First time in Salem and we needed a spot for some dinner before heading back to the city. Weather was hot and the idea of a lobster roll was heavenly. After walking by earlier, we decided on the Shanty for dinner. We ordered some of the fried cheese curds for an appetizer with a couple drinks and each got the lobster roll. The cheese curds were delicious and did not last long. The lobster roll came with fries. The lobster was great! Everything tasted fresh and I really enjoyed the softness of the bread with the lobster. The fries were not as great. Just something about them didn't hit like I hoped. Our server was great and the restaurant was busy but not packed so it felt nice and relaxed for our meal. The lobster roll is listed at market price so make sure you take note of that when you order. I think they were around $40 each which is a little pricey. We would definitely come back whenever we have a craving for lobster in Salem. read more

See all

Place loons nice from outside. It's a tourist trap that pretends to look like a local bar. Food quality is poor. Staff is very rude (esp the big old dude at the door). They have a "rule" that you should walk outside the building to get to the restrooms, and the dude is policing this rule since he has nothing to do. Need an extra bowl to split the soup? No worries, the dude will lecture your elderly parents his unsolicited opinions on how the soup will spill everywhere, so you shouldn't do it. Funny enough, the same dude spilled the soup all over the place when he was bringing them to us. Aside from the rude dude, prices are insane. We are not even in peak season, so they are serving the locals but their prices have a 50% or so markup from industry average. ($40 for a small and $60 for a large lobster roll). They have an automatic 20% gratuity on parties of 3 or more, so they get rewarded on their bad service no matter what. I highly recommend avoiding this dump. read more

Comfortable place to stop for lunch on a sunny day in later April (2026). We had the grilled, herby chicken sandwich (large, moist and tender) which came on a toasted brioche roll accompanied by a mound of fries. Everything was fresh and hot. A bowl of clam chowder was based on a flavorful (without being fishy) creamy broth. Much better than the kind that can be like a bowl of wallpaper paste. The clam was minced so finely that it was hard to discern that there was any in the bowl. Very filling and tasty just the same. Staff were very attentive and friendly. We asked how much the market price for a lobster roll would be: $40. Music was in the style of hipster cocktail hour, so very enjoyable. Art work was kitschy lobster and bar- based. We enjoyed our lunch here while exploring the lovely town of Salem. read more

See all

We came in for a lobster roll and got exactly what we wanted, couldn't have asked for anything more! We sat on the patio right at 12 on a Thursday and service was fast and friendly read more

The Lobster Shanty - Lobster roll - Seafood Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

In short: a local dive bar that is said to "secretly have class". I was in Salem with two friends the weekend before Halloween and since this is peak season for Salem the wait was insane! Long story short we came back at 9pm and were able to walk right in!!! Ambiance: it's a loud dive bar... nothing fancy but I'm here for the food, I can get fancy when I'm home in South Florida . This spot has been a casual staple in Salem for over 40 years ... and The patio is dog friendly! Food: I'm no New England food connoisseur but I had the New Clam chowder and it warmed my soul. They have classic New England Lobster rolls (cold with mayo based) and Connecticut Style (warmed with a butter base). I had the Connecticut style and it was delicious . It was my first lobster roll but won't be my last . Service: Our server was attentive and had a quirky personality. He was a good time and we had some fun banter. Overall if you can get a decent waiting time I would check it out ! read more

See all

First time in Salem, first time having a lobster roll. I ordered the Connecticut style with a side of clam chowder. The chowder was delicious, however I wasn't super impressed with the lobster roll. The roll was great but the lobster lacked butter. I believe I paid $42 for everything which is slightly pricey. The service was great. Our server/bartender was so kind, gave us beer samples, and took time to explain the menu. read more

The Lobster Shanty - Seafood Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Quick and fast service. A real dive bar experience. The extra meat lobster role cost me about $60.. overall, it tasted fresh and the chowder was the best. read more

