Urban Lobster Shack

Lobster roll is just ok. I had the combo with the clam chowder, I did not have one single piece of clam in this so-​called clam chowder… Go to Luke’s instead if you are in FiDi.

I finally tried the Urban Lobster Shack for lunch today, and I concur with most of the Unilocalers: you get a lot of lobster for the money. The lady owner/​operator was really sweet, and my scampi lobster roll was yummy. I definitely want to return to try the other rolls.

Had the avocado roll from the truck on 52^nd street between 5^th and 6^th. It smelled as if the rubber bands were not removed from the lobster claws before it was boiled. It tasted a little off and after having made this very mistake when cooking lobster myself, I realized what it was. So after 2 bites I threw it out… $ 16 lesson learned.

$ 13 LOBSTER ROLL.
Do I have your attention yet? Urban Lobster Shack is a newcomer to the line up of food trucks on Old Slip (FiDi)– and I welcome them with open arms!
The shack is run by a woman who says that 13 is her lucky number, and therefore prices her «Famous Lobster Roll» at $ 13 and refuses to raise the price! This is absurd and amazing as we all know lobster rolls in the city average $ 20 at best.
Most recently, I tried their «Lobzel,» made with their lobster salad on a pretzel bun ($ 16). The lobster salad had large chunks of tail and claw meat which was lightly-​dressed.* The pretzel bun was giant and SO good (also lightly-​buttered and grilled). All of this made for a lavish lunch, and enjoyed it immensely as I basked in the sunshine at Elevated Acre during my lunch break.
I have yet to try their Old Bay Lobster Roll, Sriracha Lobster Roll, Avocado Lobster Roll (!), Cajun Lobster Roll, and others… but it looks like I’ll be eating well this summer. You can follow them on Twitter @urbanlobster, but they don’t tweet regularly… it’s best to jump on this bright red cart whenever you see them!
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*Add $ 2 if you don’t want mayo in your lobster salad. I’m not a fan of mayo, but the dressing was so light, it didn’t even bother me.

Yesssss

Let me start by saying that my review is for the Tribeca location, specifically near Whole Foods on Greenwich St. Disappointing! My husband and I were excited to try a lobster roll to kick off summer because nothing screams summer more than a lobster roll. There was a wait and a few people in line so initially that felt like a good sign. I ordered the classic so nothing out of the ordinary and no frills or substitutions. I noticed how everyone had to wait for a while for their orders, but then when mine came out literally in 2 minutes, that’s when I should have known. Our sandwich was small compared to others meaning no overflowing lobster, like the other diners around us. There were some benches nearby and we all migrated to them so we were able to see what others were having. Also the lobster didn’t have that delicious sea taste that lobster has, instead I could have been eating chicken salad for all I know. Terrible! won’t be back.

This place deserves a much higher rating than it currently has on Unilocal.I had a classic lobster roll and it was divine. Perfect bun and buttery lobster. Also, I don’t know why everyone is complaining about the price. It’s lobster! We’re not in Maine. If you want cheap seafood, go to the Gowanus Canal. If you want great tasting lobster (with kind service I might add) head to Urban Lobster.

It was parked before my walk to Luke’s lobster. And I thought why not try this place instead. Huge mistake. The bread was worse. The lobster was worse and the seasoning was worse. Not good

OK, so the owner is darling and always greets me with rainbows. And all the different rolls I’ve tried are tasty, especially the garlic/​scampi one which will TOTALLY get you out of that 3pm client meeting you didn’t want to go to anyway («*cough*, sir, I think we’re going to have to re-​schedule the presentation on account of my breath is nuclear…»)
But, see, it’s just too dang expensive. Maybe I got spoiled by the abundance of melt-​in-​your-​mouth fresh lobster from such bastions of lobster-​ness as Boston, Nova Scotia and Taiwan, but I just can’t get accustomed to paying $ 15 for an average-​sized roll. I get it – NYC is expensive, and you pay a tax just to breathe the air. But still…

Honestly the only reason I gave this any stars is because the food is actually very good. Beyond that they have the worst delivery and customer service I have ever seen. The three times I have ordered from them the least late they have been is a half hour. I understand you might be swamped but if that’s the case you need to invest in more delivery guys rather than telling me «your his next stop». Honestly you have no way of knowing that or where the guy is it seems like. Also every time I’ve ordered from here I’ve been asked to make some form of change to my order. Again unreal if you know you don’t have something don’t advertise it. I will never recommend this to anyone and will actively advise them to chose something else. There are a ton of great places to get lobster rolls in this city, they should strive to stand out rather than fall behind.

the lobster tasted very gummy and not fresh. it has a fishy aftertaste. i hope i do not get food poisoning. i give them two stars because these buns are overloaded with lobster meat. Also the bun did taste pretty good. i bet when these rolls are actually fresh they taste pretty good.

