LOBSTER LANDING, Clinton - Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number - Tripadvisor
About
Live lobsters, steamers, clams, oysters and mussels to take home and cook. Hot lobster rolls, all beef skinless hot dogs and sausage peppers & onions, gluten free clam chowder, lobster bisque, coleslaw and garden salad to dine in or take out. Soft drinks, snack bags, and gelato are also available. BYOB
Meals
Lunch, Dinner
CUISINES
American, Seafood
FEATURES
Takeout, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Street Parking, Free off-street parking, Wheelchair Accessible, Accepts American Express, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Accepts Discover, Accepts Credit Cards, Waterfront, BYOB, Gift Cards Available
Reviews (441)
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Traveler rating
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98
32
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11
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All reviews lobster roll hot dog roll chowder clams seafood no frills limited menu bring your own outside seating picnic tables worth the trip shack butter rolls hotdogs connecticut water
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Reviewed July 24, 2020

Monday (7/20) was a day my wife and I will remember for a long time. We had lunch with a real gentleman and the “salt of the earth” owner of the best Lobster roll in Connecticut. Let me back-up. I read an article in Yankee,...a New England periodical about a hidden gem of a restaurant on the coast of Connecticut. The 79-year old owner, Enea Bacci, is Italian and from Piemonte (in Italy). As it turns out my wife is Italian-American and is taking Italian lessons and her mother’s parents immigrated from Piemonte. I called the restaurant a week ago and asked if we could meet Enea while we had lunch. The woman who answered the phone said that she would arrange for him to be there and meet us. I was a bit skeptical but accepted her word. Enea has a very distinctive look so it was not hard for us to spot him when we arrived. We said hello and he immediately asked if we were the couple who called and wanted to meet him. Enea joined us as we sat outside and enjoyed a fabulous lunch. We spent the better part of an hour with him and were treated to a far ranging and thoroughly enjoyable conversation. He could not have been more open about his past and present life – and what a journey he has had. Back to the food. We had the lobster rolls which are the best I have ever tasted. I had the clam chowder (New England) which was also the best I have had – large chunks of clams and a very flavorful broth. My wife ordered the garden salad and was about to put on the dressing when Enea insisted that she try the Bacci salad dressing. My wife said it was one of the best salad dressing she have ever tasted. He told us that he makes the salad dressing and it takes eight hours to blend the ingredients in a large mixing tub. Imagine, among his other duties, he makes the special salad dressing. The main building of Lobster Landing is nearly 100 years old and is used primarily for food preparation. The other building has outside tables, but not that many. This restaurant is a true hidden gem that should be viewed as a “world class” food destination. You should not go there expecting white tablecloths and servers with white aprons. Nevertheless, you will enjoy EVERY bite of whatever you order.More

Date of visit: July 2020
Helpful?6  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed September 18, 2020 via mobile

Great meaty lobster rolls, with hot butter, served right on the harbor in Clinton. The clam chowder does not have enough clams, otherwise good. This lobster shack is blessed by easy access from I-95. Worth a detour!

Date of visit: September 2020
Helpful?
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Reviewed February 25, 2020

we love lobster rolls and I must say that these are right up there with the rolls we get in Maine. The lobster is sweet and lots of it in every roll. We also get the chowder and it is very good. It is a...late season place that closes late Dec. and opens after the winter. Outside seating but they enclose an area and put in heaters when cold out. Good parking. this is a hidden gem place so you have to look for it. worth the look and the trip. parking ok service is nice and polite. The area is nice and kept clean. can not answer you question about bringing your own hard stuff as we do not drink.More

Date of visit: July 2019
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed June 12, 2020

Excited about grabbing a lobster roll by the water & w. good reviews, was totally disappointed to open my aluminum foil wrapped lobster roll ($19) which consisted of the greasiest, way way too much butter (& I like my butter) crispy roll with plain chopped...lobster inside....Ive had more than my fair share of lobster rolls from here to Maine and sideways - this is to be missed. Not worth it at all. Nice setting/staff were v courteous & friendly. I have friends, I wanted a good lobster roll. Not to be found there sadly.More

