Luke’s Lobster

I tried a lobster roll for the first time and it was good along with the chowder which I liked but was surprised when I saw them filling the pot from a plastic bag. I think this place is more for tourist. The slaw was good too. It’s good but I will try other places before I would think of circling back.

So fresh! I had the taste of Maine with a side of slaw and blueberry lemonade! Super simple menu but that’s the best part. I would say no matter what you get you will be pleased.

I have been to one of Luke’s Lobsters in Philadelphia. This one in Boston is as fantastic as I expected. Fresh baked bread, soft chewing lobster and different kinds of beverages.
We came here on a Sunday night at dinner time. Although there were bunch of people, the serving was fast and we enjoyed our visit.

Luke’s Lobster attempts to bring Maine to Boston with a simplistic menu highlighting variations of seafood rolls and chowders, but doesn’t quite hit the nail on the head. Although I feel like saying, ‘Meh, I’ve had better’, I feel like it is more deserving of a bump up in stars, so Luke’s becomes an A-​OK in my book.
You’ll find Luke’s on Exeter street, on the side of Boston Public Library (which is beginning to look fab with renovations, btw!). The door was propped open by a lobster trap (clever!), and the place was already packed for lunch. It’s a pretty fast paced environment: Order at the counter and take to find your own seat or elsewhere to go. Luckily, we were able to snag a window seat for two: keep an eye out, tables and seating gets taken quick!
We ended up ordering a Taste of Maine (½ lobster roll, ½ crab roll, ½ shrimp roll, 2 crab claws, 1 drink, choice of chips or slaw, and a pickle, $ 24), and a small cup of Lobster Bisque ($ 8). The drinks available are pretty hipster to say the least, all in beer-​esque bottles, ranging from house made blueberry lemonade, variations of Maine’s Root Soda, and Green Bee Craft beverages.
Out of the three rolls, lobster ranks first, crab second and shrimp last. All of the rolls had similar flavor, on a buttered hot dog bun with little to no mayo at all. The cole slaw was ok, more like a cole slaw salad, as it was lacking the creaminess and tartness that I’m used to. The crab claws were good, but tiny, and were accompanied by cocktail sauce. The one true highlight was probably the lobster bisque: it had good flavor and a fair amount of lobster chunks swimming in yummy broth which was worth every penny.
Overall, I’ve definitely had better lobster rolls, both in Maine and n Boston. I like the idea that you can sample all Luke’s has to offer, however, the variety isn’t enough to keep this girl coming back.

TLDR: FRESH lobster, good meal including unique drinks. Worth going to. $$
Get ready for a surprise. It looks like a no-​frills crab shack, buy everything from the freshness to the drinks are otherwise.
Got the crab roll, lobster roll, both with soup sides (chowder and a lobster bisque). Food was amazing, maybe some of the FRESHEST lobster we’ve had in Boston. They threw in two bags of chips. Even the drinks were unique: Mexican Cola & their own-​bottled honey lemonade with blueberry. Addictive.
The price wasn’t cheap. Almost $ 50, but worth it for the quality of food.
⁴⁄₅: High praise. I’d recommend.

This was SUPER good.
Menu is very limited (in the best way possible.)
I had the lobster roll and clam chowder. This was my favorite seafood of my entire trip to Boston (and I went to some fancy sit down places!)
The pickle and coleslaw are both great, too.
All in all I had a great experience and would totally come back!

When in Boston, you gotta get a lobster roll!
We settled into Luke’s with a general idea of what we wanted, but the menu offered some options that made us question our decision. There were combo deals that offered a taste of everything (pretty much) for a decent value.
However, we decided to order the Lobster Roll combo with side a coleslaw and a beverage to share. The deal sounded great, but it would have thrown our appetites into overdrive and most likely into super food coma. It was 2 rolls with a side and bev, but we had eaten breakfast and it was still weighing heavily on us. We really just had enough room for a «snack».
The blueberry soda piqued our curiosity out of the selections provided, which had a nice flavor but was a tad sweet for my preferences even though it was sweetened with cane sugar. If you choose not to have slaw on the side, you can get chips instead. The options were Cape Cod branded varying in flavors, such as Sea Salt & Vinegar, Original and Sweet Mesquite Barbecue.
The lobster roll was good. Filled with chunk meat from claws to meat, it had a firm texture and was drenched in butter. Yaaaas! The roll was really nice as well. Soft and doughy, but substantial enough to keep the lobster in place. I could have dusted a whole one to myself, but it would have been a la carte.
I do enjoy the fact that Luke’s is sustainably conscious and lists where they source their claws and meat from.

