The Highroller Lobster Co. — Restaurant in Portland

The Highroller Lobster Co. started off as a hotdog cart in 2015 and as their popularity grew, they opened this brick and mortar location in 2018 and is a hole-in-the-wall location in Portland, Maine. They're know for their create-your-own lobster rolls as well as serving corn dogs, burgers, fries, chicken sandwiches, "lobby pops", hot dogs, salads and more! They have an oyster bar and an alcohol bar and offer indoor seating.

The atmosphere is vibrant and playful with white and red all around. They play upbeat pop music and even have a disco ball to add to the ambiance.

The service is different than most other restaurants because when you get sat down you are asked to scan a QR code to look at the menu and also order and pay through your phone. If you only have cash you can pay with the cashier at the bar. Servers bring your food and drinks from the kitchen and if you want anything you do it through the app.

The food was good and was our first lobster roll ever and first of many in Maine. We're on the hunt for the best lobster roll in Portland so follow me if you want to see what I find! Overall I think this is a fun place that offers food for everyone and you should definitely check them out!

My wife and I shared a classic lobster roll with fries and coleslaw. We got jalapeno mayo, garlic mayo, ketchup and melted butter as sides for the fries and to top the lobster roll. The bun was buttery and perfectly toasted on both sides and filled with 4 ounces of lobster meat. The meat was delicious and tender and was fine by itself but was even better with some melted butter on it! It was also really good with the garlic mayo as well. Had just the right amount of garlic flavor to it. The fries were also fried to perfection and we're seasoned well. I was dipping them in the jalapeno mayo sauce and it was probably my favorite dipping sauce for fries haha it was spicy with good jalapeno flavor and had me going back for more. The coleslaw was also a pleasant and fresh surprise. It's a mayo and vinegar based slaw but also had a decent amount of lemon juice in it which came through in the flavor and was delightful.

A couple things I didn't like was there was no way to order water on the app and nobody came by to ask if we wanted any and I actually ended up getting up myself and grabbing a couple near the bar where they had over 20 premade water cups ready to serve. Also I was asked to pay for tip before we were even served anything. I didn't feel inclined to tip 20% for doing all the work myself. I would have been okay with ordering at the counter and paying with no tip and just walking up when my food was ready. Nobody asked if the food was okay and when the food was delivered to us the server didn't say anything and just set the food down and left. There should be a way to page a server through the app when something is needed instead of having to go up to the bar to ask. And also payment should be done after the meal and not before we get our food. Makes sense for counter service but not for a sit down restaurant.

Overall it's a cool spot with good, unique food but don't expect stellar service.

Food - 5 ⭐ Atmosphere - 5 ⭐ Service - 3 ⭐ Overall - 4 ⭐

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I was so let down by this place! I was excited by the reviews and even the looks of the place. We came by just after 5 on Friday, and they had a private party in the booth side of the restaurant. The window tables and bar on the right side had people seated and eating. We took a table on the left side window and When we tried to order were told by the host that we could only order takeout as they were reserving the window table for the private party, too. Two of us ordered takeout and two of us left. The two who ordered takeout reported that the lobster roll was just okay (we’d been eating lobster rolls all week as a comparison).

The next night we went back to give them another try, hoping it was a fluke. We called ahead (about 8:30) to see if there were tables (there were) and we told them our party of 4 were 7 minutes away. When we arrived the tables were full. I explained to the hostess that we had called and we should have a table. She not only told me that we were wrong, but that I must have called the wrong number. When I pulled up the number on my phone to validate with her if it was their number, she baldly said, “I don’t know,” and went about her business. I was furious being treated this way and if it weren’t for my hungry friends, would have left again and been done with it.

After a 20-minute wait, we were given bar stool seats behind the hostess station. After deciding what you’d like, you have to line up (again) at the hostess station or at the cash register at the bar and wait for someone to come help you. You order, are asked for a tip % to be added and pay there. They give you a number flag for the table. There is not much service here. It’s a fast-food style delivery.

Someone must have felt guilty about the way we’d been treated, so they offered us an open booth if we’d like to move. Th booth was quieter and made it easier to talk.

I ordered the Lobby Pop, a lobster tail. It was a decent size but a bit over cooked (chewy/hard) and isn’t much of a meal, more an appetizer. Our companions enjoyed their lobster rolls, which is why they get the 2 stars.

I can’t recommend this place as it’s just awful service and they seem to be resting on their laurels. I’ve never been treated so poorly by a hostess in any other restaurant. As the tourist season is just starting, I feel sorry for visitors who stumble into this place. There are so many better options. Eventide is hundreds of times better in atmosphere and service, and their lobster roll is so...

TL;DR - lobster grilled cheese. Just get it.

In our five days in Portland, we ate at the Highroller twice. The first time, our party of four came by at around 8:30 on Sunday. We didn't have to wait, and there was plenty of seating outside in the front (there's also seating in the back patio). I really liked their ordering system. You scan the QR code, add the menu items on the site, pay/tip with your credit card, and then they just bring the food out to you. Fewer touch points and less human interaction. I think all restaurants should do this, pandemic or not. My friend had been here a few days before and highly recommended the lobster rolls. Her and her husband got lobster rolls but my fiance and I decided to do one lobster roll and one lobster grilled cheese. I thought the lobster roll was pretty good, but my fiance said he thought it was too heavy/oily. But the star here was the lobster grilled cheese. This is definitely oily too but the lobster and the ooey gooey cheese make such a great combo, that you don't even care. I also liked the fact that you can choose up to two sauces for your sandwich. We went with the garlic mayo and jalapeno mayo. For drinks, I believe I had the painkiller. It was your typical fruity frozen drink. I wasn't a fan because it was too sweet for my taste.

The second time, my fiance wanted to come back for another lobster grilled cheese. We came right when they opened since we were leaving Portland that day and had a long drive back. We shared one but this time did the lime mayo and jalapeno mayo. It was then that I realized that the sauces don't really make that much of a difference since the main flavors are the lobster and cheese anyway. We just shared one, which I think was enough - especially at 10:30 in the morning. I don't think I could have stomached anything else that early.

Highroller is defiinitely one of those places you indulge in. The food is very rich and heavy so don't come here if you're counting calories. If I'm ever back in Portland, I'll be trying the lobster cheese crisp taco and surf &...