Maine lobster has the well-earned reputation as being some of the very best – if not THE best – lobster around. If you love lobster, you’re going to enjoy exploring our local stretch of the Maine Lobster Trail.
Fresh Maine lobster. Warm lobster rolls. Lobster tails in garlic butter. Lobster bake, bisque, ravioli, salad, mac & cheese. No matter how you prepare it, lobster is an irresistible delight.
Believe it or not, lobster was once considered food unfit for all but the poor and unfortunate. The tasty crustaceans were so plentiful during America’s colonial era that it was routinely foisted off on prisoners, slaves, apprentices, and even children. Some early Massachusetts work contracts even stipulated a limit of no more than two lobster meals a week!
Times and tastes, to say the least, have changed. These days, there’s no shame in admitting that lobster is half the reason you came to Maine in the first place. And you won’t be disappointed. Maine’s coast is speckled with lobster shacks, the water with lobster boats, the docks with lobster traps, and restaurant menus with lobster dishes.
With this in mind, we’ve put together a short list of some favorite stops along our stretch of the Maine Lobster Trail.
Our Maine Lobster Trail
Young’s Lobster Pound – 2 Fairview Street, Belfast, Maine
Young’s Lobster Pound is just five minutes away from our Searsport inn and offers an amazing view of Belfast Harbor to accompany your meal. Let us know you are planning a visit to Young’s; we will send you with a picnic basket with a tablecloth and cutlery so you will fit in like the locals.
Union River Lobster Pot – 8 South Street, Ellsworth, Maine
Opening in June, the Union River Lobster Pot is the perfect spot to stop for lobster on the way back from Acadia National Park or Bar Harbor.
Carrier’s Mainely Lobster – 10 ME-46, Bucksport, Maine
Carrier’s is a great little seafood shack just ten minutes away from Captain Nickels Inn.
Stonington Lobster Co-op – 51 Indian Point Road, Stonington, Maine
Looking for fresh lobster? Stonington, ME is a quaint lobstering town and home to the Stonington Lobster Co-op, an excellent place to purchase fresh lobster. They only offer fresh lobster for purchase, there is no opportunity to eat in, but a neat overall experience.
Beal’s Lobster Pier – 182 Clark Point Road, Southwest Harbor, Maine
Beal’s, also in Southwest Harbor, has been serving fresh seafood on the water since 1969.
The Lobster Pound – 2521 Atlantic Highway, Route 1, Lincolnville, Maine
The Lobster Pound is located just 20 minutes south of our Maine Coast inn. Diners can enjoy fresh lobster dishes and more as they watch the ferry go back and forth to Islesboro, Maine.
Abel’s Lobster – 13 Abel’s Lane, Mount Desert, Maine. Abel’s is in the Henry R. Abel & Co. boatyard and has been for the past 81 years. Built on tradition, Abel’s Lobster sits on Somes Sound and its clapboard shingles and the smattering of picnic tables along the shore set the aesthetic that screams coastal Maine,
Lobster Boat Tours
Talk about fresh lobster! Nothing will get you closer to the source than a Maine Lobster Boat Tour.
Enjoy Maine’s scenic coastline and a hands-on lobster harvesting experience with a Lobster Boat Tour. This nearly two-hour long experience will teach you all about the history and art of lobstering. You’ll even have the chance to pull lobster traps from the water. A truly unique and exciting educational experience.
If this sounds like something you’d like to do, just let us know. Captain Nickels Inn loves sharing the area with our guests and would be happy to help you with this or any other Maine coast adventures!
Updated March 2024