The Lobster Dock

Lobster places every 10 feet in Boothbay so it can be tough to choose, but I think this was as good as any. Yes the prices are a little inflated, but you’re in Boothbay and probably on vacation so you had to expect it. Also, while the food prices might be inflated, the drink prices are definitely not.
The real negative thing here is that if you time it wrong, there could be a VERY long line you have to wait in before you can order your food. There are plenty of seating options inside and out back and eventually someone will deliver your seafood. The food was good, but not particularly memorable.

The prices were high, and the food fell somewhere in the «okay to good» range. While the young lady who took our order was uninterested and unsmiling (actually, kind of impatient and rude) the waitstaff who delivered the food and cleaned-​up was friendly and courteous. The restaurant is set-​up to order at a window and find-​your-​own-​seat: very casual.
My warm lobster roll was delicious, with tender chunks of lobster meat tossed in warm butter served on a toasted roll. The corn on the cob was sweet and juicy, but the biscuits were dry and crumbly and rather disappointing. The sweet potato fries were not great (but they were out of baked potatoes, which was our first choice).
While the lobster roll was decent, it wasn’t worth the high prices and the mediocre welcome. It seemed to be popular amongst the locals, though, so that’s usually a good sign. Maybe off-​season and end of the day wasn’t a great time to go, but if ever back in that area, we won’t go back to find out — too many other great local spots!

Why do I have to give this place even 1 star?
First the positive and the only positive here, its location or the bay view as its backdrop, that’s it.
Now to the real deal:
Customer service is extremely poor. You have a burned out young lady, who’s grumpy and unfriendly taking orders, who in turn makes you feel like she’s doing you a favor just by being there. I literally laughed out loud when I read another review that basically mentioned something along these lines and yet, it is still happening which confirms to me that they do not care.
Food: Average at best. If ME is known for its Lobsters, this place represents it very very poorly in both their Lobster rolls quality, size, flavor etc. Ordering a hot and a cold Lobster roll needless to say it leaves a LOT to be desired and disappointment. I think I have gotten better Lobster rolls just about anywhere in Boston.
Price: There is absolute NO competitive advantage of ordering seafood here. Nothing. There isn’t ONE SINGLE reason why you should come to this place, nor for their food, the way they treat you, nor even its location justifies being treated poorly and getting lousy food.
You’re better off going else where.

Fried seafood platter was perfect and generous enough for two to share with two cups of chowder. Great outside seating too.

The quintessential dockside seafood restaurant with a menu that has a few good and a few disappointing and frankly one shameful item. The crab cakes, grilled asparagus and (believe it or not) prime rib are great. The other side of the spectrum is the lobster roll its a joke. The improvements that would make the biggest impact? The quality of the bread and increasing the quantity of lobster meat. You have fresh lobsters being offloaded by the megatons to boothbay harbor lobster wholesalers and this place cant get more of it into their lobster rolls… mind boggling inexcusable? A seafood restaurant doing business on the coast of Maine should have a lobster roll to be proud of? My suggestion to the lobster dock… go order a lobster roll from boothbay lobster wharf then park it next to yours, open your eyes, then mouth and chew.

Completely new respect for the dock. We first came here last year. I was addicted to their artichoke fritters. Great food! We returned this year and I saw the owner have a bench removed to accommodate a gentleman in a wheelchair. The party had their needs met immediately. Bless this owner for accommodating their needs! Our food was equally delicious, can’t beat it in booth bay for the taste or the price!!! But as someone who works with disabled individuals, I am glad accommodations are made at this restaurant. Attentive and accommodating. Food is well worth the price. This is not the type of restaurant where a waiter is assigned to one’s table, so you will have to go to the side counter of you want another round of drinks, but for the taste of the food, small price to pay!

Recommended by our host as a quick fix for dinner, his words were «simple, straightforward, and consistent», the Lobster Dock is exactly that. We enjoyed the setting and the food so much we went back for lunch the next day! I recommend the Lobster Dinner, but the burgers and hot dogs are perfect too!

One of our favorite meals in Maine! We walked over the footbridge and enjoyed the casual setting on the water. The mussels marinare and crab cakes were the best. Many beer, wine and champagne options. Great Bulgarian staff and a terrific dining experience. Don’t miss out!

