2024 Connecticut Lobster Roll Guide: 80+ Seafood Shacks, Roadside Stands + Restaurants for Meaty, Buttery Lobster Rolls

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Serena Norr August 06, 2024

Guide to Connecticut Lobster, Clambakes and Seafood Shacks (2023 Edition)

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Carly Terzigni June 16, 2023

Summer in Connecticut can look like a lot of different things: hometown parades, trips to the beach, and of course, lobster rolls. Seafood is a quintessential part of dining in New England, so much so that there are heated debates over how to properly prepare a lobster roll, with hot meat with melted butter being the traditional Connecticut style and cold meat with mayonnaise originating out of Maine. It is no surprise, then, that there is a plethora of lobster shacks around the state, with most of them concentrated along the shoreline.

These ‘lobster shacks’ or ‘clam shacks’ have everything that you could want in a great seafood dinner without any added frills. If you are looking for more of a restaurant vibe, there are many seafood-centric businesses in the state that serve great lobster rolls. Another New England tradition that pops up each summer is the clambake. These events are usually centered around some sort of special occasion and involve steaming a medley of ingredients like clams, crab, scallops, lobster, and mussels together. There are several businesses in Connecticut that will help cater your next clambake, which are included in this guide as well.

40+ Places in Connecticut for Lobster, Clambakes, + Seafood Shacks (2022 Guide)

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April Guilbault June 30, 2022

One fish, two fish, red fish…lobster. And seafood in all its forms. Oh yeah, baby! Get the bibs, the frosty beers and get crackin’, shuckin’ and lovin’. Nothing signals the start of summer quite like eating by the water while the sunshine sparkles on the waves. Picture, if you will, your teeth sinking into a lobster roll dripping with drawn butter, or wistfully dragging fresh steamers through (more) butter or popping hot-out-the-fryer clam strips and fritters into your mouth. Whether dining on land or by sea, seafood rules the roost this season. These simple summer pleasures make time stand still for a few blissful moments. Summer is here, and food is easy.

Enjoy our guide to over 40 summertime—or anytime—spots to get buttery lobster, chow down at a clambake, and sit and eat at a seafood shack!

Guide to Connecticut Lobster, Clambakes and Seafood Shacks: 2021 Edition

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April Guilbault July 11, 2021

It is doubtful that, when mentioning summer eats, lobster anything wouldn’t be in the Top 3 list of foods that folks love, drive miles for, yearn for during the winter months and spiritedly debate (hot? cold? with mayo? just butter?). Well, summer is here, time to strap on that bib, lick those buttery fingers and well, get crackin’. From piled-high lobster rolls and creamy bisques, to hot fried clams and fluffy fritters, seafood rules the roost when temps rise and those ocean breezes soothe the soul. Whether you are searching for a lunch by the water or hosting a party for friends (weee! finally!), these venues will add some buttery fun to your summer days. Bon appetit! Here, let me tie that bib for you….

The Food Crate Delivers Ultimate New England Seafood Experience To Your Doorstep (sponsored post)

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CTbites Team May 05, 2021

Is there anything more perfect than hosting a dinner party for 6-8 people, where the meal is delivered to your doorstep, arrives in a single pre-made pot, and you don’t have to do ANY of the work? I think not. It is for this reason that I sing ALL the praises for THE FOOD CRATE’s customizable ATLANTIC STEAMPOT. This quintessential New England seafood experience comes ready to cook in its own container, complete with Snow Crab, Peeled White Shrimp, Atlantic Clams, Mussels, Smoked Sausage (optional), Potatoes and Corn….and the best part is…everything has been done for you. This dinner party in a box arrives perfectly layered. No muss. No fuss, All you need to do is pour wine or beer and cook as per the directions on the label. Bonus: Want more yum? Add up to 2.5LBS of mixed King Crab, Lobster, Shrimp and more Snow Crab a la carte and invite a few more guests.

BONUS!! CTbites Readers Get 10% OFF with Code FC10

Guide To Connecticut's Favorite Food Trucks: 2020 Edition

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Emma Jane-Doody Stetson July 07, 2020

When it comes to food trucks, Connecticut is on a roll! New outstanding mobile eateries are constantly popping up, offering a variety of cuisines and unique experiences. Here is our guide to Connecticut’s best food trucks- and it’s bigger and better than ever!

Takeout Chronicles: Mr. Frosty and David’s Soundview Catering

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April Guilbault June 23, 2020

This review is going to go in reverse because the first thing my family ordered for take-out in the early weeks of quarantine was…ice cream. We fancy ourselves pretty healthy eaters in this house, so our intense want of ice cream one evening will get chalked up to the need for some unabashed comfort food in the face of world events. Mr. Frosty’s Ice Cream in Norwalk is an institution. It (ice)screams summer and salty air evenings, sweatshirts, sandy hair, and flip-flops. However, their newly minted pickup kits will keep you entertained while we wait for any semblance of summer to return. We ordered the “Survival Kit.”

Our next take-out order involved another hungering for summer. A summer in our house is not complete without a lobster roll and we knew where to get a good one: David’s Soundview Catering in Stamford.

Heibeck's Stand Opens For Season With Crave-Worthy Homemade Ice Cream, Loaded Dogs, Tacos and more

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Andrew Dominick May 09, 2020

The homemade ice cream, butter lathered lobster rolls, and topping loaded hot dogs at Heibeck’s Stand all made their season debut a few weeks late, but the popular Route 7 roadside gem is back in action.

The delay in their opening is due to the obvious COVID-19 climate. Like many restaurants, Heibeck’s took the extra time to work out how to open as a takeout-only model with online or call ahead ordering and to put even more sanitation measures in place. “We definitely took a step back in our opening to make sure we were ready,” says manager Rachel Williams. “We love our customers, and our main concern was to make sure they’re safe and comfortable.”

Williams also mentioned that Heibeck’s took additional time to properly mark where walk-up traffic should flow and social distancing markers once in line at the windows to help ensure customer safety. Entrance, for now, is through the parking lot in back, then let the arrows and signs guide you from there.

To Heibeck’s regulars, noticeably absent will be their charming, pet friendly, BYOB dining patio that is usually decked out with tables, chairs, flowers, greenery, and string lights. Where folks would normally go to kick back and devour a cup of Deep Purple Cow or Trash Can ice cream, is now mostly empty. “It was sad not putting out the furniture and plants,” says co-owner Barbara Heibeck, who owns the stand with her son, Skylar Smith. “It felt different.”

Recap: SAVOR Lobster Competition At Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk

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Kristin L. Wolfe September 28, 2019

My arm had to be twisted to join a panel for judging Lobster Bites at last weekend’s (September 22) first SAVOR LOBSTER event at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk. I would be walking around a gorgeous museum filled with things that take me back to the ooos and ahhs of childhood; drinking creative tasty libations; having some of the most delicious bites of Lobster EVA; and judging said bites with slick fellow writer and official realfooddude Andrew Dominick, and the endlessly talented Chef Matt Storch of Match (duh), which just rocked out for its 20th anniversary. You can see how this would be a struggle for a newly single gal on a Sunday afternoon.

NOT.