From the Table at Lobster and Beer

From the Table at Lobster and Beer, I was reminded of childhood summer trips to little seaside towns.

As I was clicking around online this week, I stumbled across a little dive bar called Lobster and Beer with an all-day happy hour menu. (Is it still a happy hour menu if it’s available all day? Wouldn’t that just be a menu?) I am not the kind of person to turn down a good deal, the allure of $13 lobster grilled cheese was enough to pull me off the couch. I threw on some shoes and walked out the door.

As I walked up to the restaurant my enthusiasm for finding affordable seafood started to fade. There was a shopping cart sitting on the sidewalk outside and the small patio in the front was empty. There wasn’t much signage, had I not been looking specifically for this restaurant I most likely would have never noticed it. Despite the red flags, I persevered.

Walking into the small dining room I was hit with the distinct smell of dive bars. The smell of stale beer and cheap liquor was not what I was expecting during daylight hours. The interior of Lobster and Beer looked like your favorite dive bar with the addition of a handful of lobsters scattered around. At this point, I didn’t have high hopes for the quality of the food, and given that the decor looked like it shouldn’t be seen while the sun was up, I wanted to leave. The bartender was on his way over to me, too late to leave, I sat down.

I was pleasantly surprised by the “happy hour” menu and the full-priced menu. The menu described several different types of lobster and crab rolls, lobster tails, and lobster-infused bar food. Most of the menu was under $20 with most of the happy hour menu under $12. Boasting a range from loaded lobster tots to a lobster and shrimp rice bowl, the extensive menu revived my excitement.

“Which is better the lobster tacos or lobster grilled cheese?” I asked the bartender when he came over to take my order. He confidently suggested the tacos.

Less than ten minutes later I had a mimosa and lobster tacos sitting patiently in front of me. The three tacos weren’t anything fancy, a flour tortilla filled with lobster, lettuce, and diced tomatoes. Despite their inconspicuous appearance, after one bite I knew that I had found the hidden seafood gem I was looking for. The ample amount of meat was buttery and melted in your mouth. The lobster was fresh not frozen which shocked me given the price point. The taco’s subtle salty, ocean flavor brought me back to cracking fresh lobster at the picnic tables behind Roy Moore Lobster Co. in Cape Ann, Massachusetts. (Stop in here if you’re ever on the East Coast. You won’t be disappointed).

Lobster and Beer is the perfect example of why you shouldn’t judge a book by the cover (or don’t judge a restaurant by the shopping cart out front). My lunch was delicious and the bartender was attentive and helpful. By the time I was walking up to the bar to pay the tab, my mood had shifted from apprehensive to downright joyful. I fully plan to stop in again to try the classic lobster roll and maybe even the pitcher of mimosas.