There are practically as many lobster shacks in Maine as there are lobsters.

Eating Lobster Like a Local

The good folks “Down East” (or “Maine,” as it’s called in the parts of America that are actually, well, down east) have a saying about their prized culinary offering: a lobster is best enjoyed where it came from.

What do you call a lobster lover’s idea of heaven? Maine.

“If I were a lobster, this is where I’d want to be eaten.”

Unfortunately, those plastic bibs tend to float up in your face when worn underwater. The next best alternative? Eating one by the sea, ideally in one of Maine’s countless coastal lobster shacks.

Built along the piers where boats come in with the day’s catch, the lobster shack, or pier, has a long tradition in Maine.

Chauncey Creek Lobster Pier, just north of the picturesque town of Kittery, is the quintessential example. Tucked along the idyllic ebb and flow of its namesake creek and the majestic pines of Pepperrell Cove, it’s as simple, and wonderful, a dining room as it gets.

Since 1948, dozens of checked-tablecloth-covered picnic tables have lined the quaint pier, offering diners a quiet oasis to enjoy a menu heavy on fresh shellfish and light on everything else.

Chauncey Creek is one Maine’s last remaining BYOB establishments. They provide the tastiest lobster, lobster rolls, and clams; you provide the rest. Pack your cooler with your favorite chilled Pinot Grigio, beer and maybe a few snacks, and they’ll take care of filling you up with great seafood.

“If I were a lobster, this is where I’d want to be eaten,” says food-and-drink writer Albert Baime, who discovered Chauncey Creek in his college days and has been back every summer for over a decade. “It’s one of the most authentic and enjoyable New England experiences imaginable — the perfect place to spend a summer evening.”

Thankfully, Maine’s coast is nearly as plentiful with lobster shacks as is the sea with its fare.

Well worth the detour is one of the state’s more picturesque establishments, Five Islands Lobster Co.. Choose a lobster from the tank, nibble on some corn, and perch yourself on the outdoor deck while watching the boats come in from the bay. The fry shack next door will warm you on the cooler nights. The stunning views of the Five Islands dotting the deep cold bay don’t hurt either.

For the truly rustic experience, take the dirt road to Lisa’s Lobster House and Grill on Sheepscot Bay in Georgetown. A clapboard shack with marvelous views of Southport Island, it is one of the cheapest and truest of local haunts.

For those times when travel isn’t an option, or you just want to relive the experience, there are a handful of mail-order Maine lobster companies such as Browne Trading Co. or Maine Lobster Direct. They won’t be able to mail you the views or the sea air, but one out of three ain’t bad.

Posted on July 03, 2006