I tried 5 of the most famous lobster rolls in Portland, Maine. Here's how they all ranked.

• I recently visited Portland, Maine, for the first time and tried five local lobster rolls.
• They all ranged in price and preparation, though I tried most of them in the classic Maine style.
• My favorite lobster roll had the best signature seasoning.

Nothing says summer quite like a lobster roll on a seaside dock, the sound of seagulls cawing overhead.

However, an authentic Maine lobster roll doesn't come cheap.

On a recent trip to Portland, Maine , I set out to find the absolute best lobster roll around. Most of them were at least $30 — a price that may be too steep for some of the millions of tourists who venture to Maine's coastline each year to indulge in regularly throughout the summer.

So if you're only going to try one, you'll want to know which one is the absolute best.

I tried lobster rolls from five of Portland's most famous spots and ranked them. All except one were traditional Maine-style rolls , which meant they were served cold and with mayonnaise. The other most popular style of lobster roll is Connecticut, which comes warm with melted butter.

Here's how the lobster rolls ranked based on price, taste, and atmosphere.

The first stop on my lobster roll tour was The Highroller Lobster Co.

Highroller may have started out as a simple hot-dog cart, but it has since grown into an institution in the heart of Portland. In its Best of 2024 Awards, Portland Old Port named Highroller Lobster Co. the best lobster roll in the city, making it a must-try spot on my list.

Located on Exchange Street, the building's exterior beckoned me with its can't-miss red branding and playful sidewalk sign.

In addition to indoor and outdoor dining, guests can also order takeout or grab some merch at the restaurant's adjoining gift shop, which I thought was unique and geared toward Portland's many tourists.

The interior of The Highroller Lobster Co. was modern and reminded me of a vintage diner.

The restaurant had an ordering stand where you could place orders with an employee, as well as QR codes on every table that allowed you to place orders online and have them delivered to your table.

The design style of the dining room reminded me of a '50s diner, with a modern twist thanks to the black wood floors and glittering disco ball overhead. It was a warm day, so I decided to sit out on the back patio to eat my lunch.

The lobster rolls from Highroller were able to be completely customized.

The Highroller Lobster Co. was unique in that practically every element of the lobster roll was customizable, from the amount of lobster meat to different flavors of mayonnaise and other sauces, such as mango habanero mayo, garlic mayo, and lobster ghee.

However, for the sake of this ranking, I decided to keep it classic.

I ordered the four-ounce lobster roll with regular mayonnaise. The lobster roll cost $30, excluding tax and tip. I also ordered a side of fries for an extra $5 and a soda for $3.

The toasted brioche bun impressed me, but the thick layer of mayonnaise on top of the roll threw me off.

While I do like mayonnaise, and don't really have a preference when it comes to Maine-style versus Connecticut-style lobster rolls, I thought there was just a touch too much mayonnaise on this roll.

It also veered on the thick-and-gloopy side, rather than simply dressing the lobster meat.

I'd still come back to Highroller, but I'd probably customize my lobster roll differently next time.

I thought the mayonnaise covered up a lot of the flavor of the lobster meat itself, which was a shame considering the meat was juicy and thick. However, the toasted bun had a delightful crispiness to it and held the roll together perfectly.

Overall, it was a solid lobster roll, just not quite my favorite.

While I wasn't ranking the fries, they were perfectly seasoned and crispy. They were, without a doubt, my favorite of all the sides I tried throughout this ranking.

My fourth favorite spot was Portland Lobster Company, located right in the heart of the Old Port.

Portland Lobster Company was also nominated this year by Portland Old Port for the best lobster roll category. It has won multiple "Best in Portland" awards in the past, including best lobster roll and best place to take out-of-towners.

Centrally located to many of Portland's biggest attractions, from dockside dining to boat tours, the restaurant was right on the water.

I could imagine this was a very popular spot for tourists to grab lunch since it was right on the pier on one of the busiest streets in the city.

It was prime lunchtime on a Saturday, but I was still able to grab a table outside overlooking the water.

A live band was playing on the outdoor deck. By far, this spot had the most classic New England atmosphere, from the casual seating to the ordering counter and tables overlooking the Portland pier.

To my surprise, Portland Lobster Company's signature lobster roll was served with warm butter.

The menu said the lobster roll was made with meat from a one-pound lobster brushed with sweet butter. The lobster meat came on a classic roll with lettuce, lemon wedges, and fries on the side.

It was labeled on the menu as market price, but I got it for $27.99, excluding tax.

I thought the lobster meat really stood out.

No other ingredients, like the mayonnaise in the last roll, were competing with the lobster to be the star of the show. I liked the warm butter, which coated the bun and enhanced its flavor.

However, while the lobster meat did have a nice flavor, I thought the texture was just a touch on the rubbery side.

This was a good, classic lobster roll, but it wasn't anything unique.

This lobster roll was a good, classic sandwich I could see myself getting again the next time I'm in Portland. It hit many of the marks, especially when it came to price and the restaurant's ambiance.

However, there wasn't anything especially unique about this lobster roll. While Highroller wasn't my favorite either, I at least appreciated that they were taking some risks with their flavor offerings. At Portland Lobster Company, there was only one way to order this roll — and it wasn't even served in the classic Maine style with mayonnaise.

To me, the best part of choosing this spot was the location. From the convenience of being located right downtown to the waterside seating and seagulls cawing overhead, I couldn't imagine a better spot to grab a lobster roll in the summer.

