- Taste/flavor
- Quality/freshness
- Service/Friendliness
- Creativity/Truck Design
- Cleanliness/Organization
I’m a lobster fan—steamed, grilled, salad, bisque, and of course the trending lobster roll, which can be found more often on menus these days. I was excited to dive into the Red Hook Lobster Pound’s truck in midtown.
I had a choice of a “Connecticut” or a “Maine”. I love the taste of lobster alone, and enjoy butter only as an accompaniment. No mayo for me, so I chose the Southern New England version, or Connecticut.
I waited but a few minutes to place my order, and my roll came out quickly. It looked delicious, and I couldn’t wait to dig in. Not impressed by the first bite, I tried another. Lobster is typically juicy and succulent, and has a mild flavor. Although colorful with a dash of paprika and scallions on top, this particular roll was none of these. The meat was plentiful, but dry, over-seasoned, and had a fishy taste. Was it indeed lobster? I think it was, but poorly cooked at that. It was the worst lobster that I have eaten in recent memory.
The roll was fresh, but too small and flimsy to handle the steamy contents. It fell apart before I started, and my sandwich became deconstructed.
Red Hook Lobster’s truck appeared to be organized and tidy, and the red, white and blue design was appropriate for the menu, which includes other items like the Shrimp Roll, Lobster Mac & Cheese and the Down East Bisque. Those might be tastier and less expensive options.
Will I give it another shot? At $16 a pop for lunch, I’ll eat inside at a table with service. Fans of the truck may say that it’s a reasonable price for lobster meat. I agree. Succulent, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth Maine lobster at $16 is a deal. But this isn’t Maine. Sorry Red Hook, you don’t come close.
