Even if your only choice was PB&J this place would be well worth putting up with the traffic creeping slowly across the Casco Bay Bridge at 5 p.m. As soon as you crest the stone stairs near the small restaurant you’re struck full in the face by the expanse of the ocean, the cry of the seagulls and the vibrant red picnic tables balanced on rocks that appear to drop off to nothingness.
You can enjoy your fried delicacies here or sit inside where there’s room for about 40 diners. The views are just as good — maybe even better with the assortment of antique tools and license plates dating to 1912 that dot the walls — but the sound of the sea and the birds is missing.
There’s nothing fancy about The Lobster Shack. Read the posted menu, step up to the counter, make your order and get your number. The fountain sodas and condiments are self-serve and you’re more than welcome to BYOB either inside or out.
There’s nothing fancy about the menu either, but all four diners gave rave reviews of their “boats” when I took my dad out for a late Father’s Day meal. We started with chowders and clam cakes which, unfortunately, weren’t worthy warm-ups for the main courses. The clam cakes, which tasted like straight Cracker Meal, were just $1.69 each, so the disappointment was minimal. The clam chowder, at $4.29 a bowl, was decent, with plenty of potatoes and clams but most of the flavor lingered at the bottom of the bowl.
For boats, we tried chicken fingers ($7.99), scallops ($12.99) and shrimp ($10.99). They all came with cole slaw and fries.
Mum, who won’t eat seafood but is a connoisseur of the chicken finger, enjoyed hers because of the flavor and the abundant white meat. Dad, a lover of seafood who is also an expert on chicken because he regularly finishes Mum’s leftovers, thought the Maine shrimp were great. He passed on the cole slaw, which had a relish-y flavor that I really liked.
The sea scallops were terrific. Large and juicy, they were cooked just enough so the crumbs were crispy but the meat tender. The boat size was just enough, though The Lobster Shack also offers dinner plates for two or three bucks more.
With bellies full, we passed on dessert — but it wasn’t easy. Sweets at the Shack are a terrific bargain with gigantic whoopie pies, mini blueberry pies and apple- and raspberry-filled pastries all under $3. Any of them could easily serve two.
So next time you have a hankering for some of Cape’s great scenery around meal time, bring your beverage cooler and your appetite down to the water’s edge. Chances are, when you arrive, you’ll forget all about the traffic.