Bite Into Maine, located slightly outside downtown Portland, landed in the middle.

Named by Food & Wine as offering the best sandwich in Maine, Bite Into Maine has multiple locations in the area, including a food truck near Portland Head Light, the oldest lighthouse in Maine, in Cape Elizabeth.

We stopped by the location in Munjoy Hill, the restaurant's only brick-and-mortar location.

The restaurant looked like a shipping container and was located next to other businesses. The overall vibe of this part of town felt industrial, rather than the historic, classic New England feel I got downtown.

The restaurant was modern, and it was easy to place my order.

I ordered at the counter and waited at a nearby table for my name to be called. The restaurant was bright and clean.

However, I admittedly missed some of that classic seaside feel I got at Portland Lobster Company and the other locations. I could have been anywhere in the country, from Ohio to Maine, inside this restaurant.

I was really impressed by Bite Into Maine's classic Maine lobster roll.

I ordered the 6-ounce Maine lobster roll for $37.95, plus tax, making it the most expensive roll I tried.

Even though the Maine-style roll is served with mayonnaise, all the buns at Bite Into Maine are butter-grilled, which I thought gave me the best of both worlds.

The lobster meat was spilling out of the roll when it arrived.

It came topped with green onion, which made the lobster roll beautiful to look at. The lobster meat was perfectly dressed with mayonnaise — it was light and fresh and enhanced the flavor rather than detracting from it.

I thought the extra-large size was definitely enough to feed two people.

I loved this lobster roll, but the ambiance at the restaurant was lacking for me.

I had no complaints about the lobster roll and thought the price was worth the amount of meat it contained.

However, I couldn't get over the fast-food feel of the restaurant — but I know this was just my personal preference and opinion. When I'm in Maine eating a lobster roll, I want to really feel that vibe.

The next time I come back to Maine, I'll stop by one of the chain's food trucks, especially the one near Portland Head Light. I think that would dramatically improve my experience, and could even take this lobster roll all the way to the top of my ranking.

The Cousins Maine Lobster food truck is located right at the base of Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth, just across Portland Harbor.

Cousins Maine Lobster is one of the most recognizable lobster brands in the country, with more than 50 locations across 26 states. The only Maine location is a food truck located in Fort Williams State Park, a popular site for Portland visitors and the location of the oldest lighthouse in Maine.

In addition to lobster rolls, the food truck offers other menu items, such as lobster tacos and lobster tater tots, which appeared to be popular options for families wanting to split something.

The location really blew me away.

Situated right at the base of the lighthouse, the food truck was in proximity to walking trails and spots to look out over Portland Harbor and Maine's rugged coastline. It didn't get any more New England than this.

I ordered the classic Maine-style lobster roll.

The lobster roll came with a lemon wedge and was served chilled on a roll with a "touch of mayo," the menu on the side of the food truck stated. It cost $23.99, excluding tax.

The meat was succulent and juicy and came with just the right amount of mayonnaise.

To me, this lobster roll exemplified the best of what makes a classic lobster roll good, as well as an excellent location and price.

The large pieces of lobster meat practically melted in my mouth, and I thought the light smearing of mayonnaise inside the roll brought it all together.

I'd be perfectly satisfied if this was my only lobster roll of the summer.

From the prime seaside location to the price and the classic nature of this lobster roll, it truly did hit all of the marks.

My only complaint, however, was with the roll. I think I preferred the butteriness of some of the other rolls, and while this one was adequate, it wasn't my favorite.

My favorite lobster roll came from Luke's Lobster, located right on Portland Pier.

The Portland Pier location is Luke's Lobster 's flagship location, though the chain actually started in New York City with a tiny lobster shack.

There are now restaurants all across the northeast, but the Portland restaurant is well known for its dockside location with panoramic views of the harbor.

It's also gained quite a reputation around town . In 2023, local residents voted it the best lobster roll in Portland .

When I told locals I would be trying different lobster rolls and determining the best one, nearly all of them had the same question: "Have you been to Luke's yet?"

This certainly set the stage for what I hoped would be a memorable lobster roll.

I thought Luke's Lobster had the best atmosphere out of all the places I tried.

There was lots of seating inside and outside the restaurant when I went on a weekend, so I think it's pretty easy to get a table — something that's valuable when it comes to peak tourism season in Portland.

Inside the restaurant was clean, modern, and bright, but warm wooden accents and views of the water prevented the space from feeling clinical.

I ordered the Maine-style lobster roll, which Luke's Lobster calls its "claim to fame."

It came with chips and a pickle on the side and was available in two different sizes.

Like the other places I tried, I ordered the largest size available, which was the 6-ounce roll. It cost $37, excluding tax.

The lobster roll came piled high with meat, which was dusted in the restaurant's signature seasoning.

Luke's signature seasoning is made with celery seed powder, sea salt, and garlic powder.

The seasoning on top of the roll really amplified the salty, briny flavor, giving this lobster roll a unique taste.

This lobster roll certainly lived up to the hype.

The meat was succulent and plentiful, and though there was a light mayonnaise dressing holding the meat together, the lobster really spoke for itself. The bun was crispy, and I thought the chips also had a delightful crispy texture that complemented the roll.

From the location to the price to the roll itself, Luke's Lobster really impressed me. It was classic, with a unique twist, and it came with harbor views that really made me feel like a Mainer.

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