See all

We were in town for a conference. Wanted seafood and found this great place. Sat and ate on the patio. Appreciated their mocktail options. Our server was helpful and friendly. read more

My husband and I ate here last night and sat at the bar. Our bartender was also named Sarah with an h! LOL. She made me an excellent tequila cosmo with the rocks on the side. My husband had a glass of Pino Grigio. We shared the crab cake appetizer which was excellent and steak tips which were also excellent. It came with two sides so we had delicious onion rings and the spinach with bacon. And because I am a teacher, I got 10 % off the check after showing them my school ID. That is so nice of them. We will definitely be back! read more

Ok, where in Massachusetts can you get a Lobstertini? Well, according to Food Network, it's at the Lobster Shanty in Salem! It's one of those things that you gotta get because chances are you're not gonna find another place offering such a unique cocktail, and to be honest it wasn't half bad! We also had mussels cooked in beer and garlic with huge cloves of garlic and delicious broth at the bottom, which is why we didn't get a picture until we were all done Lol. Inside is much more local feeling than outside where the tourists sit, but we like local so that's where we prefer. We definitely will give it another try for something else on the menu next time we're in Salem. Give it a try! read more

See all

This is the first restaurant that I tried after moving to Salem. I walked down for a late lunch on a weekday and sat at the bar. After checking their menu out online ahead of time, I knew I had to try the Nova Scotia poutine: fries and cheddar cheese curds smothered in their homemade New England clam chowder. This was a savory masterpiece! The fries that were not doused in their piping hot clam chowder were extra crispy. The cheese curds melted away under the heat of the chowder, adding an extra level of creaminess. There was a little bit of grit from the clams in the chowder but I only noticed it once or twice. This is a dish I would order again with a nice cold beer. They do close from around January 15 through April 1 every year, so plan your visit accordingly. read more

The Lobster Shanty - Nova Scotia poutine: fries and cheddar cheese curds smothered in their homemade New England clam chowder - Seafood Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

When we arrived in Salem Massachusetts I had Noël Teel look up a place that Guy Fieri featured on Diners Drive-In & Dives and she discovered "Lobster Shanty" on Klope Alley. We found free parking and had to wait 10 minutes to be seated. We ate outside under the covered porch area! Calliope got a Corn Dog but not a fan! Tony Vanoy got the Connecticut Style Lobster Roll *$45 which we found out after the fact with slaw & fries! I ordered the Haddock Fish sandwich with fries and Noki went with a 4 cheese grilled sandwich with a side of fries and Clam Chowder. She had Root Beer, Tony and beer and I got a Iced Tea to share with the baby Food was great! Atmosphere amazing and staff friendly! Loved being on the street and the weather was amazing! The check was $124 with tips and taxes! Crazy amount!! That's a hotel room amount!! Never again order seafood at market value without asking! read more

See all

Went in on a rainy weekday in October and didn't have to wait at all. Inside is dimly lit and eclectic and the wait staff all seemed to be friends which was nice to see. We ordered the pulled pork and the baked seafood - scallops. The food came out pretty quickly and was reasonably priced, especially for the area. The fries that came with both meals were delicious and my partner enjoyed his pulled pork. The butter and Ritz crumb topping on the scallops was good but a bit too rich for me...I think less would have been better. Our server was not very attentive either. All in all not a bad experience, but not the best we've had either. I'd give them another try though! read more

The Lobster Shanty - Inside - Seafood Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

See all

Love the staff and commend them for having to deal with Salem in October. The food is always delicious but my most recent visit we went for drinks as a group! The outdoor patio is awesome and we hung out there and I ordered the infamous lobster martini. Would I get it again? Probably not. But it's a touristy drink that was featured on diners drives and dives that I had to try! read more

