The Best
I have traveled from Pennsylvania to have dinner here - and will again!    [05 Jun 2002 08:09:11]

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     ­Christine, Jim Thorpe, PA   

Good Food, Poor Customer Service
Never order near closing time, especially take-out. You rarely ever take home what you ordered. They pack up what is left at the end of the night. Also if you don't like the quality of service don't leave the tip they deserve or they will chase you down and demand more tip. We spend a lot of money taking our parents out to eat and were the last to leave, my parents, were ordered to pay more tip. We got no dishes, drinks, wrong food, and one waitress for a party of 10. We were promised a gift certificate for poor service twice and never got it. Too bad the food was good.    [19 Jun 2002 11:07:14]

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     ­Anonymous, Gloucester   

Great Food, Great Service
It is worth any amount of travel to have their lobster.    [20 Aug 2002 16:45:15]

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Recommended Dishes: baked stuffed lobsta

     ­Andrew Weiner   

Awesome Lobster Stew
The best lobster stew in the world. I have never had anything close; it is delicious.    [12 Oct 2002 15:49:27]

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Recommended Dishes: lobster stew

     ­Nancy   

Terrible Service, Good Food for What There Was
My friend and I went to Lobsta Land on early on a recent Sunday and were disappointed in the service. They were out of steamers, swordfish, prime rib, lamb, baked potatoes, Ipswich Ale, and all desserts except Key Lime Pie. We had to wait forever for a menu, another eternity for drinks, we never got our potatoes or rolls. Our waitress forgot to bring my beer until I finally caught her attention at the end of the meal. And this was after an hour's drive. I'm sure there are plenty of other restaurants that have similar food but with much better service. I'm afraid to go again.    [27 May 2003 14:16:58]

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Recommended Dishes: onion rings

     ­Anonymous   

Good Food, but Very Bad Customer Service
The food there is very yummy and fresh, especially the bread, it was the best bread I ever had. But the customer service is one of the worst. The food comes very slow, no one comes to your table and ask you what you need. I ordered 3 dishes, only 2 came, but they still charged for the other one, which was horrible. But after all, I think I'm gonna go back there again, just for the delicious food.    [29 Aug 2003 13:36:08]

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Recommended Dishes: lobster dinner

     ­Anonymous   

Surprisingly Excellent
What a pleasant surprise to find such a jewel as Lobsta Land - although the name of the restaurant, in my estimation, does not accurately represent the culinary delights within. My brother-in-law, a Gloucester resident, took me out to this exceptional restaurant today. Everything was cooked to perfection and presented in a very creative, colorful, and pleasing manner.

The stuffed clams (filled with crab and topped with lightly buttered panko bread crumbs) were the best I've eaten, the caesar salad was dressed to perfection and topped with shaved parmesan, and the coconut shrimp were succulent and juicy inside with a crisp coconut outside arranged in a teepee shape with crisp cucumber slices (seeds removed) and mache (tender sweet nutty greens).

I chose the paella for my entree, and I was thrilled with the taste explosion. The dish was spicy with a light saffron wine base and the clams, mussels, andouille sausage, chicken, fish, shrimp were all tender and not overcooked as often is the case with this particular dish. Even the bread - small finger shaped, golden brown, crusty rolls - was delicious and served piping hot with Cabot butter (my favorite).

The service was prompt and the staff cheerful and very accomodating in locating a seafood vendor where I could continue to buy a favorite ingredient (hiyashi wakami- Japanese seawead salad lightly dressed with soy sauce, sesame, ginger dressing) that they serve at the restaurant with their ahi tuna.

All in all, one of my favorite seafood restaurants and one I will go back to time and time again. Enjoy.    [02 Aug 2004 01:42:41]

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     ­Nancy Bulmer   

You Can't Go Home Again...
Growing up, no visit to Rockport was complete with a visit to Lobsta Land on the way back home. Back then it was little more than a roadside diner.

I was pleasantly surprised to see it was still there and the size and traffic showed how it had grown.

Unfortunately, I was less than impressed with what it has become - a tourist trap.

We were met by a surfer dude and told the obligatory "ten minutes". Half an hour later, we were shown to a table.

The decor was eclectic at best. Nautical theme with stainless steel chairs, with stained glass dividers? Hiring visually-impaired decorators is a noble gesture, but for the price of this restaurant, I'd expect they'd like to project a consistent image.

Service? After sitting 10-15 minutes, the conversation among the wait staff must have gotten sufficiently boring that they figured taking our order was a more interesting alternative - though barely.

The prices were typical "tourist trap" high - a very disappointing change. I was very disappointed in the Chowder. I think their recipe consists of tearing the "Progresso" label off the cans, adding water and dumping them in the pot.

From our coveted seat near the kitchen, we saw the goings on. Remember the expression that if you like sausage, don't ever see how it is made? Very appropriate advice here. With the prices on the menu, you'd think they could afford a few hair nets, aprons, etc.

The meal arrived, not prepared as ordered. Facing a long drive home, we just ate quickly and left.

I apologized to my dinner companion, who I had enthusiastically informed of the wonderful meals I'd enjoyed there in years past.    [18 Sep 2006 16:27:40]

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     ­Jon T.   

Freshest Lobster Around...
I visit here at least 3-4 times per year and am never disappointed. The seafood is fresh, fresh, fresh. So much to choose from on the menu. The lobster rolls are to die for. So are the fried oysters. The boiled lobsters are better than any I've got in Maine. Clean, not fishy or salty; and tasty! Service is decent. It does get busy and service can get slow like any other place. Just speak up...don't complain! Waitstaff are pleasant and very energetic. Recommend going off hours if you can, like 11am or 2pm.    [15 Jul 2007 18:37:16]

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Recommended Dishes: lobster, clams, oysters

     ­Diana S.   

Lopsided Experience
It's truly unfortunate that the only thing coming between a customer and a tasty menu is an incompetent front of the house staff. In my experience at Lobsta Land only one member of this staff is worth a damn. She's a bartender that often works mid week lunches. It's worth noting that she does not work Mondays, and the bar service couldn't start the week any worse. On several occasions I have waited in excess of five minutes before even being greeted by a server. There's a lot of waiting at Lobsta Land. Wait to be greeted, wait for your drinks, wait to order. I wouldn't suggest waiting for any personality, though. You wont get it there. I had lunch there yesterday, and am hard pressed to tell you if I saw my server's eyes once. The menu prices are a bit steep, but the money I save on tipping the staff there more than makes up for it. If you've got the time and some thick skin, grab a good bite to eat.    [24 Jul 2007 09:50:04]

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Recommended Dishes: panini

     ­Paul F, Rockport, MA