Get there quick, and get a Lobzel.
That’s right my friends, it’s a lobster roll on a pretzel bun. Life Changing.
Best lobster roll of my life. No filler, all killer. I can’t even string together a proper sentence right now, i’m that excited about what I just ate.

Let’s be methodical about this:
+1 star because I didn’t get the food poisoning promised by everyone
+1 star because the scampi roll had lots of garlic and butter #cantgowrong
+1 star because for $ 14, the quantity of meat was huge
And finally +1 star because my checkin here got me my Mavrick badge… cuz apparently I don’t take y’all reviews seriously.

Take my review with a grain of salt because I’m not big into lobster, and think I have had a lobster roll only once before. That said I enjoyed my scampi lobster roll and would get it again. I did not find it to be too buttery and my stomach feels fine after eating it. Potato salad side was ok. Service was very friendly, and I love that they take cards.

2.5 stars but rounded up because of the sheer amount of lobster you get for the price point. I got my lobster roll from the urban lobster shack truck that was parked on park ave btwn 51 and 52. I was pretty surprised how big of a menu they have. they basically have like 10+ different versions of their original lobster roll, such as one with old bay seasoning, another one spicy and yet another on a pretzel bun instead of the usual bun.
Like most lobster roll trucks in the city, the lobster isn’t as fresh as it is in a store like Luke’s or Lobster place in Chelsea market. I think these exist solely to fulfill midtown lunchtime lobster roll cravings haha so manage your expectations accordingly.
This one is pretty good for midtown east since it is $ 3 (at $ 13) cheaper than the other trucks that serve lobster rolls.
I wish there was a bit more of green garnish, but like I said, the sheer amount of lobster you get for $ 13 makes it worthwhile.
I want to try the pretzel bun lobster roll as that sounds pretty interesting. Old bay spice one sounds good too!

I’m not sold on this place yet.
On one hand, the lobster itself was fantastic. There were big chunks and when I ate it solo, it tasted buttery and fresh.
On the other hand, the prices match the quality, so you’re getting what you pay for. Also, I felt sick to my stomach for the rest of the day. Not because of food poisoning or bad food, but because of the sheer amount of butter on the roll and mayo in the lobster salad… and this is coming from someone who normally has a stomach of steel.
Conclusion: People in my office have recommended the one without mayo, because they had the same problem as me. Next time I see the truck I’ll give the lighter version a shot and report back!

Looking at the Unilocal reviews for this place I’m surprised I had a decent experience. I was in Union Square and craving a lobster roll and I passed by the truck. Maybe it was a little less shiny and efficient than most of the other trucks I eat at, but it seemed more sanitary than lots of the street vendor guys.
I got a standard lobster roll with butter but no mayo. The lobster meat was juicy and fresh, and it was overflowing with tail meat in comparison to most of the other lobster roll places where they fill in the rolls with the rubbery end of the claws (Yes Luke’s I’m talking about you). The bun was a little too buttery, but not bad. Overall, a top quality roll.
My only complaint is that when the guy handed me the roll he gave me two paper towels as napkins and both were soaked with what was hopefully butter, but I’d definitely go again.

I was craving Maine and so I stopped by the truck.
It satisfied my lobster craving. Wasn’t the best, but it was good. I cant believe they use Martins potato rolls though. The bun did need to be toasted, as the butter made it mushy. Woman in the truck was pleasant which makes me happy in this tough, NY city!

This is my first ever 1* rating after 30 reviews, and the two reasons I’m giving it one star are:
— The buttered bun is absolutely horrific
— I got food poisoning and spent the evening hating life and had to change my plans
The lobster itself tasted fantastic. The after effects were less than fantastic. 100% buyer remorse.

Delicious lobster sandwich. Is it worth $ 14 though?! Nope! … I would definitely fork over $ 7 or $ 8 buck to sample some of this seafood goodness.