Old Port Lobster Shack

The food is good here. Like all the reviews stressed here.
Just got stinky attitude from the front lady today. She was busy in the back and a waitress was nice enough to assist. But unfortunately, she wasn’t familiar with their ordering system here. During the ordering process, the front lady was called in the front twice but with a BIG attitude. Well, we know you have things to deal with. But why do you want to share your attitude with folks waiting for you for a while and spend $ 100 for lunch???
The waitress and staff here are great though. Food has always been solid. But just dislike the way got treated.

Huge fan of Old Port despite prices that make my wallet cry. However, if you order right, you’ll get some great items that won’t break the bank. My gf and I ordered the CLAMS, the LOBSTER MACARONI and the CLAM CHOWDER. The clam chowder was above average while the macaroni was surprisingly good. The CLAMS though… Amazing. One of the best steamed clam dishes in the Bay and I’ve had tons. I’d put them in the top 3 where Chez Maman (18^th St, SF) is my #1 clam spot.

$ 26 is the most I’ve ever paid for a sandwich and that’s how much it cost for a lobster roll here. Even after I got over the sticker shock, the sandwich itself wasn’t all that great. The bread was oily and soggy and even though I got the lobster with mayo/​green onion/lemon/salt&pepper mixed in, it didn’t have much taste to it. I also got an order of calamari which was pretty good, I wish I asked for and extra wedge of lemon and more white dipping sauce.
There are not a lot of places that serve lobster rolls in the bay area. This is one of the only places I know of besides the Sam’s Chowdermobile. So if you want that lobster roll you have to pay the steep prices. I am not impressed but wouldn’t be opposed to coming back if I MUST have a lobster roll.

Came to visit the Bay Area and my sister had been wanting to try this place out so we came and I had shared the dressed lobster roll with the not so plain Mac and cheese and the Mac and cheese was the best thing I ate from here. The lobster roll was good but it was lacking something. I will be back but next time I need to douse it with some hot sauce or something.

Shout out to the guy that was working the register last night! Super nice and had the biggest smile the entire time.
Also the lobster Mac and cheese is a must!

Disappointed to the Max…
Clam chowder: ($ 5.75) Bland and they put Bacon. I strongly believe that when places put Bacon in their clam chowder, it indicates that the soup is flawed. Bacon adds great flavor to any dish, but when one doesn’t put Bacon and it’s good, that’s a damn good chowder. Also, I don’t eat Bacon and nowhere on the menu said they put bacon. Fail.
Lobster bisque: ($ 7.00) Watery with tiny pieces of lobster.
Lobster Roll: ($ 26.00) What in the world?! We probably got 2oz of lobster in a tiny lobster roll. The serving was so small and it was hands down the worst lobster roll I’ve had. It was served with fries and Cole slaw… again portion is for a 4yearold kid. Cole slaw was too sweet as well as their 2pcs of pickles. Let me just say, IT IS NOT WORTH $ 26.00…maybe $ 16.00.
Baked mac-​n-​cheese with lobster: ($ 26.00) Again… bland. The Mac-​n-​cheese did not have any lobster smothered in, just topped with couple pieces of tiny lobsters.
We also ordered the scallops that never made it to our table (thank goodness).
I don’t know how this place has 4 stars when it’s only worth 3. I better just stick to places that are worth paying for and makes good quality and quantity food.
Want a bomb lobster roll? Check out Woodhouse Fish and Co.
Want some bomb clam chowder? Princeton’s Seafood Company
Want good lobster bisque??? Go to New England Lobster Market and Eatery. They also have good crab melts!
If there was a positive point to this place… they have oyster crackers, condiments, paper towel, plastic utensils individually wrapped on the tables.

Double play, one naked and one Maine. I’m a growing boy.
Great lobster. Fries were crispy; slaw was slawy. I didn’t see any raisins in mine.
Rich’s recommendation: get a roll or two and enjoy your lobster buzz.

Authentic New England style lobsters of a good size. Much better than chain red lobster! Best lobster my mother in law has had on the west coast.

America, I am again, so pissed at myself for not snapping a few pics for this review… but being that I’m still a «closeted» Unilocaler… and I was with a client partner, maintaining my composure was of upmost importance — so no screaming out loud and smacking my ass in jubilance — no sir, not this day.
Anyways…just go. We both had the bisque and the lobster sandwich, made their way on the light mayo and green onion dressing. The soup was sick good and the sandwich was beyond amazing. A little side note, I can’t tell y’all how many times I’ve had to backspace the cus words outta this review — used only in a positive metaphorical pretense of course…
So, the sandwich was crazy good, and let me tell you why. First off, it’s served up on a large folded slice of Texas toast that is not shy on butter or garlic. Brilliant, if you ask me. Secondly, there’s a lot more going on In this supposed light mayo and green onion dressing… it’s totally spot on! Still can’t say enough about the bisque either… next time i come To the South Bay Area, I’m definitely returning to the Lobster Shack.
On a side note — some of the reviews on here are just off… or the Unilocaler is a bit broken… lol. This place is what it is… and if your looking for white linen and fancy English– go somewhere else. If your pallet wears the pants in your Unilocaldom, then just go. You won’t be disappointed. This is a five star place!