Date of visit: June 2020
Helpful?6  
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Reviewed October 10, 2021

Staff seemed friendly and there was plenty of outdoor seating (though a bit worn and rustic). Ordered lobster rolls at $19.75, a side of coleslaw and some water bottles. The lobster rolls were ready right away and handed to us wrapped in aluminum foil. The...bun size of the bun and amount of lobster meat was modest. Although I have ha Connecticut style lobster rolls before, this was fairly bland. Seemed overpriced for the quality.More

Date of visit: October 2021
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed August 31, 2021

I love lobster. I love the shore. Who doesn't? This year the kids asked me what I would like to do for my birthday dinner and I said "Lobster, waterside". After careful research (amongst Millennial friends) my eldest son picked Lobster Landing. We visited this...past Sunday August 29th. Lobster Landing is located in a congested area at the end of Commerce Street in Clinton, CT. The gravel driveway was packed - we parked directly next to our picnic table which was... basically in the driveway. There seemed to be a handful of picnic tables and a long line of customers waiting to place their order and pickup their food. My little grandson had a hotdog which he declared yummy. I am not sure what they have that I would call child appropriate as I did not venture the the order window and they don't seem to have a real, full menu posted online. He had a few sips of lipton ice tea. I had a lobster roll, cup of clam chowder and a Spite (Coke products). The chowder was tasty and had quite a few clams in it. The lobster rolls were disappointing. Frankie's Hot Dog honestly has a larger roll and tastier lobster roll. I had read the roll was large like a sub or grinder roll. It was not. It was barely an extended hot dog roll, toasted. Lobster just filled the sandwich (non on top like in the photo's on this site) and lacked flavor. Neither my sons or I felt it would be worth a recommendation or upcoming visit. $20.00 for a mostly tasteless lobster hotdog roll. . . My own family is from Nova Scotia and Maine. In Nova Scotia we used to have lobster boiled in brine on the docks. In Maine they would be "cold" lobster with mayonnaise and celery. Both versions - tasty.More

Date of visit: August 2021
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Reviewed July 13, 2022

Paid $26 for lobster roll claimed to be the best in CT. May qualify as worst I've ever had ... lobster meat is diced so small barely has texture and it barely fills the soggy roll. I thought they might have slipped in fake crab...meat as the lobster meat lacked any sweetness in flavor. Terrible, we drove over an hour the only saving grace was he view on a lovely summer day.More

Date of visit: July 2022
Helpful?2  
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Reviewed November 8, 2020 via mobile

This was our 2nd time here (1st in 2019) and it was as good as we remembered. The lobster was fantastic., tables were spread out, patrons were pandemic respectful and all around a great experience. Lobster Landing is highly recommended by us.

Date of visit: November 2020
Helpful?2  
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Reviewed April 23, 2022

We’ve been going for years, enjoying the calm setting, warm sunshine, sweet and tasty lobster rolls while sitting at a table on the dock having a couple of cold beers or a chilled bottle of wine. While we travel an hour to get there, a...few dollars isn’t going to change our enjoyment. However, when a lobster roll goes from $19.75 last year to $26 this year, I’m afraid our enjoyment just got knocked down a notch or two. I know lobster prices have jumped over the last year or so, but a $6.25 increase for 1/4 pound of lobster meat translates to a $25/lb increase. We’ll still go, but much less often. I think I’ll even experiment making our own.More

Date of visit: April 2022
Helpful?2  
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Reviewed May 21, 2021 via mobile

Roll was hard on sides and soggy on the bottom. I later saw them butting the gluten free lobster roll with the same exact knife they cut the previous no gluten free bun with. The lobster meat was dry and looked like it was already...precooked just warmed up in a bag in water. I spent over $100 amd I was very sad with what I received. I’ve ate there in past years and it was never like this.More

Date of visit: May 2021
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Reviewed October 17, 2021

