quiet. If you were so inclined, you could probably get a to-go order and have it on the nearby beach.

OVERALL I've eaten at all kinds of places. Some I love, some not so much. And though I was only visiting for the weekend, I felt basically at home here. I plan to visit New Haven every few months, and The Lobster Shack has a permanent spot on...

The Lobster Shack has been a longtime favorite of ours, but something felt off during our most recent visit. It started with the superfluous LAZ valet service, which felt out of place given what followed.

We were seated upstairs, which looked more like a staff hangout than a dining area. Stacks of Restaurant Depot “Qualite” boxes were visible from the dining room, and the ambiance was chaotic at best. A loud bussing station sat behind a wicker folding wall that wasn’t fully opaque, and extension cords dangled visibly from the ceiling fans. The acoustics were poor, with no music or ambient noise, making the space feel cold and echoey.

Service was handled by a young, clearly inexperienced staff. Not rude, just unpolished and inattentive.

The food didn’t help. The garlic cheese curds were generic and lived up to the “shack” part of the name. The Twisted “Shrimp” was a generous title for what appeared to be thawed, flash-fried shellfish lacking any real flavor or texture. The chipotle chicken sandwich was fine, but forgettable—especially compared to better meals we’ve had here over the past year.

Total dining time was maybe 30 minutes. Quick, but not in a good way. We left wondering if the place had quietly changed owners. We’ll probably give them another shot, out of loyalty more than optimism. But based on this visit, things seem to be headed in the...

After reading such highly rated reviews about The Lobster Shack, I am perplexed. I was SO disappointed! The pictures in the reviews was NOT representative of the meal I had served to me. I ordered the lobster roll and an iced tea with a side of plantains. The lobster roll looked nothing like the pictures from other reviews! The meat was rubbery, terrible mouthfeel, all claws from small lobsters, no tail meat, definitely not the advertised 1.25 pounds! (I suspect it was previously frozen and defrosted?) I asked the waitress if there should have been tail meat and she said they only used the claw meat. The butter had a horrible aftertaste. It tasted like vinegar. (Perhaps spoiled or bottled lemon juice?) The roll was small but beautifully toasted. Excellent quality. The plantains were served with a coffee watery salsa that tasted like it came out of a can. I detected a metallic aftertaste.Tasteless and chewy (In NOT a good way) The glass of fresh brewed iced tea was in a small drink cup totally filled to the top with ice. Three quick sips and it was gone. Good taste. So … after paying my $35.00 bill for an inedible meal, I headed to Stop & Shop to get something to eat. The staff seemed friendly. However, there was a detachment regarding customer satisfaction. I hope the owner corrects the problems quickly since the restaurant has...