Lobster oh Lobster, why are you so tasty but so expensive. Have you ever had a nice lobster roll on buttered roll in the North east? This place makes a good version of it. I would recommend to eat it Maine style with the mayo but some people prefer the naked and can get butter.
The best lobster roll I have ever had is at Luke’s in NYC. So the bar is set at that level. Is the lobster roll here as good. Not really but it is tasty and you get a good amount of lobster on the roll. A roll with fries and sides will run you $ 20+ so be prepared.
This time we went in we also got a brisket sandwhich. It was ok. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t outstanding either. It was a little dry as the don’t use the fatty brisket portion that I like. But you don’t come here for brisket, the make says Lobster in it. If you eat in the guy who helps bus and serve the tables is really friendly and since it is a quick serve style place you sit down after you place your order and they will bring it out to you.
Overall I would come back if craving lobster but there are also other options like Sam’s Chowder house that are just about the same.

This place was such a surprising find! Decided to give this place a try since I was randomly craving lobster roll.
The Maine Lobster roll seemed to be the main staple there so ordered that, it was delicious. I feel that it was a little more on the pricey side since it’s not fresh lobster but dash of Tabasco and lime, it was definitely worth a try. I love how rather than a french roll or other kind of bread, this was almost like a buttered toast pocket… it was awesome.
I tried their root beer float with blueberry ice cream. It sounds disgusting right? Not even sure how many people would try it but dang it was SO good. The blueberry ice cream seems freshly made and combined with the root beer… it was turned into this perfect mushy combo. The taste was pretty good, you’d think it’d be disgusting but somehow it meshes pretty well.
Finally, there was this guy who works there who buses the tables and serves the food and he just has the best attitude ever. I love how he constantly came over to check on our water and was so friendly. This is a order and sit down place so didn’t expect such friendly service.
Really awesome joint for a lunch or dinner, there weren’t many people there when I went on a Sunday night. Definitely reccomend this place.

2 oz of cold lobster over a bed of crisp romaine and store-​bought thousand island: $ 19.75.
Mug of lobster bisque: $ 8.75.
The value proposition of this joint is fresh lobsters, but you definitely don’t get a return of value on any of the items on the menu. Even the lobster roll priced at $ 26 a pop include a piece of white bread, smothered and doused in butter, 10 – 15 fries, and a small 1 oz cup of slaw.
I could have had 8 in n out meals instead.

Love this place! I used to take visitors here when I lived in San Francisco and now it’s become a tradition to hit up the shack as my last meal when I visit.
I’ve never really had lobster rolls elsewhere so I can’t speak to the authenticity but the ones here are awesome. I usually get the Maine roll as I like the green onions and the plentiful mayo. The lobster itself is fresh and piled on a buttered, toasted roll. I always think it looks kinda small but always have trouble finishing. It comes with cole slaw (that has raisins in it, which is surprisingly awesome) and surprisingly good, crispy fries.
I almost always get a cup of NE chowdah with it too. I love NE clam chowder and this place has some of the best chowder in the bay. It’s rich and creamy and stocked with clams and potatoes. How it should be done!
I feel like the price has kept increasing though, which is kind of a bummer. The price is pretty steep now (~25 bucks for the roll) but I like it too much to care.

I have been dying to try this place after salivating over the rockstar Unilocal reviews and photos, and to my surprise it was very disappointing. Maybe I came on an off day?
I came to this small shack-​y place around 3pm on a Sunday – right before the dinner rush. I was conflicted between ordering the notorious Naked lobster roll or the lobster mac and cheese. I knew I was going to pay a pretty penny coming here so I definitely did not want to skimp and went straight to the big daddy. I ended up ordering the lobster mac.
It was disappointing to say the least and at roughly ~$ 26 total for ONE cheesy entrée with burnt pieces of lobster, I was expecting an oceanic and dairy-​fest explosion in my mouth. It was neither.
The mac and cheese was okay – tasted very bland and less gourmet that I thought it would considering there were about 4 or 5 cheese varieties in the mix. The lobster that topped it was the most disappointing, small bits of lobster that were overly dry, burnt, and flavorless from the broiler. Maybe I was expecting too much from the deceiving juicy moist lobster chunks from the Unilocal photos! would skip on this dish and perhaps try the rolls instead (I chose mac over rolls because the rolls appear VERY small in person). I think you’re better off going to Gordon Biersch in DTSJ if you’re craving a real lobster mac.
My boyfriend ordered the fish and chips which came with fries and cole slaw. The cole slaw had raisins in it. The fish was okay – very soft and fell apart almost too easily. I’m a bigger fan of firmer fish. I think I prefer the fish and chips at Cook’s Seafood in Menlo Park – tastier fish and chips and more reasonably priced.
Overall experience was meh. I think I had too high of expectations. Unilocal,you did me dirty once again! I’m not coming here again, I’ll stick to salivating at the pictures cause eating here too often would cause me to be broke as a joke,

The lobster roll was amazing. This place is a little pricie but the quality is great.
Atmosphere is definitely shacky. Service was great. Nice people are working here.