First timers to Maine. Ended our first day in Boothbay Harbor. Stumbled upon this little gem while searching for dinner. Split the mussels appetizer. I had the cold lobster roll. My husband got the lobster dinner (1 ¼ lb lobster, corn on the cob, biscuit and cole slaw.) Dinner was outstanding. Highly recommend to anyone visiting the area.

We have eaten here every day while vacationing in Booth Bay Harbor. I’m a lobster roll fanatic, and the lobster rolls at Lobster Dock are outstanding. Loads of chunks of lobster with just enough Cabot’s butter dribbled on. Served in a perfectly toasted bun. The lobster dinners and steamers are outstanding as well. And they keep the dining areas very clean. A real gem! And our favorite seafood restaurant in Booth Bay Harbor.

I could review the food as OK; the prices as high; the wait to order as very long; etc. but the service was horrible… best described as snotty.
The young lady taking orders was actually mean-​spirited. I and my friends, ordering separately, were flabbergasted upon gathering at our table and realizing we all had a similar experience.
I cannot believe we are unique… wish I had paid attention to the treatment of those ordering before me.

Prices were steep but we expected as much. We had the lobster roll (warm), crab cakes, and lobster stew. The crab cakes were the best. I wish I had just ordered these! My lobster roll was fine, no complaints but nothing to write home about. I had a bite of the stew and didn’t care for it, the butter broth was just too buttery for my liking but my husband is still talking about how good it was, so I guess it’s just preference.
Refills are $ 1 which I think is stupid as I go through about 3 diet cokes a meal. Having to be conscious of how much I was drinking was annoying. On the plus side, there is a water station. It was warm though so eh.

I am from Portland. No idea why this place doesn’t get higher marks. Best value in town. Perfect sunset location. Clean oil for fried food. $ 10 scallop roll you would get for no less than 15 elsewhere.

Twin lobster deal is not much of a deal here, there are definitely better place for that in the area. I had the haddock, which was good, although the corn and cole slaw was bland.

2.5 stars. Am I getting something wrong here? I am from Manhattan and the price of the seafood in Maine is higher than what I found in Manhattan? ! Really? This is a order and find your own table to sit kind of place. The outdoor seating area overlooks the beautiful harbor. The young girl behind the counter was not friendly at all.
We ordered the lobster roll, crab roll, fried scallop sandwich and the tuna sandwich.
The food took a long time to come out and when it did, I was surprised how small the portion was. The lobsters roll at 19 dollars was tiny and did not have much lobsters. So much smaller, and pricier, than the lobster rolls I had in Manhattan. Really? !
I also tried my family ‘s tuna sandwich, fried scallop and everything was decent and fresh. But again, the portion was tiny tiny. And I’ve had better back in NYC.
Overall, I guess we were in a tourist trap and therefore they wanted to jack up the price. But overall, if you want decent and pricy seafood, I guess this place is for you.

If you are tourist and just want to sit on the water go here.
I moved to Boothbay in October of 2014 and the Lobster Dock seemed like a good option. Our first night in town we stopped by with our family that was helping move. The menu was extensive, as far as seafood is concerned.
You have to order at the window, often standing in a long line, and take your number to your table. I have a dog and so my party had to sit in a specific «dog friendly» area. Just a side note, if you are sitting in this dog friendly area the service sucks. You are pretty much treated like a pariah. You have get your own everything and nobody checks on you.
The food could be better. when the food does arrive it is generic seafood. I have had stellar seafood in Maine and this place doesn’t hold a candle to most of them. the scallops were awful and the fish and chips tasted the same.
On a personal note, the owner is a pompous blow hard. I went a couple of times and couldn’t stand it when he was around. He made i sound like he was always doing his customers special favors rather than just offering good service.
On one occasion I heard a very old woman asking for napkins, ketchup and the like and his wife repeatedly told her that she had to get it for herself. She only went to get it after it was obvious that the customer didn’t really understand. And who can blame her?!
Is customer service really such a lost art?