The Lobster Shanty - Lobstertini - Seafood Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Stopped in last Saturday around 2:00pm. Steady amount of people but nothing crazy. They sat us at an outside table next to the door. Long story short, after twenty minutes of watching the staff go in and out, making eye contact with them and they completely ignoring us, we decided to leave. It's not my job to have to go search for our waitress. read more

We experienced this on Halloween, and managed to get in line right as they opened. This turned out to be a great move because later it was hours to wait all over town. The service here was wonderful. The guy who took our order was a real help in navigating our first lobster rolls. We ended up getting one of each (traditional and Connecticut styles) in my mind, I thought I would love the hot one better, but I was surprised at how fantastic the traditional cold was. So much flavor! I will say, I saw them for between 25 and 35 a couple times through the day elsewhere and prices here were around 42 I think. But I was willing to pay that for such good service and amazing food. read more

The Lobster Shanty - Seafood Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

See all

Great little spot in downtown Salem but the staff is so insanely rude every time. Passive aggressive comments, weird rules that only make sense to them. I've never left the lobster shanty without having some story about a weird disagreement with the wait staff. So strange. Needs a culture change top to bottom. read more

My experience was horrible. Sara was so rude and unprofessional. She was talking a out customers at bar. Also she spread rumors about the customers that got back to them. Very unprofessional abd the place was dirty and smelled. read more

OH WOW!! What a spot! By far the best Rangoon's I have ever had! My husband said it was the best lobster roll he had ever had in his life! We loved the quirky signs all over the establishment and we enjoyed the quick service. I would recommend heat lamps in the outdoor area because it was super cold. Everything is fresh and you have to appreciate honest service! Lobster is a little pricey right now at the moment due to storm circumstances I believe, but it was worth it. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

The Lobster Shanty - Seafood Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Small joint but food is good. I wasn't to pleased with the claim chowder because it was mostly broth and nothing else. I got the lobsterini and if yoy do not like seafood do not get that ( is even says so on the menu) it was good to me. I took so.e of the meat from the claw from my lobster claw and added it to my claw chowder since it didn't have anything in it. The crab cake was big and nice and spicy. Very yummy! The fish n chips was amazing it was haddock. It was so good I would come back for that for sure!!!!! read more

I didn't get any lobster here because I was in a bit of a rush but I did get the clam chowder and it didn't disappoint. The staff was super friendly and surprisingly without my knowledge they were featured in Diners Drive-Ins and Dives so you know it was worth the stop. I went in OCT and there was a line but because I was by myself I was able to get seated at the bar. If I ever make my way back to Salem I will definitely try more of the menu. read more

My friend and I went to Boston to attend the Boston Calling Festival and decided it would be fun to take a tour of Salem in the morning before the festival. After the tour, we were starving--we hadn't had breakfast, and we skipped lunch too (lol). Since we were in Massachusetts, we figured it would be a crime not to eat lobster, so we decided to try The Lobster Shanty. First off, the waitress seemed upset that we didn't wait outside to be seated. To be fair, it was raining, super windy, and cold that day. There were no outdoor heaters, and honestly, we just didn't see the sign asking guests to wait outside. We were just happy to be indoors and out of the rain. I apologized to the server once my friend explained the situation to me (I had just come out of the restroom at the time). I've had lobster rolls before, and quite frankly, this one didn't compare to the one I had in mind. The lobster tasted bland--I expected it to be a bit sweeter, especially since it's supposed to be fresh from the Gulf. And when I saw the price, I couldn't help but wish I had my money back. For one mac and cheese, a lobster roll, two soft drinks, and two clam chowders, we paid $145. I wouldn't recommend this place. Rude staff, overpriced, and just overall service was slow and unsatisfactory. There are other spots nearby that serve lobster--try those first. read more