The food here isn’t bad by any means, it’s just I’m not a huge fan of lobster and even not a huger fan of $ 20 sandwiches!!! This place is pretty expensive. I really don’t understand why lobster is so pricey, it’s not like there’s some massive shortage of them and they’re the easiest thing in the world to cook, dump in boiling water, remove, eat. Anyways Old Port is very casual dining. You order at a counter then sit and eat at picnic benches with checkered table cloths. The service was great but you’re seriously almost paying fine dining prices for this. The lobster roll was shockingly small. They do give you a decent amount of lobster but we still did a double take when it was served to us. After food, drinks, tip and tax our bill was pushing almost $ 200 for 5 people! Honestly it made me dislike lobster even more now, might as well eat gold nuggets for dinner.

I was craving a lobster roll just thinking about my trip to Boston a couple of years ago so decided to try out Old Port Lobster Shack.
We ordered the Double play, Naked rolls with melted butter & mayo on the side. While the lobster roll doesn’t quite compare to the one from Neptune Oyster in Boston, it’s still pretty good.
Parking in the lot was fairly easy and it wasn’t too hard to find a table indoors but then again we arrived after the lunch crowd at 1:30pm on a Saturday.

I’ve been to Old Port Lobster Shack twice now. The first time I ordered the Maine Lobster Roll and my impression was that this place was just okay. Fast forward to my second trip today and I ordered the Naked Lobster Roll. Now that was much better!
After my first trip I wasn’t too thrilled over their sandwiches and looking at the menu, I realized I needed to try the Naked version. I now know that I don’t like my lobster roll with all the extra stuff — just a plain, naked one with butter. DELISH!
Great service, atmosphere, and menu. I definitely want to keep returning and try more items!

Yet again one of the places that I wish I could give it 3.5 stars!!! Unilocal help a buddy out :)
I stopped by the Old Port Lobster Shack recently with great friends over the weekend. I had heard that the Shack had great lobster rolls.
When we got there, I was very pleased with the restaurant setting. Although their main attraction was main lobsters, they were blasting cajun music. I didn’t mind, as it may me recall Houston /​Louisiana. Very lively to say the least. The restaurant itself had a very fisherman’s wharf setting with sprinkles of cajun.
Onto the food and where I was a little disappointed.
Our group ordered their lobster rolls with fries and their cup of lobster bisque. All I can really say is that both dishes were pretty good but I can’t call them great for my taste buds. Maybe I’ve been tainted by Southern food in Houston but it really lacked a little flavor to my taste.
As far as the roll, they were very generous with the lobster. When you get the roll, it looks fairly small but they do pack a bunch in it. The lobster is mix in a mayo based mix but the lobster itself felt a little plain, maybe farmed? I just wished they had used additional spices to the party.
All in all, I had a good time there and i’ll probably again to hopefully update this review. But this time around, i just found it A-​OK.

Nestled between a Super Cuts and an In-​n-​out, this place is such a gem on the peninsula!
I can’t say how it is compared to the best of the East Coast, but I can say, it is the best lobster roll restaurant on the peninsula, if not on in California.
Their Maine lobster roll is jam packed with fresh tasty lobster. If there is a mayo binder you can barely taste it. All you get is cool, lobster goodness. You get a good mixture of claw meat and tail. The bread they stuff the lobster in is golden toasted with some sort seasoned butter it seems but tastes like something much more than just a slab of bread holding the lobster.
The fries that come with most of their menu items are in a word, out of this world. Who would have thought that fries would deserve their own paragraph but they are truly remarkable. They have the perfect balance of crispy as well as meaty. I don’t know what it is but their fries beat out In-​n-​out, Red Robins, and any other fries that I’ve ever had.
I’ve also gotten their Fish and Chips and they are pretty great too. I would get them again if I was ever in the mood for fish and chips. While I can’t say they beat out any other good fish and chips, they definitely rank up there with the best I’ve had.
Another dish I like to get sometimes is their Lobsta Mac n Cheese. The mac is oozing with cheese and has a healthy helping of large lobster pieces. I’ve never left after eating their mac, wishing I had more lobster.
For dessert, I tried their blueberry cobbler with ice cream and boy was I in for a treat. The blueberry cobbler is pretty enormous. Split between two people, we still had to take some home. The pastry is FILLED with sweet blueberries yet overall it wasn’t overly sweet. There isn’t much of that super sugary syrup that overpowers so many cobblers. All you get is crispy crumble and loads of blue berries. The cobbler was also topped with a blueberry ice cream which perfectly complemented the dish. It tasted like real blueberry (unlike some fruit ice creams) but it was different enough that enhanced the cobbler, not just blending in.
Last thing to note is that many of their dishes come with a cole slaw topped with dried blueberries (fantastic) and sweet pickles. I haven’t had sweet pickles anywhere else so this, to me, adds to this restaurant’s uniqueness.
Fantastic place. It’s in a really random location, but I’d recommend this place to anyone who wanted lobster rolls, wherever they are in the bay.