FANTASTIC FOOD, SERVICE & ATMOSPHERE!
**We visit Boothbay Harbor every year and we never miss the opportunity to eat at the lobster dock several times during each visit. This past visit was approximately our 30^th time and we will definitely be back! The décor is quintessential New England. lots of sturdy picnic tables covered with umbrellas each offering a breathtaking view of the boat-​filled harbor. The menu is extensive and diverse with lots of fresh seafood, great beer selection and the staff is warm, friendly and efficient. You can choose lobsters from tanks and watch the staff stuff them into fishnet bags along with corn on the cob and boil your dinner right before your eyes on the deck! There is also a small indoor dining area filled with picnic tables, clean restrooms and plenty of on-​site parking. The food is delicious, fresh, served piping hot and very reasonably priced. This last visit was the best and here’s why…
We called ahead in advance of our visit (July 2014) and asked if they could accommodate us for a birthday party. We were told they no longer do birthday parties but when the staff asked the owner and told him how often we’ve come to eat at The Lobster Dock, he made a special exception and personally called us back saying he would do his best to accommodate us! He was so helpful he even gave us a great tip on where to buy a birthday cake locally, to bring along!
THIS WARM, FRIENDLY OWNER REALLY CARES ABOUT HIS CUSTOMERS! We live out of state, and although we knew his name from eating there so many times every summer, he didn’t know us personally. I’m just making that clear because he didn’t have to do a thing for us, it’s just an example of a really great owner, and I wish they were all like him!
We had about 30 people and arranged to go during an off time (3PM) when there would be less people. When we arrived the owner surprised us by giving us the entire indoor dining area and we’re still so grateful because that provided us with plenty of space to mingle and chat which was really helpful in creating a special atmosphere for Dad’s 80^th birthday! The owner made it a point to look in on us and we were impressed that he took time away from his bustling kitchen to meet and greet everyone in the room and ask if there was anything else we needed. Not many owners care enough to do that! He was so warm and friendly and really went the extra mile to ensure our experience at The Lobster Dock was the best ever!
When the parade of trays came pouring in, piled high with lobsters, corn, crab cakes, mussels, scallops, chowder, shrimp, and the best blueberry pie we’ve ever tasted we knew The Lobster Dock was the PERFECT choice! Every bite was incredibly delicious and perfectly cooked. We couldn’t get enough!
We were there for about 2 & ½ hours. The waitstaff was fantastic! They’re always great but we noticed they went out of their way to anticipate our needs and provide more than what was requested. Even the owner, Mitch checked in on us again and had the waitstaff add extra whipped cream to every plate of blueberry pie! Nothing was beneath his notice! :)
Everyone had a great time! we all loved the food but it was the exceptional service of this thoughtful owner and his wonderful staff had us raving over The Lobster Dock all week long. We recommended it to everyone we met in Boothbay Harbor and now I’m recommending it here. I’m sorry it took so long to post this review but i2014 was a busy year.
Choose The Lobster Dock, the food is amazing and you will be very happy you did!
Thank you Lobster Dock! YOU ROCK!
:)

Loved this place. Its away from the hustle & bustle, you can walk the footbridge over to eat there. Its a little more homey and intimate than the bigger lobster spots. And it has open air seating with a great view.
Order at a window and sit down for your meal & drinks. Good prices and good service. The food is good quality.
Lobster stew is outrageous, butter, cream & lobster, the clam chowder is more watery, baked potatoes are not overdone.
I recommend you go at sunset and enjoy the view (either indoor or outdoor) as you chow down on delicious lobster.

Lobster roll was the best that I found in Boothbay. Tasty enough to hit 2x in 4 day span! Crab cakes were a big hit with us as well, could have been 5 out of 5 if they’d had a *little* bit more lump action in there. Clam chowder was good not great. Whole lobster was cooked well and of large size… but honestly, I preferred the lobster roll over it despite considering myself to be a lobster purist.
Toddler factor: Numerous high chairs plus plenty of room for them. Several kid menu options. Fantastic scenery to maintain interest and keep kids in their seats.

I was here and had the twin lobster dinner. It was SO good. I’m glad I finally got to eat lobster in Maine. The staff were super friendly. They have an indoor picnic area if it is a bit cold out.