The New England style
Lobster Pot Restaurant has a long history in the area, dating back to 1972. Eventually, the business was sold to the owner's son. When it closed in 2005, he had every intention of re-opening some day. Time slipped away and suddenly over a decade had passed, but
The Lobster Pot opened in August 2017 and has since built a reputation again for its seafood.
I'm always on the hunt for a hint of our fond Maine memories, so I had no problem driving out to Willoughby Hills to check it out for myself recently. It was a gorgeous night (
finally!) so we sat on the patio.
We may have been overexcited to have access to such a seafood-focused menu, because we ordered quite a round of appetizers to kick off the meal. I had some
Raw Oysters ($2.75 each),
Grilled Oysters ($3 each)...
...and
Oysters Rockefeller ($3.75 each). They were all large, plump and briney.
Just the way I like them. I tend to lean towards East Coast oysters. I really enjoyed the raw, and the Rockefeller were one of the better versions I've had. But I thought the grilled oysters lacked the grill char flavor I had hoped for and I wouldn't order them again.
On special that night were
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms with an alfredo sauce, so those couldn't be missed.
Good thing, because it was probably one of my favorite bites of the night.
Lastly, we ordered the
Ahi-Tuna ($13) that is pan-seared rare and served with a homemade sriracha aioli sauce, capers, diced red onion and seaweed salad. It had all of the fixin's of an
everything bagel and lox, and with everything combined in one bite it was ok, but really this dish was underwhelming in my opinion and I wouldn't recommend it.
While getting quite full, we couldn't overlook the real reason we had driven all the way to Lake County...the
Naked Lobster Roll (1 roll $14, 2 rolls $23) served with fries. Since we didn't want two sides, we ordered the double roll plate. They aren't too big, so it was a perfect end to the meal for us. Buttered and toasted bun, warm lobster, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice...it was definitely the best version I've had locally. Just a hint more of the warm butter on the lobster, and it would be near perfect in my opinion. I'd ask for a side of drawn butter next time to liberally add my own.
If you've never had a Connecticut-style lobster roll like this and are only used to the Maine-style with chilled lobster, celery and mayo, then give this type a try. You won't want to go back! Trust me.
Look, it's no Maine, but this was absolutely the closest thing we've had in Northeast Ohio. Warmed me right up for our August trip.
I know there are a couple of other spots in the area that are rumored to have a good lobster roll on the menu. Hit me with those suggestions!
2749 Som Center Road
Willoughby Hills, OH 44094
(440) 569-1634
2 comments:
We may have been there on the same night (last Wednesday because I was tempted to sit outside too). I had the grilled oysters too and had the same thought (no grilling to speak of). I ordered the king crab cocktail instead of the mushrooms, but I was very tempted. The lobster newburg was my choice of entree. It was very good too, and the waitress told me it was her favorite thing on the menu.
Too funny! We’ll be back to try more. Most of what we had was very enjoyable.
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