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    The Happy Lobster

    4.3 (390 reviews)
    ModerateSeafood, Food Trucks
    Open 11:00 am - 7:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    The Happy Lobster Photos

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    Angry Lobster sandwich and fries
    Lisa P.

    Was craving a lobster roll really bad. But opted for an old favorite; premium sweet and tender warm lobster on a buttered and toasted brioche bun, sprinkled with old bay, melted butter and a spicy mayo. A side of seasoned fries was a nice accompaniment. Boy did I enjoy myself when I made it home. One squeeze of the lemon and in my belly it went. This is inside the food hall on State Street.

    Mark T.

    So, I try a fry and exclaim: "oh dang! (At this point, you know, I don't curse in my reviews. So, Wordle rules: the D & A are green, the N is yellow, and the G is gray.) The fries were piping hot fresh out of the fryer, and amazingly seasoned. I am not sure what they use, I think it might be old Bay? In any case it's not just salt, and the slightly acidic and savory notes work wonders. Though, you're not here to read about french fries. You probably wanna hear about the lobster roll, or should I say the "lobstah" roll. You can take the man out of Boston, but you can't take the Boston out of the man! I appreciate that it is impossible in Chicago to buy a lobster roll when the thing was just caught in the ocean an hour or two ago. For that, you have to go to a restaurant in New England. that said, the lobster roll at The Happy Lobster was still at least twice as good as one that cost twice as much in a supposedly swanky and/or bougie Boston restaurant. The lobster was high quality - it didn't have a chewy consistency and seemed fresh (perhaps not fresh off the boat, but the point stands). On both my visits, I ordered the Honey G. The combination of butter, mayo, seasoning, and especially the pepper relish was perfection. No ingredients were stepping on one another, and the lobster was still able to shine. Savory, a little sweet, a hint of heat, perfect! The service here is kind, and very fast especially in light of how fresh everything was.

    Taylor T.

    What a large and in charge lobster roll! I was immediately impressed upon arrival because, my bun was stuffed with reddish pink lobster meat. Not what I was expecting from a restaurant in a food hall concept. For reference though I did order the bigger sized portion. The Happy Lobster serves one thing in a few different sizes with a few slight variations and that would be Lobster Rolls. The brioche bun isn't what I have come to expect from a New England lobster roll but, the butteriness does play well with the sweetness from the lobster. However, it gets insanely messy. This time around, I had to try the special because why not? I always love to see what the chefs at small restaurants come up with for their off the menu creations and this was something of the "hot honey" variety (which seems to be a culinary trend that just won't die) so, I knew it was what I was going to order. The slight spice from the hot honey with the succulent sweetness of the lobster was incredible. It was also pretty massive for the price, a hearty lunch for the more adventurous. If you like lobster (and butter) you'll leave happy as a...lobster, no clams here! So why 4 out of 5 and not a perfect score? Well, the lobster was a tad chewy and tough and the price was still a little high for a food court setting (but knowing what rent must be for one of these booths in Chicago I can forgive a little) also, the bun wasn't the best choice in my opinion because it made the overall eating experience quite messy.

    Lobster Grilled Cheese - slap yo Momma good! OMG!
    Darlene N.

    This place is inside a spacious food mall. I wasn't sure what I wanted when I went inside the mall. I walked around to see what all restaurants were there and came upon this place and as much as I love lobster, I knew I wanted to try them. The wait was about 7-8 minutes, which I didn't mind as I was with a buddy to eat lunch there at the mall. I ordered the lobster grilled cheese and fries. When I opened the wrapper, the angels were already humming. Looked delicious. I took one bite and was in instant HEAVEN. Flavorful and so good! Fries were seasoned well and yummy. The price is worth it as it is lobster. This was definitely a gourmet sandwich. I can't wait to come back. Staff was friendly. Thank you The Happy Lobster, you've got a new and soon returning customer outta me. Great food!

    Happy Lobster Box
    Mikaella M.

    I've been wanting to try one of these and finally, they had a stop close by my work. I preordered the Happy Lobster box for pick up. Took them less than five minutes to prepare. It came with the lobster sandwich, red cabbage coleslaw and a bag of chips for $31+ with tax and everything. Anyway, you do get a lot of lobster meat but the brioche bun wasn't really a good vehicle to hold everything together; it tasted good but it was soft and floppy, so the lobster meat was falling all over in every bite. The malt vinegar coleslaw was simple but it was crunchy and helped cut through the buttery taste of the sandwich nicely. Bag of chips was your regular sea salt flavor and it was an ok addition. Did I think this whole thing was worth more than $30? I'm not so sure. Don't get me wrong, who doesn't like lobster but kinda steep and it didn't really wow me. It's one of those you gotta try it once experience.

    Angry lobster sandwhich
    Eman S.

    This was the best lobster sandwich/roll experience of my life. $24 feels steep at first but then it's a quarter pound of lobster meat. My mouth is watering talking about it. The lobster is cooked perfectly. Delicate, soft, light and buttery. The angry lobster is spicy with spicy sauce and pickled condiments in it. I worried that it would take away from the taste of the sandwich, but I was proven wrong. The bun was also fantastic and was a beautiful vehicle that carried the lobster nicely into my mouth. This is one of the best things I've eaten in Chicago.