I ordered a lobster roll and made it a combo for I think $ 16? For a lobster roll, chips and drink, I felt the price was fairly reasonable. The lobster roll was delicious, I think my favorite part was that it wasn’t drenched in mayo. However, the roll did seem a little smaller than other places I’ve been to.

Lobster roll rivaled anything I had in Maine, and was dressed better than most with just drawn butter and seasoning. Coleslaw was mustardy and peppery and delicious. Service was fast and super friendly! Parking cost more than our meal at $ 42 for 2.5 hours next door — I’d think twice about parking there and taking a walk after eating. :)

I was really craving a lobster roll and searched through Unilocal to find a place close by and my search led me to Luke’s. Luke’s was perfect as I needed a place that was quick yet fresh and delicious. I understand why people love their lobster roll as it has chunks of lobster meat all stuffed in a buttered roll, however it left me wanting it to be a bit larger and not as dressed with whatever spices/​seasonings it had. I’m glad it wasn’t doused or drenched in mayo but I felt whatever it was dressed in downplayed the freshness and quality of the lobster. It may just have been my roll though as it would come in waves of being overpowering as opposed to being consistently overpowering. Their Cole slaw was amazingly delicious and paired every nicely with the overdressed bites I got from the lobster roll. The slaw is not mayo-​based but made with a mustard vinaigrette which made it really light in terms of a side item but still had that texture and crunchy factor you want.
Overall, compared to the prices of lobster rolls elsewhere, I’d venture back to Luke’s but maybe ask they cool it with the seasonings/​spices/​whatever it’s dressed with. Just wasn’t my thing, but still enjoyed parts of the lobster roll and cole slaw. Also, they’re fast which is perfect when you don’t has as much time for lunch.

I think I will dream about this lobster roll from here on out. I ate a lot of lobster during my time in Boston, however, Luke’s Lobster roll ($ 16) definitely stands out. The lobster was cooked perfectly, cold (Maine style) so it was refreshing, NOT the mayonaisey/​celery kind (don’t like those as much), and was instead seasoned very simply with salt, pepper, spices (?) and some butter. They really stuff a lot of lobster in that roll too and the chunks are huge! The bread was nice and buttery– perfect in every way. I just wish it was bigger, lol.
I made it a combo with the coleslaw and drink for $ 3 more. I would skip the coleslaw next time, honestly. Maybe choose the chips instead. Or maybe I’ll try their combos that let you sample the crab roll and shrimp roll too. The restaurant is small and one of those order at the counter then find your own table type of joints, so don’t come with a big group as it would be hard to get a table. If you’re patient and the timing is right, however, you might get lucky.
Overall, it’s pricey but I felt that it was competitive to other places that also offered lobster rolls. Btw, if anyone knows where I can get a good lobster roll for less than $ 15, send it my way please!

First Lobsta roll experience = Success! So yummy. The bread is soo good and the lobster is Fresh AF.

Went here with my family when they were in town since my mother is a lobster roll fiend. I, on the other hand, am not too much of a lobster fanatic, so I decided to get the grilled cheese combo with lobster bisque, cole slaw, and a drink.
The grilled cheese was about what you would expect from a place like this – good grill on the bread with perfectly melted cheese. The lobster bisque was very enjoyable as well and paired well with the sandwich. The cole slaw was a little lackluster as it did not really have much flavor overall. For my drink, I tried one of the ginger sodas – this was quite strong and had nice flavor, but was a bit intense for me.
Overall, I was satisfied with my food here, but am not rushing back any time soon. My family enjoyed their meals as well, but seemed to be more impressed with the crab roll, than the lobster rolls.

Amazing crab shrimp and lobster rolls. My description won’t be able to expound on anything anyone else has already said. The crab and shrimp rolls are just as good as the lobster — which is perfectly cooked and overflowing.
Don’t miss the soup either. Reasonably priced for the area. — bring 20 – 25 $.

DO YOU LIKE LOBSTER NOT SMOTHERED IN MAYO? Ok cool, then this is your spot. Whatever they are mixing the lobster with on those rolls really makes a difference. Don’t get me wrong, I love mayo (hello I am a white american) but sometimes it can overwhelm the lobster which is not the case here.
I also had the chowder which was fantastic as well. Great addition to the neighborhood with a fast lunch service.

