Lobster Crawl: The Hunt For The Best Island Lobster Roll

We are a blended family and we blend really well except for one thing.

Seafood.

On one side of the blend, there is a deep passion for all things that swim or crawl. At least once they are in an edible state that is. My husband and 3 of our daughters love lobster rolls. In fact they even have them on Christmas Eve. The other side of the blend, that being myself and Miss Jade, politely hold our noses and wait for it to be over.

So when Erin told me her plans for her latest adventure, I was not surprised. She and her boyfriend Aidan have that 20-something hard life of attending wine and beer festivals in eastern Canada. “Forced” to work and drink at the latest wine festival in Prince Edward Island and very familiar with pub crawls :), they decided to create the lobster crawl, a search for the best lobster roll the Island has to offer. This is Erin’s account on how it all rolled out.

1. Water and Prince Corner Shop (Charlottetown, PEI)

Least favorite roll on our crawl, great overall experience. This spot came recommended by a couple of our Island friends during our Friday night escapades at Gahan House. Served up on a steak-style bun, this baby was unfortunately not toasted.. or buttered. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll eat lobster in any way, shape, form but I like a little (ok a LOT) of butter on my roll. Perk to this roll; a big-ass scoop of grandma-style, paprika-topped potato salad on the side. Doesn’t get any more Maritime than this. The only sit down stop of the crawl, service was amazing and we even had meaningful conversation with our waitress who was thrilled to hear about our day ahead!

Roll 3.5/5
Experience 4/5

2. The Chip Shack (Charlottetown, PEI)

This stop, recommended by both Cheryl (the best step mother in the world – yes Cheryl did some editing) and other Islanders we ran into was a real treat. Outdoors. Prime spot downtown. Bright and Shiny. Eccentric ‘Chip’ lady running the whole show… Amazeballs. The downside? One frigid, windy pre-summer afternoon on the Charlottetown Waterfront. The goal here was eat the roll, and get out.

The price point was great at under ten dollars, but the most impressive part about this roll was the no-frills hotdog bun used to house the succulent lobster salad. Not only did the smaller bun better complement the amount of lobster salad, but the extra buttery toasted outside was to die for. This roll did not last long. Like I said, it was cold outside, and the roll was unreal! We crushed it and moved onto our next destination. (Side note – the fries or “chips” looked great, we’ll be back to try them out when we’re on a less aggressive eating venture – Cheryl can attest to their unbelievable yummy taste).

Roll 4.2/5
Experience 3.8/5

With full bellies, we hopped in the Jetta and took a lovely coastal drive to Brackley beach, through North Rustico and finally ending in Cavendish. The tourist focal-point of PEI.

3. Captain Sam’s (Cavendish, PEI)

The touristy price point was there, but so was the quality. By far our biggest roll of the day, also came along with a similar steak-style bun as the first stop, but this time with butter. Lots of it. The lobster salad was on point, and the meat-to-bun ratio..perfect. The cheerful lady at the cash looked thrilled to see us! Very well could have been the first customers of the day. When we turned down the accompanying french fries (let’s get real.. we were still too full to be even having another lobster roll), she happily offered us a different side and served us up each a dish of old-school creamy coleslaw.

Having travelled to Cavendish for summer vacation as a child and many weekend-getaways as a teen and early adolescent, I had never quite seen Cavendish like this. Quiet, deserted and slightly creepy? Enjoying our roll, we looked around amazed at our quiet surroundings in a place we’d only ever seen jam-packed with tourists. The only other souls around were Islanders dragging in merchandise to their stores as they clearly began to prepare for the summer months ahead.

Roll 4.5/5
Experience 4/5

Where was the best lobster roll you ever ate? Do you have a family like our’s – with polar opposites for food choices?