Contrary to popular belief, there is such a thing as a bad lobster roll, even when it's free. (Especially in New York: It may be only five hours from Maine, but based on some of the rolls we've sampled around town, it may as well be fully landlocked.)
Corton chef-owner Paul Liebrandt knows what we're talking about. Grub Street took him on a tasting tour of seven downtown restaurants and takeouteries that crow about their lobster rolls to see which rolls ruled, and which sucked. Liebrandt rated each with points for taste, presentation, and wildcard bonus flourishes (he even rated the fries and pickles, where applicable. That's dedication). So how did traditionalist faux shacks like Ed's Lobster Bar and Mary's fare? What about upscale restaurants like Lure and Ditch Plains' lowbrow efforts? Check out Grub Street's lobster roll gallery to see how it all went down.