    Fawn J.

    The Happy Lobster was the best thing I ate during my trip to Chicago! The Happy Lobster is a great option if you are craving delicious fresh Maine lobster with a food truck and a few indoor locations in Chicago! I stopped at the Washington indoor food hall. They have a simple limited menu but they stick to what they make best which is a few varieties of lobster rolls in small junior size or regular and a few other seafood options depending on location like shrimp. If you are new to lobster rolls, try their traditional Happy Lobster roll with Maine lobster, butter, a little bit of Mayo on fresh toasted brioche bun that come together with incredible flavors like a beautiful symphany. It also comes with a delicious side of chips and malt vinegar slaw! Since I love spicy food, I tried their Angry Lobster with Maine lobster, butter, hot giardiniera peppers, and spicy mayo on a fresh toasted brioche burger bun. It was sooooo good! I was cherishing every savory, heavenly, delicious bite doing a a little happy dance in my chair! I was pleasantly surprised how well the flavors came together despite the spice! I tasted the fresh, cold, buttery tender Maine lobster. I loved the spicy heat from the hot giardiniera peppers plus the spicy mayo, and the crisp toasted buttery fresh brioche bun added nice texture! It is worth the price! My mouth is watering still thinking about the Happy Lobster! Definitely check out the Happy Lobster if you want to try a fresh Maine Lobster roll!

    Trad Maine Whoopie Pie and great potato chips
    Adriana F.

    Great tasty simple lobster roll and one of the best coleslaws I ever had - delicious and satisfying. My husband had the Happy Lobster and I had the Angry Lobster, a little spicy, yet subtle to not take away from the taste and texture of the generous serving of lobster Both were served on a toasted brioche bun, a side of the best coleslaw I have had in a long time, and potato chips. Sealed the deal with a sweet whoopie pie. Service was friendly and speedy. So far our favorite Lobster Truck (and we tried several) in Chicagoland.

    Lobster Roll
    Foodie X.

    I usually like my lobster rolls hot but the warmness of the Roll balanced out the cold Lobster. The flavors were definitely there especially after adding the sauce to it. A definite go to spot.

    Happy lobster sandwich

    Really cool concept. Especially since there's not a ton of lobster options in the Chicagoland area. I had the happy lobster sandwich. It was good and the lobster had a fresh taste. But the sandwich was on the bland side. I'd try the angry lobster or the lobster grilled cheese next time. Lobster bisque soup would be a great offering from them! Hope we see more food trucks in the Chicagoland area regardless

    The Happy Lobter truck
    Licia M.

    I pulled into my parking spot 2 cars away from the truck. I got there early to avoid the crowd and was first in line. The people in the truck were helpful and friendly. I ordered my sandwich they took my name. A crowd was already forming in front of the brewery. My sister was on the phone and asked me to take pictures which I did I then drove home and parked and ate my sandwich in the car jealously guarding it like a hungry dog not wanting to share even the smallest morsel with anyone. It was so delicious the bun was toasted to perfection the generous portion of lobster meat was sweet and the texture was just right it also had just the perfect amount of mayonnaise not too much. I really dislike things smothered in Mayo and you could also taste the butter in the lobster. I can't remember enjoying any take out food lately like I enjoyed that sandwich Thanks Happy Lobster. You made my first experience with a Lobster roll out of this world. Can't wait to visit your truck again.

    Lobster roll
    Lindsay C.

    The sandwich was so good and prepared quickly. Was shocked that the meat was cold and the bun was cooked perfectly (and warm). They accommodated my no mayo request. My only complaint would be that there wasn't more meat for the price, especially because they were just claws and knuckles (no tail meat).

    Happy Lobster

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    4 months ago

    Food was average and very expensive do not go there, they overcharged us $220 for dinner ,not worth

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    10 months ago

    Really disappointed with the quantity of lobster; seems to be way less from earlier. Taste was on point though

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    3 years ago

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    11 months ago

    Maybe have a little bit more lobster on the sandwich. It was a little weak, but it was really good.

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    Ask the Community - The Happy Lobster

    We will visiting Chicago next Friday July 18. Where can we find you for lunch or dinner?

    The following link will take you to their calendar which they keep updated with locations: https://www.happylobstertruck.com/chicago-calendar/

    Do you or will you ever come to the south suburbs or Northwest Indiana? Maybe Pierogi Fest in Whiting in 2018?

    Hey Andrew - we are always willing to travel! I don't see anything on our schedule for the South Suburbs, but if you know of anything you can let the event know to reach out to info@happylobstertruck.com.

    Do they give you enough lobster? I went to DaLobster & left hungry after $37?

    Hi Jeanette - thank you for your question! Our regular size roll has 4oz of premium Maine lobster on it and is $17. While you won't find a lobster roll with more lobster for a similar price, we do understand that $17 can be pricey, so we have built… Read more

    View All 6 Questions

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