FRESHIE’S LOBSTER CO.
LOCATION: 1897 Prospector Avenue, Park City, UT 84060
I can’t say that I’ve had too many lobster rolls up to this point, but another opportunity arose when my friend Tina and I decided to take a quick midday trip out to the Park City area. She mentioned about a place specializing in lobster rolls that was not to be missed, so we headed straight over there once we got into town.
The place itself was actually relatively small, carving out a small space from a building shared with a vacation lodging rental office. Because of the fact that ski season wasn’t yet in full swing, the town was actually on the quiet side, and we looked to be the only customers of the day so far when we initially got there. A woman behind the counter greeted us when we walked in, and we began taking a look to try and decide on what to get.
A lobster roll was a no-brainer, but the discussion was about whether to go all-in on just lobster, or try something else as well. We decided that the crab roll also sounded intriguing enough, so we were going to do an even split with half lobster roll, half crab roll per person.
In one of the recent podcast episodes that I was listening to (shoutout to Starving for Attention, hosted by Chef Richard Blais), there was an in-depth discussion on lobster rolls, where I learned about a debate of whether lobster rolls should contain mayo or remain butter only. Me personally, I was in the neutral camp, just because I hadn’t eaten enough to formulate an opinion. The lobster rolls from Freshie’s did say that they contained mayo; it was another opportunity for me to see if I could be swayed one way or the other.
Both the lobster and crab were piled high inside the toasted New England hot dog buns, and I couldn’t wait to dive in for a bite. But first things first, I had to grab the lemon wedge and give both items a splash of that citrus flavor. The lobster roll was first up and, let me tell you, that initial bite felt like magic.
The delicate, fresh flavor of the lobster was so prominent, accentuated by what felt like just the right amount of mayo and butter to help provide a slightly smooth texture to each bite, but not overwhelming the flavor balance. The cook on the lobster was also spot on as well, striking a balance that resulted in the meat being very tender and not chewy at all. It was the lobster that was truly allowed to shine, and that thought was reinforced by each additional bite.
Switching gears over to the crab roll, that was also just as delicious in its own right. The Jonah crab meat served on the roll had more of a finer texture than I’d seen from other crab meat dishes, but it still tasted great. I thought the addition of the lemon garlic aioli and the flavors that it brought along with it really paired well with the crab. Between the two, however, the lobster roll definitely still takes the cake.
But one other important component, common to both rolls, that might get overlooked was the bread. The New England hot dog bun, which was toasted with butter on the outsides to give it that nice, crispy texture, was split on the top as opposed to on the side like a traditional hot dog bun. I found that crispy texture of the toasted bun provides a nice contrast from the softer ingredients of either the lobster or crab.
I’ll be honest that landlocked Utah was the last place I would have expected to find such a phenomenal lobster roll. One of the restaurant’s slogans you can see right on the tray placemat is “Shore to Door in 24,” which is a testament to the freshness of the Maine lobster they use in the store. And boy, does that really come through in a big way. There’s good reason that the Freshie’s lobster roll took home the award for “World’s Best Lobster Roll” from the Down East Lobster Roll Festival. If you’re one to dabble in the world of lobster rolls, you’d be making a big mistake missing out on this place.
Let’s now take a look at the Freshie’s Lobster Co. Dish Spotlight. Asterisks (*) below mark my recommended dishes.
** Lobster Roll (pictured top left) **
Maine lobster served on a New England hot dog roll with mayo and hot butter.
** Crab Roll (pictured bottom left) **
Jonah crab served on a New England hot dog roll with brown butter and lemon garlic aioli.
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And finally, here are my rankings for Freshie’s Lobster Co.:
Food: 5 / 5
What more can I say about the lobster roll? That initial bite really left an impression. It was a perfect balance of flavor and texture, with only three main components of lobster, mayo, and butter. The lobster roll did an excellent job providing the opportunity for the fresh Maine lobster to really shine through.
Atmosphere: 4.5 / 5
Even though the Park City location was only a relatively small space, they did a good job using the décor to invoke a sense of being somewhere out on a dock. Thick braided rope hung from the ceiling as a part of the light fixtures, the tabletops were all made with finished wood, and paintings that depicted the ocean hung on the wall. Even the white panel siding up on one of the walls reminded me of what you might see on one of those small shacks out on the dock.
Service: 4.5 / 5
Unfortunately, I never caught the name of the woman that was helping us out when we stopped in. She was friendly and very welcoming, helping to answer some questions that we had while trying to decide what to order for our second plate. She was also pretty quick at getting us out our lobster and crab rolls so we could start diving in.
Price: 5 / 5
The 3.7 oz. lobster roll came in at $21 and the 4 oz. Jonah crab roll was $15, both of which I thought were very fair price points given how high the quality of the food was and the portion of seafood you got as well. I would happily pay that same amount again.
Overall:
19 / 20
(95%)
Categories: Restaurants, Utah
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