New York City / Lobster Roll
Best Lobster Roll
in NYC
Maine cold-and-mayo or Connecticut warm-and-butter — the ten rolls worth the splurge, from the original at Pearl to the critics’ new favorite, plus three with an oyster happy hour.
Three of these run oyster happy hours — Cull & Pistol, Mermaid Inn and Grey Lady — most from around 4pm.
- 10 verified spots
- the original: Pearl
- critics’ pick: Smithereens
- 3 with oyster deals
The short version
- Critics’ pickSmithereens — warm Connecticut-style, $38.
- The originalPearl Oyster Bar — the Maine roll that started it all.
- Best in BrooklynRed Hook Lobster Pound — both styles, from $39.50.
- + oyster hourMermaid Inn & Grey Lady — $1–$2 oysters.
- Best valueThe Lobster Place — $28 at the market counter.
The best lobster rolls in NYC right now: Smithereens in the East Village for the critics’ warm Connecticut-style roll ($38), Pearl Oyster Bar in the West Village for the original Maine-style ($34), Red Hook Lobster Pound in Brooklyn for both styles from live tanks, and The Lobster Place in Chelsea Market for the $28 value roll. Three spots — Cull & Pistol, Mermaid Inn and Grey Lady — pair their rolls with a genuine oyster happy hour. Below, grouped into the top tier, the oyster-deal spots, and the value picks. Expect to pay $28 to $59 for a roll.
At a glance
Best picks up top, then the oyster-hour spots, then value. Tap a number on the map to place it.
| Bar | The deal | Days | Window | $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smithereens | Warm CT-style, $38 | Tue–Sun | Dinner | $$$ |
| Pearl Oyster Bar | Maine-style, ~$34 | Tue–Sat | Lunch/dinner | $$$ |
| Mary’s Fish Camp | Maine-style, ~$28 | Mon–Sat | Lunch/dinner | $$$ |
| Red Hook Lobster Pound | Both styles, from $39.50 | Daily | Lunch/dinner | $$$ |
| Cull & Pistol | Both styles + oyster HH | Mon–Fri | 4–6pm | $$$ |
| Mermaid Inn | $2 oysters + market roll | Mon–Sun | 4:30–6pm | $$$ |
| Grey Lady | Maine roll + $1 oysters | Tue–Fri | 4–7pm | $$$ |
| The Lobster Place | Maine roll, $28 (4oz) | Daily | Counter | $$$ |
| Burger & Lobster | Maine-style, $30 | Daily | Lunch/dinner | $$$ |
| Luke’s Lobster | Maine-style, $28+ | Daily | Counter | $$$ |
Map: where these 10 spots are
Most cluster in the West Village and Chelsea, with Red Hook out in Brooklyn.
Pins are numbered to match the table above – tap any pin for the deal and directions.
The best lobster rolls
The rolls worth crossing town for. For the wider raw bar, see our best seafood restaurants in NYC guide.
Smithereens
The verdict: the most-talked-about lobster roll in the city, and the flagship of the warm-butter camp. Chef Nick Tamburo (ex-Momofuku Ko) serves a Connecticut-style roll — lobster poached in lobster-shell butter, Old Bay-dusted split-top brioche — for $38. The why: it topped the Infatuation’s list and drew a real critic’s review, and it is genuinely different from the mayo standard. The local move: order it to convert a cold-roll skeptic. Honest caveat: it is $38, the room is tiny, reservations are hard, and it is dinner-only most nights.
smithereensnyc.com · See our best seafood in NYC
Pearl Oyster Bar
The verdict: the roll that started New York’s whole lobster-roll obsession. Rebecca Charles opened Pearl in 1997 and basically invented the modern Maine-style roll — cold, lemony, mayo-laced lobster on a butter-toasted bun with shoestring fries, around $34. The why: it is the original, and it still holds up. The local move: sit at the marble counter, get the roll and fries, and arrive right at open — no reservations. Honest caveat: market-priced, small, always packed, walk-ins only.
Mary’s Fish Camp
The eternal answer to the Pearl-or-Mary’s question. A West Village seafood-shack institution since 2001, and the other great Maine-style roll — generous, mayo-forward, around $28, with a pile of shoestring fries. Worth it, and worth the argument. The local move: walk in early; it is tiny and does not take a crowd well. Honest caveat: the roll runs a touch small for the price and heavy on the mayo, and it is a cramped, no-reservations rush.
marysfishcamp.com · See our West Village happy hours
Red Hook Lobster Pound
The Brooklyn destination roll, and the pick if you want to choose your camp. Running since 2009, it does both a Maine (Duke’s mayo) and a Connecticut (warm butter) roll from live tanks, from $39.50. The why: Resy says it rivals Maine’s best shacks, and it is the real out-in-Red-Hook experience. The local move: only the Red Hook location has full lobster dinners; pick mayo vs butter, 4oz vs 6oz. Honest caveat: it is about $40 and there is no subway to Red Hook — the patio is seasonal.
redhooklobster.com · See our more Brooklyn spots
Rolls + an oyster happy hour
Where the lobster roll comes with a real oyster deal. More in our $1 oyster happy hour guide.
