Guilford Lobster Pound — Restaurant in Guilford

CASH ONLY We ordered a Lobster Roll and a Lobster Grilled Cheese (I don't remember exactly, but the total was slightly over $50).

I'm not a native New Englander, so my opinion on lobster rolls may not be the best guide. However, I have had quite a few rolls that I didn't like over the years, even some along the coast. I prefer Connecticut-style over Maine-style because I think cold temp + mayonnaise is such a disservice to the beauty of a lobster.

That said, I also have had several CT-style experiences where I wasn't a fan, and the roll fell short due to insufficient lobster, butter, or the bread was too dry. Generally, I don't expect to fill up on a lobster roll, and often plan to hop to another place to do so.

Here, that was the case -- I could have scarfed down two lobster rolls and have an appetite for another appetizer -- however, I was so happy with these that I didn't want to eat more/overwrite the pleasant memory I had with this.

The lobster was sweet, light, and tender, having taken up some of the flavors from the grilling. The bread was the right amount of crispy, fluffy, and buttery. As for the grilled cheese, despite having the top sandwich layer, I was still able to appreciate the flakiness of the lobster bits with the aforementioned characteristics. Meanwhile, the cheese was perfectly melted with a rounded mouthfeel, and not overly heavy. It was actually one of the more pleasant grilled cheeses I've had in a while. Although there was some butter juice from either one, they were not greasy, and I rather shed a tear when I got to the last bites. It was overall a light meal that was very satisfying to eat.

The man cooking these was very kind and accommodating too (thank you so much!). We would have stayed to eat on the pier but it was too windy and cold, so we ate in the car. Otherwise, the view is so pretty.

Looking forward to...

I was EXTREMELY disappointed by my experience here. We were on vacation and came out to Guilford to see the Whitfield house. Curious what else was in Guilford to make the trip more worthwhile and noticed the reviews for the lobster pound were quite favorable. Really looking forward to the experience here and they failed me...big time. Since I cannot have the bun (wheat intolerant), I ordered the lobster roll without it. I was surprised by the small amount of lobster that was just tossed in a cup. I don't even think it was 4 oz (which appears to be the typical amount served at other places we have been to). My wife wasn't feeling well so she ordered their lobster bisque. $10 for a cup and NO LOBSTER PIECES IN IT. Just the soup. I was flabbergasted and questioned both orders to the server but she just shrugged it off. I should have just got up and left. You shouldn't put your customers in such a position. And $3 for a bottle of water! On top of all this, it took an exceptionally long period of time to get our food. And there weren't many other people there. Take note: there is no inside seating at this place. We had a much better experience with lobster rolls at ABBOTT's in Noank, CT and BLOUNT's in Warren, RI. And MARKEY's in NH knows how to do lobster bisque: $7 for a full cup containing pieces of lobster. I definitely will not come back and I certainly wouldn't suggest this place. There are much better lobster...

9/14/22 Aidan was our delightfully engaging host/server at the Guilford Lobster pound on this gloriously beautiful, very late summer afternoon. We dined outside on the deck looking out at all the boats in the Guilford Town Marina. The menu is very limited here, but what they do, they do exceedingly well. My dining companion and I both ordered the same thing today. We chose a cup of the Rhode Island style clam chowder that had a fabulous broth with diced red potatoes, celery and nice, big chunks of quahog clams. This soup ties for number one of the very best I've had of this style clam chowder, along with that offered by Supreme Seafood. Both are absolutely fantastic. Simple soups, with simple ingredients, and just the right seasonings. The potato salad was likewise excellent and for the same reason. Simple ingredients put together in the right proportions. Sure, everyone has their own take on what makes a great potato salad, but when you're trying to please everyone, simple is best. Our lobster rolls were very good, done in traditional Connecticut style on a toasted New England hotdog roll. My only suggestion would be to drizzle a bit of warm drawn butter over the lobster meat just prior to serving. Sometimes doing a few things really well is far better than a large menu done with mediocrity. The Guilford Lobster Pound accomplishes...