I was so looking forward to a delicious lobster roll. I heard that these are the best! Well, I have to say that I was not impressed. The lobster really had no flavor and the hotdog roll was soggy. Maybe we hit it on a...bad day, but I really didn't care for my lobster roll. I've had much better.More

Date of visit: October 2021
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed January 13, 2020

I always visit Lobster Landing when in Connecticut. Menu limited to lobster rolls and clam chowder. Both excellent. The lobster rolls are equipped with the basics --- butter and lemon. The clam chowder is rich and loaded with clams. The atmosphere is casual and there...are no reservations. Seating for maybe 30 to 40 outside. Dec 31 closes the season, but until then the outside area is enclosed with clear, temporary vinyl sheets and heated with propane burners. Very cozy on a cold, windy day in December.More

Date of visit: December 2019
Helpful?2  
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Reviewed June 3, 2022 via mobile

Full transparency- Lobster Landing is one of my favorite restaurants. I’ve been going there for well over 10 years, have written many reviews and have consistently rated them as having the best lobster rolls I’ve ever eaten. Something has gone horribly wrong. My first clue...was when I pulled up on a beautiful Friday evening and there were plenty of parking spaces and the place was empty! Usually it’s packed, especially if it’s a nice day. Next I see the lobster rolls are $25.50! Wow! Last year they were $18. I commented and was told the price of lobster, butter, etc had gone up. Yes, we’re all experiencing price issues with inflation - but 45%! I’m not buying it. Okay, I’m still willing to pay inflated prices for the best lobster roll in Connecticut. The lobster was totally tasteless. What a disappointment. Not sure what happened. Same great roll, plenty of butter - was the lobster previously frozen? Not sure. I hate to give up on this place after so many years of great food, but at $25.50 for a lobster roll, I’m not willing to give it another test. Guess I’ll wait to see a few good reviews.More

Date of visit: June 2022
Helpful?3  
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Reviewed August 4, 2023

Haven't been here for a couple of years. Things are a bit different after Covid. You place your order and pay for it. You get your own salt, pepper, straws, individually wrapped plastic silverware and napkins. It's a post-Covid world now. Give your name and...select your table. They call your name when your order is ready and you go and pick it up in a brown paper shopping bag. The lobster is no longer dipped in butter. The butter is on the hot dog roll. No lemon flavor. Just not the same. Two lobster rolls, two potato chips and two Cokes = $65 with the tip. Is it worth it? I'm not sure. Kind of disappointing.More

Date of visit: August 2023
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed September 24, 2020 via mobile

This is a great experience and the taste is amazing!! Delicious lobster roll with enough butter that melts in your mouth roll is pretty good too. Not sure about the coleslaw, as it tasted a bit off. Other people have mentioned it in their comments...as well. Decent price as can be expected for a lobster. Due to Covid they were doing it outside in a tent and not actually in the shack. Ample sitting outside with a pretty decent view with a parking lot built for maybe 20 cars. Needs to be on a bucket list. Enjoy and tell others.More

Date of visit: September 2020
Helpful?
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Questions & Answers
Ask a question
Fatz7
October 8, 2020|
AnswerShow all 3 answers
Response from 273petek | Reviewed this property |
Wine, beer, and hard liquor are BYOB. Also, be careful at high tide as the street could be partially flooded. The shack’s ordering counter is available from the parking lot to avoid the flooded street.
0
Votes
CEF0849
February 26, 2019|
Answer
Response from Joan K | Reviewed this property |
Sorry we were there in Oct I really don't know their schedule. Maybe calling or seeing if there is a sign on the door or checking with the Chamber of Commerce
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LOBSTER LANDING, Clinton - Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Lobster Landing

Yes, Lobster Landing offers takeout services.

Yes, Lobster Landing is taking precautions against COVID-19. A full list is available within the "safety precautions" section of this page.

Lobster Landing is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travelers:
  • Food: 4.5
  • Service: 4.5
  • Value: 4
  • Atmosphere: 4.5