Where is the best Maine Lobster?

How do you know where to find the BEST Maine lobster? Well in Maine, of course.

But if you are on a Maine vacation, and looking for the very best place to stop for fresh Maine lobster, where will that be?

I travel in Maine frequently and after having dined on lobster in dozens and dozens of places, from Maine's coast to its mountains...

...I can honestly say that I don't think there is a BEST place to eat lobster in Maine.

However, to make your Maine lobster dinner memorable there are a few things you might want to consider...

Best Places to Eat Maine Lobster

First and foremost, do you know how to eat lobster? If not, it can be a bit intimidating to have your first go-around with this unruly crustacean, in a fancy dining room at an upscale restaurant. Instead...

...you may want lobster in the rough, at a one of the hundreds of Maine lobster pounds, lobster shacks, take out stands, or casual seafood restaurants...

...located in or near nearly every city, town and village in Maine.

And don't be fooled into thinking that you won't find the best Maine lobster at an inconspicuous roadside stand. Some of these places are exactly where you are going to find the best Maine lobster!

But there is one thing you need to know...

...typically, the smaller the eatery, the less choices you will have on how Maine lobster is prepared. At a smaller lobster restaurant...

...your choices will probably be limited to steamed lobster or boiled lobster, along with some the best Maine lobster rolls anywhere!

A big misconception is that you can only eat lobster on the coast of Maine. Not true! Nearly every Maine vacation spot will have lobster for sale. But, if you are anywhere near mid-coast Maine in August...

...you will NOT want to miss the 20,000 pounds of fresh Maine lobster at the Rockland Maine Lobster Festival!

Larger Maine restaurants, with greater cooking capabilities, are more likely to have menus that also include...

...broiled lobster, baked stuffed lobster and a variety of great Maine lobster recipes, made from the delicate meat of the world's most famous crustacean.

If deciding whether the best Maine lobster is boiled, steamed, broiled or baked stuffed, isn't already a big enough decision for you...

...depending on the time of year, you may have an option on the types of lobster you have - a hard shell or soft shell lobster.

Hard Shell Lobster or Soft Shell Lobster

Lobster shells are rigid and don't allow much room for growth. Therefore, around every two years for a female lobster, and once a year for the male, a Maine lobster goes through a very unique process called molting.

What is molting and how does a lobster molt?

As a lobster gets larger, and its shell is no longer of adequate size, it forms a new shell, directly underneath its current protective cover. And when the time is right...

...the lobster discards the old shell - literally walking away from it.

For a period of time while the new shell is expanding and becoming hard enough to be protective, the lobster goes into hiding. But when it begins to roam again, it may find itself in a lobster trap.

As long as it's size and other regulations are met...

...the lobster fisherman can bring it to market, where it is sold alongside it's hard shell counterpart, as a soft shell, a shedder, or a new shell lobster.

And what a debate there is as to which is best, soft shell or hard shell lobster...

You are likely to hear valid arguments on both sides of the issue.

People who argue that the best Maine lobster is soft shell will likely tell you that the meat is sweeter and more tender than that of a hard shell lobster.

People who believe that the best Maine lobster is hard shell, will undoubtedly say that these lobsters contain more meat, and that since the lobster meat is firmer, it is easier to use when preparing Maine lobster recipes.

Regardless if which kind of lobster is the best Maine lobster...

...one thing is indisputable, it is easier to learn how to crack a lobster if it's a soft shell, but then again, because it's so easy, is that really learning?

It's your Maine vacation - you decide, and have fun as you select your own best place for Maine lobster!

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