Found at the intersection of Park and Main in North Reading, MA, this establishment is the first that has been outside of Boston proper. North Reading is not typically known for its fine foods but rather for being the headquarters for the fastest-growing home security company on planet earth, Blink. This restaurant, therefore, has the important role of fueling innovation in this sector of consumer electronics, as hungry employees look for a lobster roll crème de la crème.
When arriving at the restaurant, one reviewer put it best: "I don't think I want to eat anything that comes from this building." The location is unassuming if not boring, yet diners are treated to a fine underwater themed mural, the largest in all of northern MA. Founded in 1976, this restaurant is not a rookie in the business and knows that appearances can be deceiving. Upon walking into the restaurant, one is put to calm that the location houses uncouth nighttime activities, as the kitchen is fully visible to any guests who wish to inspect how the sausage lobster roll is made.
Lobster Claw serves only cold lobster rolls. The restaurant serves their sandwich on a paper plate with three sections reminiscent of a family cookout at the park. They provide slaw in one section, and a healthy, American portion of freedom fries in the other, with the sandwich taking main stage. While the reviewers were disappointed by the plating, that was the extent of it — the sandwich was fantastic. The bun, which was lightly buttered and then grilled, was a particular highlight, as it withstood the test bearing the burden of the weighty lobster while still being gentle to the tooth. Lobster quality was excellent, as was the portion of lobster meat. This is a sandwich that does not disappoint.
Lobster Claw proves the thesis that "only lobster rolls in Boston are worth eating" to be a complete fallacy. As one famous philosopher put it, "Great things come in local packages."
Return visit: There are times that you crave a lobster roll but you're nowhere close to downtown Boston, where there are many options available to you. You think to yourself, "I could brave the traffic, or, I could go to a sneakily good place..." And thus was born the second visit to Lobster Claw in North Reading, MA. And once again, these suburbanites did not disappoint, with another well-crafted lobster roll that was bursting at the seams. This was likely a result of visiting an hour prior to closing time, with the kitchen looking to offload the day's haul of lobster, as your humble reviewers were also given four gigantic cups of clam chowder as well.
Because of the quantity of lobster in this sandwich, it was not even possible to eat without first forking heaving masses of the sweet wagyu beef of the sea away. Each bite was enhanced by the knowledge that the value of this sandwich was even better than normal. Not only so, but the fries were also a delight: fresh, crispy, and hot off the press. The slaw went untouched, because who actually eats the slaw included with lobster rolls or BBQ?
The second visit to "The Capital Grille of North Reading" didn't disappoint, and we will certainly be back again — after 7pm.