Lobster West is a fast-casual lobster restaurant on B Avenue. But don’t be mistaken: This isn’t any West Coast lobster. This lobster comes from the biting, rugged Atlantic waters off the East Coast. And instead of ending up in some posh Upper East Side seafood restaurant, it’s served to people with tan lines and flip-flops.
The menu revolves around three sea catches: boiled deep-sea red crab, steamed Maine lobster and steamed North Atlantic bay shrimp. Most of the menu features a playlist of samplers, rolls, bisques, salads and mac and cheese incorporating one of those three shellfish.
I ordered one Classic crab roll and one Classic lobster roll with a side of slaw — $24 for the lobster and $19 for the crab. (The Boss was advertised as having 50% more meat, while the Epic doubled the meat at $40 for the lobster and $29 for the crab.)
The lobster roll — faded patinas of rusty orange and brilliant red weaving with pearl whites — showed evidence of the massive Atlantic claws already chucked. I took one bite and immediately felt the difference from the tougher lobster I was used to. This one had large, fleshy morsels that were sweet and delicate.
The red, boiled meat was fatty and fun to eat. Inside the butter-soaked brioche was a light layer of mayo, and on top, the pulled-apart shellfish was sprinkled with celery salt and pepper. Simple, letting the lobster speak for itself. The quantity was a bit scant and made me wish I had gone for the size with more meat, as it was gone in about three bites. And, unfortunately for my wallet, a new love was unlocked. Next stop: Cape Cod.
Maine lobster, thanks to those icy waters, is supposed to be the fleshiest, sweetest and densest lobster you can find. It’s a contrast to California spiny lobster — a leaner, smaller variety often served spicy and seasoned, thrown into a taco rather than a brioche roll.
The crab roll followed the same format — an already buttery brioche smothered with more butter, hugging cold, pulled-apart crab unfurling in the center. Celery salt, pepper and a slice of lemon sat on the side to squeeze over it.
The crab, an Atlantic variety, had smaller pieces to bite into. It was even sweeter and more delicate than the lobster, as if the sugars and fats were concentrated into tiny shreds of white meat. A drizzle of lemon juice and the punchy celery salt triggered a sense of nostalgia I couldn’t describe, as if I had been to the coasts of Maine myself. Alongside the crunchy slaw, it was a dish for an endless summer.
According to Lobster West’s website, owner Kim Locker couldn’t find a lobster spot as good as the ones that marked her upbringing in New York and her travels along the eastern shores of the U.S.
Enter Lobster West, which maybe had a better ring to it than Lobster East? When I went in, it wasn’t a room full of tables with empty shells cluttering white tablecloths, people cracking and picking buttery tails while dressed in bibs. Maybe this was just a stereotype I’ve seen in the movies. (Cue Kate Hudson in “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.”)
Inside, bright red tables fill the interior and outdoor patio. When diners order, they receive a number for their table. Overall, the impression leaned more toward a fast-casual chain than a New York seafood restaurant or rugged Maine lobster shack. I found myself wishing for some resemblance of the East Coast, perhaps darker wooden tables, weathered textures or fishing nets that could better capture the feeling of a fisherman’s life at sea.
That said, a lobster cage and a panoramic photo of a port cling to the walls alongside magazine articles praising the chain’s restaurant in Encinitas. They have a third location in La Jolla as well.
Lobster West is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. It is located at 1033 B Ave. #102, Coronado, CA 92118.
