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Is the Market Basket lobster roll good? One Maine writer says no.
A columnist at the Portland Press Herald didn't have kind words to say about the Market Basket lobster roll. Do you agree?
Market Basket can do no wrong in the eyes of many Bay Staters. The Massachusetts-based grocer is widely beloved for its low prices, friendly customer service, its prepared food section, even its CEO — so much so that customers have joined the worker picket line to show support for their favorite grocery store.
But should it be a spot for your next lobster roll? One columnist in Maine thinks not.
Leslie Bridgers, a Portland Press Herald columnist who focuses largely on Maine culture, published her thoughts on the taste of lobster rolls at various gas stations and grocery stores, including one tried at the Basket.
The writer was not kind to these lobster rolls at Market Basket, deeming them the worst of the three she had tried. She used descriptions like “mushy” and “squishy,” words we don’t typically use to positively review our food. Bridgers also said the roll tasted like food you might have before a bout of gastrointestinal distress.
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“It was edible but no substitute for the real thing,” Bridgers wrote.
As Bridgers points out, the Market Basket “lobster roll” is really more of a lobster salad finger roll. The use of mayonnaise is heavy-handed, they’re small, but they’re one of the cheapest “lobster rolls” you’ll find at $8.99 for a pack of two.
That latter fact appears to be a reason that Bay Staters may be so devoted to this particular lobster roll.
In July, a North Shore resident posted his review of the lobster roll to a Facebook group called North Shore Dining (Real) and called the Market Basket rolls “very acceptable.” Most of the 10 comments even agreed.
In online discussions over the high price of lobster rolls, there are always people who chime in to suggest the Market Basket lobster roll.
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“I got two small lobster rolls in a container from Market Basket and took them to the beach over the weekend,” a user said on Reddit last year. “It was $9, and they were excellent.”
Others have instead recommended getting lobster steamed at Market Basket, then shelling it yourself at home for homemade lobster rolls.
“I go to the counter, order, then grocery shop,” said a Reddit user in 2023. “Then I pick it up and shell them as soon as I get home. I made six great lobster rolls for about $34.”
Bridgers also reviewed lobster rolls at Hannaford and Irving’s Rusty Lantern Market, which both have locations in Massachusetts. The former surprised her, writing that she would get it again “if I was craving a lobster roll while watching my wallet.”
She called the latter a “pretty legit lobster roll” but said it wasn’t good enough to justify the price of $19.99 — double the cost of the rolls at Market Basket and Hannaford.
How do you feel about the Market Basket lobster roll? When was the last time you bought the two-pack at a Market Basket? Tell us if you’d tried the lobster from Market Basket, and if so, what do you think about the quality and price? Which of those matters to you more when deciding whether or not to purchase a lobster roll at a grocery store?
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