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    The Lobster Shack

    4.3 (660 reviews)
    ModerateSeafood
    Closed Closed
    Updated 2 months ago

    The Lobster Shack Photos

    Business Info

    THE LOBSTER SHACK ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - The Lobster Shack

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    Shrimp ceviche
    Ali A.

    Fresh fresh fresh fish!!! I know it's a Lobster Shack, but I love the crab roll!! Very fresh simple just straight crab no fillers. Sweet and good on a nicely grilled roll, the baked beans delicious and heated up, and my favorite salt and vinegar chips!! Tried the shrimp ceviche with full tortilla made into a chip( good flavor) nice little kick of heat and crunch with the cucumber and red onion!!

    Meal for two
    Maritza S.

    If you like lobster rolls this is the place for you. I tried the lobster roll. I was given some spicy sauce on the side and it made it even better. A squeeze of lemon to finish it off made it amazing. I also tried the lobster bisque and didn't love it. The flavor was not for me. The worker tending the front was so nice. The owners checked on us and made sure everything was good.

    Lobster rolls
    Victoria L.

    Casual spot with friendly and thorough service. Father and son work there together (father preparing the food, the son taking care of the customers). The lobster roll had plenty of big chunks of lobster meat. The side of crab cakes are small with a dollop of sauce - decent crab-to-fillers ratio. The clam chowder is creamy with lots of clams and potatoes. A little too much "tang" for our tastes (lemon?). Clean, brightly lit and seating available inside and outside with a large TV in both areas.

    Lobster Roll and Clam Chowder
    Joey E.

    The Lobster Shack is the best place locally to grab a yummy lobster roll and clam chowder.

    Deron R.

    Great little place tucked away in South County. This is a trek to get to if you are not from the area. Anyway, the food was good, lots of crab on the crab roll and lots of lobster on the lobster melt. Ask for their house made hot sauce. The prices are pricey! So be aware - this will not be a cheap lunch. The service was A+. Very nice. Friendly and outgoing owner. Give them a try.

    Lobster Roll ; New England Baked Beans; Blue Cheese Cole Slaw; New England Clam Chowder
    Cindy P.

    Ordered online for takeout and estimated time is 30 mins! Workers were welcoming and friendly! I ordered the a Lobster Roll and it comes with two sides or options of a drink. I got New England Baked Beans, Blue Cheese Cole Slaw, and New England Clam Chowder. The lobster and roll was so buttery and good. I really like how the chowder was thick too and full of clams.

    Blue cheese coleslaw and baked beans
    Tu-Quyen P.

    Friendly, quick service, with a solid lobster roll on a buttery toast bun, and tasty shrimp and crab rolls as well, but I'd skip the sides. The blue cheese coleslaw flavor is all blue cheese and nothing else (needs to be creamier and more subtle), and the baked beans taste like the alcohol it's cooked in and it's not sweet enough to enjoy. The chicken pasta salad is great and the clam chowder is a bit spicy but good. The mac n cheese options are great for kids. Will definitely come back but will just grab chips for my sides or get a drink.

    Greg H.

    I have been looking for a good lobster roll on the west coast...and finally found it here! Drove about an hour just to try it, and was worth it. Had a lobster roll, lobster Mac and cheese, 50-50 clam chowder-lobster bisque mix, and the baked beans. Bread is buttery without being greasy and toasted to perfection. Loaded up with generous portions of lobster meat. Wanted to order more...but have to save that for my next visit. Heard the crab cakes are legit as well. Fast, friendly service and excellent food. It's lobster....so it's going to be a little pricey, but worth the splurge. Just go.

    Lobster Roll (comes w/2 sides)
    Laguna F.

    Very decent, fresh meaty meat in the lobster roll! Was not disappointed with the serving nor the service. Service was excellent. Dan and the "lobster" were very friendly. Very fast, food served at appropriate temperature. We split the Lobster roll, a side of New England baked beans and a side of Blue cheese cole slaw and a bowl of lobster bisque. Highly recommend trying their hot sauce on your lobster roll. Also the containers look small for the sides but don't be deceived, they are still good enough to share. They have Cape Cod chips. Modelo, sangria,

    Front counter.
    Ron U.

