Urban Lobster Shack

When Urban Lobster first opened, I was living in the Financial District, and my friends and I wanted to try ordering lobster rolls to deliver from them.  We’d actually walked by a handful of times, but usually after dinner, wings, or drinks, just at times we weren’t in the mood to eat.  So when I caught wind of Urban Lobster Shack, opening not two blocks from my old apartment in the Financial District and a couple more blocks from my office, I had to finally go!  Plus these prices aren’t bad at all, considering recent prices for a lobster roll has been $33.

I ordered the lobster roll combo, which comes with what you see here: a small bag of chips, oyster crackers, New England clam chowder (or shrimp & lobster bisque, but I wanted chowder), a bottle of water, a lobster roll and a small cup of cole slaw.  Considering the combo is only $3 more, and you get both the bottle of water & full size soup (which is $5 alone) with it, it’s a pretty good deal, but I had a stray thought that it might be too much food. 

Until I saw the size of the lobster roll.

It does look mighty good, right? 

Lobster and a light touch of mayo… the entire thing wasn’t very long, a little smaller than my hand.

Inside was a bit hollowed out.  Hmm.  Well, technically, the lobster roll is only $12, so you can’t expect it to be the same quality as Pearl Oyster Bar, right?

One last glory shot.  Alright, now for the taste?  While there was enough lobster that I didn’t feel totally ripped off, the flavor just wasn’t there.  It was light on mayo, which most people prefer, and that was fine, except the lobster itself… didn’t shine.  You know that sweet succulent flavor that lobster has?  The slightly ocean-taste, not quite briny, but sweet and meaty and tender and all those good things that make lobster what it is?  It was almost entirely absent from this.  I didn’t taste seasonings, either, but I didn’t taste lobster.  I was disappointed by that – I know it’s not lobster season, but regardless, I feel like the lobster should still have a lobster taste.  Throw some lobster tamolley on there or something to boost it.  Do something about that.  It was a fine enough lobster roll, if you love lobster rolls and really want one, this will suffice, but this won’t be the lobster roll that you crave or dream about, and return to again and again.  It will simply be the one you fall back on when the one you really want is not available (due to location or season or whatever). 

The New England clam chowder, on the other hand…

 

Not too thick at all but packed with flavor.  Wow.  There was enough “stuff” but not too much (I do like to be able to “drink” or “sip” my soup sometimes, and not always have big spoonfulls of STUFF), and the clams were ginormous.  The entire cup of chowder was deliciously creamy, with a lot of flavor – the flavor of clams, along with all the other goodies stuffed in there.  I really enjoyed the soup and foresee myself returning for another cup soon in the cold weather – maybe I’ll even pick up another lobster roll to go with it 😉 

The chips were a bit overkill at this point; I liked having something salty to crunch on at the end of my meal, but I felt slightly sickeningly full at that point.  Probably will save them next time.  For $15 for the entire meal above, I’d say, not too shabby.

Yvo says: Maybe I had an off day lobster, but the lobster roll was definitely meh for me.  I’d give it another shot to see if maybe it was just me that day, especially because the chowder was really quite yummy!  And overall, the prices are not bad at all, given location and what you’re getting.  I definitely recommend people drop by to check it out – be warned though, this is a window in the wall kind of operation, there is no place to sit and there is only room for one person to step in, place the order and pay, then step back out.  You will either need to sit on the benches outside of Goldman Sachs to eat (on nice days) or bring it back to the office to enjoy.  I’m loving having lobster rolls so easily accessible though!!!
recommended

15 Stone Street, between Broad Street and Whitehall Street
(around the corner from Chipotle)