Cull & Pistol On now
The one-stop for the Maine-versus-Connecticut debate: Lobster Place’s full-service sibling serves a cold Maine roll and a hot Connecticut roll off the same menu, $40 for the 4oz. It also has the best reason to come early. The deal: Monday to Friday, 4 to 6pm, half-price oysters plus drink specials. The local move: do the oyster hour, then split a roll ordered both ways. Honest caveat: the 6oz roll is $59 — one of the priciest in the city — so go 4oz or share.
cullandpistol.com · See our $1 oyster happy hours
Mermaid Inn On now
The reliable, well-priced pick with the best oyster hour in the city. The Nearly Famous lobster roll comes Old Bay-mayo or drawn-butter on griddled brioche, market price, with Old Bay fries. The deal: $2 chef’s-choice oysters and $2 littlenecks — all night Mondays, and Tuesday to Sunday 4:30 to 6pm — plus $8 beers and $12 cocktails. The local move: stack the oyster hour, then the roll; ask mayo or butter. Honest caveat: the roll is market-priced (ask first), the deals are bar-only, and there are several locations, so confirm which one.
themermaidnyc.com · See our $1 oyster happy hours
Grey Lady On now
A legit Maine-style roll inside a rowdy Nantucket-themed party bar — a rare combination on the Lower East Side. Freshly shucked Maine lobster, around $32 to $34, plus one of the better oyster deals downtown. The deal: $1 oysters, Monday from 6pm and Tuesday to Friday 4 to 7pm (with $5 beers, $8 wine). The local move: it is more bar than restaurant, so do the oyster happy hour and the roll early, before it turns into a scene. Honest caveat: it gets loud and clubby late; this is a drinking venue first.
greyladynyc.com · See our Lower East Side happy hours
Value & fast-casual
The market counters and reliable chains. See also our seafood guide and West Village spots.
The Lobster Place
The counter-service value play, inside a working Chelsea Market fish market — so it is about as fresh as a NYC lobster roll gets. The Maine roll is $28 for the 4oz, $38 for the 6oz: claw and tail, celery, scallion, lemon, mayo. The local move: get the 4oz to keep it under $30 and eat at the market’s communal tables. Honest caveat: it is a market stall — counter seating only, and it gets mobbed at lunch. For table service, its sibling Cull & Pistol is next door.
lobsterplace.com · See our Chelsea happy hours
Burger & Lobster
The dependable, know-what-you’re-getting roll near Bryant Park, with big portions and a full bar. The classic Maine-style roll is $30 — chilled lobster, lemon mayo, chives, brioche — with the lemon-garlic butter on the side so you can go warm or cold. Worth it as a walk-in-friendly Midtown option. The local move: dress it Connecticut-warm with the butter boat. Honest caveat: it is a chain and the location is touristy; note the original Flatiron branch has closed, so go to the Bryant Park one.
burgerandlobster.com · See our Midtown happy hours
Luke’s Lobster
The city’s most recognizable lobster-roll brand, and the fast-casual benchmark: traceable, sustainable Maine lobster with a swipe of mayo, lemon butter and a secret seasoning, $28 to $39. The local move: get The Mainer combo (roll plus chowder), or make it warm with no mayo for a dollar more to flip it Connecticut-style. Honest caveat: it is counter and takeout with limited seating, and the price scales with the lobster market.
lukeslobster.com · See our Union Square happy hours
Best lobster roll in NYC: FAQ
What’s the best lobster roll in NYC?
Critics currently favor Smithereens in the East Village, a warm Connecticut-style roll. Pearl Oyster Bar in the West Village is the original Maine-style. Red Hook Lobster Pound is the best in Brooklyn and does both styles.
Maine or Connecticut lobster roll — what’s the difference?
A Maine roll is cold, with lobster tossed in mayo. A Connecticut roll is warm, with lobster in melted butter. Cull & Pistol, Mermaid Inn and Red Hook serve both so you can compare.
Which lobster roll spots have a happy hour?
Cull & Pistol runs half-price oysters Monday to Friday 4 to 6pm. Mermaid Inn does $2 oysters all night Mondays and Tuesday to Sunday 4:30 to 6pm. Grey Lady does $1 oysters, Monday from 6pm and Tuesday to Friday 4 to 7pm.
How much is a lobster roll in NYC?
Expect $28 to $59. The Lobster Place ($28) and Luke’s ($28+) sit at the low end; Cull & Pistol’s 6oz roll tops out at $59.
Where’s the cheapest good lobster roll?
The Lobster Place in Chelsea Market at $28 for the 4oz is the best value, since it is a working fish market. Luke’s Lobster starts around $28 too.
Last updated: July 2026. Deals and hours change – confirm with the venue before you go. Spot something out of date? Let us know.