    The actual owners are there, running this restaurant. Easy, convenient, and the food is great!

    Delicious lobster bisque
    MaDonna W.

    This place is great. This is exactly what our community needed. A good lobster shack.! I was really craving some lobster bisque , and they did not disappoint. I had a cup, and then I had to go back and have another cup so good so fresh. (and they keep the hot sauces in the refrigerator in little cups) The service is great. They have a beautiful outdoor patio as well as an indoor seats. we had the opportunity to meet the owner and he was so gracious the lobster mac & cheese with the white Vermont cheddar is very decadent. I feel like you must try it. We also had the half-and-half, lobster bisque, and creamy clam chowder , so stinking good!!!! They do offer sodas and little bottles of wine, which is wonderful . And I believe some beers as well. We did not have lobster rolls on this visit, but we promised we will come back. Everything is very lightly dressed.

    Indulge yourself

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    1 month ago

    This was my first time trying lobster, it was insane. 100% recommend going to this place.

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    10 days ago

    Excellent quality lobster, great vibe and superb service. Locally owned by kind, warm people and great menu options. Highly recommend!

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    20 days ago

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    11 months ago

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    2 months ago

    Quality Lobster, really good bread, great owners, best place to get a lobster roll in OC

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    5 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Dan N.

    Dan N.

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    2 months ago

    The food is fresh and delicious. The lobster roll is authentic. Great seafood - would highly recommend!

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    1 year ago

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    4 months ago

    Everything was great. Lobster roll was one of the best I have ever eaten and the baked beans and Cole slaw were to die for. Will be back.

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    2 years ago

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    1 month ago

    super cute place. the food is fresh and great. nice vibe all around and the owners are absolutely adorable

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    Page 1 of 17

    The Lobster Shack Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The Lobster Shack

    Where do you park on weekends?

    Are your bread bowls made fresh at the restaurant?

    They are made fresh daily and delivered by 5:am

    Gluten free items?

    We offer lettuce wraps as an alternative

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Salt Creek Grille

    Salt Creek Grille

    4.2
    (3.2k reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Private events

    Although the place was almost empty when we arrived, it was before 5 pm and there were 5 of us…read more,they forced us into a small booth. When we asked for a larger table we were told they were held for parties with reservations coming in. The entire time we were there no large parties ever came in. My husband's food, a special of the night, came just warm. The balance of the party's food came hot. We were trying to have a pleasant conversation but help kept trying to remove our plates before everyone was done. We are locals in the neighborhood and had been here before the new current owners took the place over. We were disappointed before and tonight was not much better of an experience. Had hoped we would find the atmosphere and service better but was disappointed again. Probably not going to frequent again anytime soon.

    Had the most amazing dinner and the U2 tribute band was fun…read more Yvette the new manager has really been an asset to the restaurant! Completely turned the food and service around pretty quickly! Restaurant is really nice and the outdoor space is incredible with a sand pit area and everything! Also dog friendly so that's always a plus!! Parking is easy because it's a huge lot! We had NY steaks and the char was delicious and meat very tender! The sourdough stuffed loaf is to die for and the Ahi tower is a must!! Can't wait to see the new menu and the grilled Romaine salad will be going back on the menu! You can thank me later for that one!!

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    Hook & Anchor

    Hook & Anchor

    4.3
    (236 reviews)
    4.1 mi

    Came to Dana Point to spoil my family, looking forward to going to Jon's fish market, only to find…read morethat it closed 3 months ago :( was looking for fresh grilled fish that was similar, and this restaurant popped up. Let me tell you- the unplanned is always the best! I had been wanting to try it but knowing the other locations had hard parking, and man oh man, one of my favorite meals and so well priced! 1. Red snapper with veggies and mushrooms. Wow! The fish was so full of flavor even before the sauce, well portioned, well priced. And the veggies were filling and cooked to perfection! 2. Fish and chips - have been on a mission to find good fish and chips- the fish was huge, tasty and meaty! Just a bit oily, but still YUMMY! Service: Corrina seriously is the reason I am writing this review! As I was frustrated with the parking situation by the harbor and just tired, she turned around my mood! She was so passionate and joyful about what she does and the food she serves! And she gave us the lowdown on the whole construction situation in Dana point! Thank you for your amazing service!!! Lastly: the inside is so pretty, inviting, and spread out and clean! Def will be back!! Thank you!

