Fresh, juicy lobster in Brunswick
Morse’s Lobster Shack in Brunswick has both a drive-in and an indoor eating area, where their menu contains plenty of fresh seafood options at affordable prices. It’s definitely worth a visit the next time you’re driving south.
While driving around Brunswick one sunny Saturday afternoon, my stomach was growling from the meager breakfast I had eaten followed by an hour-long walk through the woods.
Just past the college that likes to think the polar bear is a better mascot than the white mule (what’s the name of that place? Bowdoin?), my boyfriend and I stumbled across Morse’s Lobster Shack, and the thought of a nice warm lobster roll smothered in butter sounded too delicious to pass up.
While we were surprised and happy to see that Morse’s offers an authentic drive-in experience, we decided to eat our meal inside. We hopped out of the car to find warmth in the tiny shack of a restaurant. Walking past old buoys, plastic lobsters and a sign that read “Lights on for service,” I felt like I should have gone and changed into a poodle skirt and some roller skates.
Inside the restaurant, the walls are adorned with little knickknacks reminiscent of the seaside—sand dollars, more plastic lobsters and photographs of beautiful Maine coastal summers. The no-frills menu has a decent selection if you’re looking for some good ol’ Maine comfort food.
The seafood items range from seven to 15 dollars, but other items such as the chicken salad roll or the BLT were just under five. Regular dinner items will cost you anywhere from 10 to 20 dollars, and the “piece de resistance” lobster dinner—one and a quarter pounds of lobster served with corn-on-the-cob when in season—will come at market price.
On a warm, sunny day, a nice crisp bottle of locally-brewed Shipyard beer is a great complement to the richness of the lobster, or you can choose from a variety of hot, spiced ciders to warm you up in the wintery weather.
My boyfriend and I both ordered the lobster roll, but the grilled crab and cheese and the fried haddock sandwich were equally tempting. Our mouthwatering lobster rolls arrived in little plastic baskets akin to the ones used at the Spa.
I wasn’t surprised to see the bright yellow bag of Lay’s potato chips sitting uninvitingly beside two lemon wedges next to my lobster roll, and I wasn’t at all disappointed either when I bit into the first little piece of succulent lobster.
Just one tip: be sure to designate whether you want a hot roll with butter or a cold one with mayonnaise. We accidentally forgot to specify and both got the cold lobster rolls, which, because of my general dislike for all things with mayo, greatly disappointed me at first.
After taking those first few bites though, I found the plump, juicy lobster morsels to be a perfect combination with the crisp, buttery roll and salty Lay’s potato chips, and I remembered why I’ll be sad to say goodbye to the land of abundant fresh lobster in a few months.
We walked back to our car, past all the outdated “Lights on for service” signs, and headed back to Colby, sleepy with the rich lobster sitting happily in our stomachs.
To read more about food and dining in Maine, visit my blog, “Un peu de gourmandise,” at unpeudegourmandise.blogspot.com.