old port lobster shack

My friend James D. is a man of discerning taste and carefully chosen words, and his approval is hard to obtain. So, when I received an email from him this afternoon touting the lobster rolls at Old Port Lobster Shack (OPLS), it was clear where I would be having dinner this evening.

OPLS opened recently in a small strip mall off Veterans Blvd in Redwood City. For those familiar with the area, it is directly across the street from the Bay Area Bank building. Its décor is nautical and casual, and you order at the main counter. The relaxed atmosphere and menu items like a classic hot dog and the grilled cheese sandwich should make it a perfect place to satisfy kids while the adults indulge.

When Lisette and I arrived at OPLS it was 8:45. As it turns out, they close at 8p, but the amazingly friendly staff took our order anyway. We had a tough decision to make as OPLS offers both the classic lobster salad roll (with mayonnaise, lemon juice, chives, salt and pepper) and the naked lobster roll. To most accurately assess the quality of the lobster, we went naked.

Naked consists of a fresh, medium sized New England style bun, lightly toasted. A generous amount of large lobster chunks are added to the roll, and both drawn butter and mayo are served on the side. This lets you add just the right amount of your favorite fat to compliment the succulent lobster, and the result is fantastic. Their lobster approaches New England-coast-in-summer flavor.

The roll comes with chips and cole slaw that is quite authentic. And, to accompany the meal they offer a delightful choice of drinks. I tried Capt’n Eli’s Root Beer from Portland, Maine, but a number of other unique sodas caught my eye. The Capt’n came through for me with its wonderfully rooty flavor and a nice little kick on the finish.

It is rare that I am this enthusiastic about a place after only one visit, and I can’t wait to go back to sample more of their menu. I’m confident their “chowdah” is going to be a star, I have high hopes for the fish and chips, and I really want to try their bread pudding. But, mostly I just want more lobster roll.

When deciding whether to buy something do you sometimes look at the dollar amount and translate it into other units, like “it’s 20 CDs” or “it’s a trip to the French Laundry”? From now on my new price metric will be lobster rolls at the Old Port Lobster Shack .

Bonus link: The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli

Old Port Lobster Shack: 851 Veterans Blvd, Redwood City, CA (650) 366-2400
Monday – Saturday 11-3 / Tuesday – Saturday 5-8