    Came on a Friday afternoon and saw that they had Happy Hour pricing available so told the hostess…read moreup front (I read that if you don't specify then you may not get seated in the happy hour section and they may deny ordering from Happy hour, so we had no issues when I specified to the hostess). Got the: 1) lobster deviled eggs: 10/10, what sets a great deviled egg apart from mediocre ones is the filling, and the filling was absolutely scrumptious. 3 egg halves came with a lobster leg piece each. 2) crab cake: 5/10, never been a huge fan of crab cakes and unfortunately this did not change my mind either. It was still fishy and we ended up using the lemon for the cocktail shrimp on the crab cakes. Definitely will not get again. It's disappointing as seafood from Hook and Anchor is usually higher quality than this. 3) cocktail shrimp: 10/10, Interesting presentation on ice rather than a glass. 6 pieces of large juicy crispy shrimp with delicious cocktail sauce, and I love that they even added an extra dollop of horseradish because I love cocktail sauce with a good kick! 4) 6oz lobster roll: 8/10, the Newport Beach location gets a 10/10 for me because at this location: - The lobster was not very warm by the time it came to the table. - It looked deceivingly overflowing, but they actually did not fill the bottom half of the roll, so if you stuffed it all the way in, then it was just barely filling the roll. - mostly leg pieces and some of them were on the small side TLDR: great for happy hour (be sure to specify happy hour to the hostess to be able to order at the correct seat) but not up to par to the Newport Beach location.

    Photos
    Booth interior seating
    Booth interior seating
    Lobster Deviled Eggs
    Lobster Deviled Eggs
    6oz Lobster Roll with grilled veggies

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    6oz Lobster Roll with grilled veggies
    Starfish

    Starfish

    4.4
    (1.6k reviews)
    2.5 mi
    $$
    Takes reservations
    Outdoor seating

    Starfish is one of the best restaurants in OC and the #1 stop I recommend to people visiting & take…read moreguests. The ambiance both inside and outside is so lovely and there is something delicious for everyone!!! We have been eating here for 10+ years and every server is so lovely They have so many delicious gluten free dairy free options too including GF calamari!!! My favorite dishes to order are the calamari, chicken lettuce wraps, salmon nigiri & candy dragon prawns !

    Personally, I don't think the food is worth the money. I should have caught the red flag when most…read moreof the pictures on Yelp had captions saying it was alright and that it looks better than it tastes. I think I'm just perplexed on the pricing. I've been to restaurants in LB where the menu items start at $13 and up. such as Nick's, and the food and the ambiance are worth it. I can see why happy hour is busy and why they have a pretty big opening of hours for it, , but it shaves 1-2 dollars off if anything. Everything was like 19 an item. The menu sounds decent but the food didn't live up to the price tag. We ordered chicken lettuce wraps, Pei Wei is better or PF Changs, the shrimp tempura roll, the lobster roll, and the drunken noodles. My husband barely ate. Each dish he said was alright but wasn't worth eating I guess. Again I think it was fine but for the price wasn't worth the value in my opinion. Like the macadamias lobster roll - It sounded way better than it tasted. I've had a similar roll at sota and Houston's and I think there's is slightly lower in price and was better. The ambiance is fun. I can see people meeting here casually for drinks or catch up with friends. The staff are very nice and attentive. Overall I think that the food was mediocre for the price. I highly doubt we'd come back.

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    Starfish
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    The Lobster Shack - seafood - Updated August 2026

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