As described by the star rating, Luke’s Lobster was A-​OK. The location is solid, making a hankering for seafood an easy find. The space is great, too — the atmosphere feels authentic without being kitschy, and it takes you from the heart of Boston to a small, seaside town.
The quality of the food you’re receiving matches that atmosphere. When I get seafood, I want/​need/​expect it to be fresh, and Luke’s delivers. I ordered the Taste of Maine in order to sample the best of the best. It wasn’t the best, to be honest. The three sandwiches (crab, lobster, shrimp) were pretty mediocre and didn’t carry much flavor, and the buns felt like a throwaway. The shrimp was my favorite, but then again, I’m partial to those delicious critters. Overall, though, I wish the sampler made me want all of their options, and it didn’t win me over much.
I’ll go back to Luke’s if I’m looking for a quick, better than average lunch. If I’m looking for a «rock my socks off» seafood meal, though, I’d look elsewhere.

Let me start by saying I am very surprised that there is a seafood place like this in downtown. Its got that cliché beachy vibe but outside is the hustle and bustle of the city.
I got the taste of Maine, beware of the images. They make the sandwiches seem larger than they are. The shrimp and crab were okay, I added some cocktail sauce to boost the flavor. the best was the lobster roll, but thats not saying much there was nothing that blew me away. I would recommend hitting up some of the better seafood places outside the city for that true east coast seafood.

Came here for my very first meal on my east coast trip! I love lobster but most lobster rolls are seasoned with mayo, something I found extremely gross. So as soon as I heard Luke’s can make you customized ones without mayo, I put it on my list right away.
It was good, but I do think it’s a bit overpriced. The portion was okay for me, but it would be too little for a man or a woman with a larger appetite. But they also offer combos so I guess that solves part of the problem lol.
Their Caslaw was surprisingly good. Normally I hated these things but they told me there weren’t mayo inside and I desperately needed some veggies so tried them out anyways. It wasn’t a wow, and I didn’t love it but it was okay!
For me it’s worth visiting again, but like I said, it’s a bit on the pricey side so I may also try cheaper options like crab rolls or shrimp rolls for my next visit!

Looking for a quick bite in Back Bay with seafood and lobster but don’t want to break your bank account? Luke’s Lobster is definitely a place to check out for tourists and locals who love lobster rolls and seafood.
I like how restaurant is set up like a fast food restaurant. You go up to the counter and order your food and grab it yourself once it is prepared. This minimizes the cost and allows customers to get delicious and fresh seafood at an affordable cost. Luke’s Lobster features Maine lobsters and seafood from sustainable fisheries. It is good to know where my food comes from!
I tried the Taste of Maine, which includes 3 half rolls of lobster, crab, and shrimp, 2 crab claws, and a side of chips or cole slaw, and a drink. I like how they don’t cover up the seafood with mayo and celery and other random things like at other restaurants so you actually taste the actual freshness of the seafood. The seafood is served with a toasted New England butter bun and it is topped with their «secret» spices. The cole slaw was a little bit of a disappointment. It was bland. It would be better if there were more acidity, salt, pepper, and mayo… basically a little more of everything that goes in a cole slaw. But I got creative and added Sriracha to my cole slaw and that solved the problem! The portion sizes were a little small compared to one of my favorite lobster roll places in Boston, Pauli’s, but Luke’s is good in their own ways.
I also tried their seasonal item on the menu, the Tail and Kale, which is a salad with lobster tail! The salad comes with kale, quinoa, chickpeas, pickled onions, and of course, lobster! What a great protein to have with my salad. The salad was decent. the pickled onion was too sour, I am salivating as I am typing this review and thinking about the onions on my salad. The dressing could also use a little more sugar and sweetness. Everything was too acidic!
The clam chowder was good and filled with clams. However, it was a little too salty for my liking. It was too much sodium for my poor kidneys to handle.
I love the concept of sustainability and fresh seafood, I just wish they paid more care on the seasoning of the food. But this is still a great spot for fresh seafood when you are in Back Bay and you are looking to spend $ 15-​$ 25 per person versus $ 30-​$ 40 per person at other restaurants around the area.

Amazingly fresh and delicious! We tried their new Tail & Kale Salad, a full steamed lobster roll over a bed of baby kale, warm quinoa, pickled onions, and chickpeas. It was perfect — the kale was so fresh and the lobster tails went perfectly with the other ingredients.
We also tried the lobster roll, which is definitely one of the best I’ve ever had. Their rolls are «Maine Style» meaning the meat is cold. There is also very little mayo, something I know most lobster roll fanatics care about. Either way, it was absolutely delicious.
Do yourself a favor and go to Luke’s!