When in New England..you gotta have a lobster roll! Since I have never had the Connecticut Style roll before that is what I ordered. Connecticut Style rolls are served warm drizzled in butter. I opted for the super-size at market price which was a lot of lobster meat..worth it! Very sad that I couldn't eat the toasted roll because it was soaked in butter and became soggy! Boo :( Ran out of fries too so my hubby and I choose tots. For those that were wondering about the line..it was about a 15 minutes wait. We saw a few small tables inside the restaurant empty as well as outdoors seating but was told only bar seating only so that's what we did. Service was quick, lobster was fresh, overall good dinner. read more

See all

We stopped by on a rainy Sunday in October. The area was super busy. We waited in a line in the rain for like 40 minutes. We came with a dog so we sat in the covered outoutdoor area. The manager or person sitting asked if the dog had rabies shots which she does, but I've never been asked this when dining anywhere dog friendly. We were seated. The dog was given a water bowl. The wait staff was friendly and efficient even though it was busy. I ordered a well done burger which still had some pink, but I did not complain. My boyfriend ordered a chicken tenders basket which included fries. The chicken tenders were super dry/overcooked. He did complain and they took it off the bill. He selected the fish and chips meal and was pleased. The fish was moist inside and nice and crisp on the outside. We also ordered a cup of the spicy chili which did not come out with the food. I told the waiter to just take it off the bill. He did take it off but still brought it out for us to try. This was truly spicy too much for me to handle. The food we did eat was tasty and enjoyable. The most impressive part of my experience was the great customer service from the wait staff even though they were very busy. It's a good place to eat with or without pets when hanging out in Salem, MA. read more

The Lobster Shanty - Seafood Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Not sure about bathrooms. No parking in October. Not a long wait. Our server forgot about us, so we ended up being there forever. We got the lobster meal (market price was 30$ with a side was 33$) good lobster, my sister had a Caesar salad with chicken. Very good Caesar dressing. It was fine not out of this world but a decent meal amongst the craziness you are right on artists row so the location is great. Servers were nice she just completely forgot us. She said she saw us as closed our tab so thought we had left? So probably just some confusion but we were so tired by the time we got there so we were like please come back lol. Cool vibe, small little restaurant. Inside and patio. I recommend the patio to look at everyone. I wanted to give 3.5 but can't do that on here. Overall not bad decent food. No gluten free bread NO ABILITY TO OFFER CONTACT FREE FOOD. So allergies beware. It's a small kitchen. It's very good but if you have food allergies perhaps consider a different location. read more

See all

Great atmosphere! Went during Halloween, good vibes and the fish and chips was absolutely amazing! Great service! So glad we went there! read more

One of my favorite food spots in all the places I tried in MA. I ordered a spicy crab cake sandwich and my friend got a lobster roll and we got tons of fries and pickles, and local crispy beer! Everything was just so good!! I specifically appreciated the no nonsense, fast, yet kind service from the crew. A nice place to stop by after a busy day in Salem. read more

The Lobster Shanty - spicy crab cake sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

We ordered the Hypernova Scotia and that was so delicious! The scallops were huge and cooked to perfection. The service was great and food came out quick. read more

A cozy and lively place in Salem. There was a long line but the hostess was very polite and accommodating. If you go on a weekend in October, prepare to wait for at least 40 minutes. We ordered the baked Haddock, baked Shrimp, and the wild crab cake. The baked seafood dishes were well cooked, but too buttery and oily for our taste. The same goes to the tater tots. My favorite was the crab cake and the well seasoned side salad it comes with. We also ordered a few drinks which were okay, nothing too fancy. Go for the service and ambience. The food was mid and the price was high, hence the 3 stars. read more

The food was excellent--my whole family enjoyed their meals! The warm lobster roll was especially delicious, and the grilled bread gave it the perfect toasty crunch, almost like a grilled cheese. Highly recommend 100%! read more

The Lobster Shanty - Lobster roll and fries . - Seafood Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Food was really good. I had the lobster roll, it had a lot of meat and tasted fresh. My husband had fried shrimp which he said was really good, one son had baked shrimp which was like scampi and another had a whole lobster. read more

