Barnacle Billy’s
Perkins Cove Rd, Ogunquit, 207-646-5575.
Worth braving the summer traffic for this weighty roll – neatly dressed, loaded with meat, and dusted with paprika.
Billy’s Chowder House
216 Mile Rd, Wells, 207-646-7558.
Billy’s has a reputation for testing how much fresh, sweet lobster a bun can handle before splitting at the sides.
The Maine Diner
2265 Post Rd, Wells, 207-646-4441.
It’s all about “the Jim Nantz” – a combo meal with a hot or cold lobster roll with a side of mind-numbingly good seafood chowder.
The Clam Shack
2 Western Ave, Kennebunk, 207-967-3321.
Right on the Kennebunk River, The Clam Shack’s claim to fame is piling fresh lobster meat (cooked in saltwater) onto a round, toasted yeast roll – judging from the awards it’s racked up, no one seems to mind.
The Kennebunk Inn
45 Main St, Kennebunk, 207-985-3351.
At this downtown Kennebunk gem (also famous for their lobster pot pie), freshly made mayonnaise elevates a pound of lobster meat, and the bun is griddled in tasty sea-salt compound butter.