I LOVED the Lobster Shanty. Not only was the waitstaff incredibly kind and congratulatory (we were celebrating my Bachelorette), they also surprised me as the Manager came out with an additional bracelet to celebrate the occasion and took photos, without provocation, of everyone. No res needed. Great rolls with dive bar vibes. Try the Lobstertini...it's a risk worth taking. read more

Lobster shanty is a "must eat at" on any trip to Salem. Today was no exception. The scallops and fried fish sandwich were both spot on. Generous portion and the price is right. See you next visit! read more

The Lobster Shanty - Seafood Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Unfortunately, our experience was disappointing. We waited far too long to be seated despite several clean, available tables. Once seated, there was another long and frustrating wait just for someone to take our order. The food didn't make up for the delays, the lobster mac and cheese lacked creaminess and had barely any lobster, while the steak tips had an overpowering flavor that became tiring after a few bites. To top it off, we asked for BBQ sauce that didn't arrive until we had already finished eating. Definitely expected more. read more

You cannot go wrong with a visit to Salem's best dive bar. Yes the staff can be 'surly' but they take good care of all who are well behaved LOL. Live music tonight, the unmistakable talents of Vein. Cold drinks and a warm welcome go along way. Pulled pork sandwich was accompanied by the special appetizer, fried green beans - without a doubt the best green beans I've ever had. Get your Shanty on peeps! read more

The Lobster Shanty - Seafood Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

The lobster roll was excellent and the atmosphere was clean and comfortable. With that said the servers were snarky and a lot of fun, just as promised. read more

Food was phenomenal, easily the best hot butter lobster roll in New England! The service was great, however you do have to wait outside rain or shine to get a table. Thankfully we showed up when they opened at noon on a Saturday. The places decor definitely lives up to its "shanty" name but still very fun! It definitely gave local seafood shack vibes! As out of towners with a plethora of options, we will definitely be back! read more

See all

The Lobster Shanty is a seasonal dive bar in Salem, MA. We were invited there last night as an impromptu get-together. I loved the wide-open porch with fans going to help the summer air move. We all started with some cocktails and lots of catching up; our server was great to let us go at our own pace. Later, we chose nachos, calamari, and a chicken tender basket with fries as appetizers to share. Nachos were dive bar worthy, hot and ok amount of toppings. The calamari was, eh, slightly overcooked, and the aioli was like a sweet honey mustard that was a huge turn-off. The chicken tenders and fries were surprisingly the hit! The chicken was juicy and well coated, and the fries were crispy and really well seasoned. For mains there were three different burger choices, all a hit. And the crab cake app was chosen as a main; this was an utter fail, salty, like burn your tongue salty, and again served with that weird honey mustard. This entree was not finished. But it appears burgers were downed, and the crispy tots served with them were another huge hit. For all the drinks and food we ordered, we thought the price was very good. However, they added an automatic gratuity, which was a bit of a slap in the face; we are a group of just five and all over 40 years old. We might have tipped more than they charged if we were given the chance. But without mentioning it, it seemed a bit odd. Another bonus was live music on the patio, which started around 6 and went until 9. The performer was amazing and very engaged with the crowd! I am torn between a 3 and 4 as a rating, but given that it is a dive bar and, we all had a really fun time, which is the whole point! I am going with a 4. I think we would definitely give the Lobster Shanty another try; maybe we should actually try something with lobster in it next time. :) read more

See all

Slow but friendly service. Food was pretty good. Great location and fun outdoor atmosphere. read more

The Lobster Shanty - Seafood Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

See all

Just showed up for party of one. In Boston for business and drove one hour to get here. Guy with glasses walks up and I say hello table for one. He responds by telling me they can't seat me because they are too busy and kitchen is overwhelmed??? WTF? Half the tables on the patio are empty and bar inside and open tables inside. I showed up professionally dressed and friendly. This is so weird. Never happened before. There is something wrong with this restaurant. Stay away. read more