The hotel we stayed at recommended Claws. It was Our favorite dining experience in Maine. I got the lobster already pulled out of the shelll with a baked potato and corn on the cob. Charlie got a fried haddock Sammy and fries. Both were spectacular! Liz, our waitress, was attentive and sweet. It's what I imagine from a lobster shack: over looking an inlet/harbor with the tide going out, a line to order, good food, real butter, cold beer, blueberry cornbread, and real people serving ya. Definitely visit Claws. read more

Claws - Lobster plate. - Seafood Near Me - Rockland, Maine

What an incredible experience at Claws in Rockland! We arrived to find a long line outside, but right away we noticed something that told us a lot about this place: the staff was offering umbrellas to everyone waiting in line. Such a simple, thoughtful gesture, and such a great first impression! When it was our turn to order, we were helped by an incredibly pleasant and patient woman. Despite the long line behind us, she never made us feel rushed and was completely focused on making sure she got our order right. Then there was our waitress. WOW! She was a blonde woman, maybe around 35, and she was absolutely amazing. She was working incredibly hard--literally running circles around everyone else--yet she never stopped smiling. She was extremely friendly, attentive, and amazingly efficient. My husband and I both agreed she was one of the best waitresses we have ever seen. At one point, in the middle of everything she was juggling, a customer asked her to roll up one of the blinds. The timing could not have been worse because she was SO busy, and she actually had to climb onto a stool to reach it. But you would never have known what an inconvenience it was. She smiled, took care of it, and went right back to work without missing a beat. My husband and I own fast-food restaurants, so we understand just how difficult it is to provide that level of hospitality when you're slammed. We were so impressed with her work ethic and attitude that before we left, we discreetly gave her a $100 tip. She absolutely deserved it. And somehow, the food managed to be just as impressive as the service. The lobster was, without question, THE BEST LOBSTER WE HAVE EVER HAD IN OUR LIVES!!! Perfectly cooked, absolutely delicious, and everything we hoped for when coming to Maine. Claws gave us one of those dining experiences we'll remember long after our trip is over. Amazing lobster, thoughtful hospitality, and an exceptional waitress who truly stood out. If you're in Rockland and want lobster, do not miss Claws! read more

Took half an hour for fried foods to come out, but it's a busy summer day, so it goes. I went here for the "whole belly clams," a New England Specialty. They were solidly fine--I'm not sure what I think of the bellies, but hey, that's part of the dish! I did think the breading was on the heavy side, although to be fair, the clams are so flavorful that it wasn't really in the way. French fries were whatever--single-cooked but very well-done to compensate. read more

Was told by friends, had to come here. Glad we did. Service was excellent. Had lobster roll, clams, shrimp, chowder. Everything was tasty. So far, best lobster roll I've had on the east coast. The onion strings are also amazing! read more

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Fantastic meal. The decoration and layout of the restaurant is super fun. There were some fun lobster claw pillows near where we sat that made for good pictures along with all of the other great decorations. There are also some great views of the water. Clams were fantastic and tasted fresh. Onion strings were also good. Service was fantastic. A guest with me mentioned they thought their sandwich was breaded and made a mistake and they kindly and immediately told them they would happily replace it for something else to make them happy. The guest chose not to take up their offer and still enjoyed their meal. Highly recommend checking out this restaurant. Great food, great service, and a lot of charm! read more

Claws - Whole Clam Belly Basket with Onion Strings - Seafood Near Me - Rockland, Maine

Fun lobster shack on Route 1 with plenty of parking and just that Maine welcoming shacky experience. We are simple folks with simple needs: one lobster roll with Parmesan French fries a Moxy soda (boo Coke for ruining it) and a Perrier (of course). A wonderful meal that shall be repeated read more

Claws - Lobster roll with Moxie - the only way (but Coke, you monsters, Moxie should be cane sugar in a bottle) yum - Seafood Near Me - Rockland, Maine

Worth every penny (don't be nervous with cost for AMAZING FRESH FOOD)! Free parking, put your order in and go sit, they'll bring it to you. The chowder excellent and the haddock sandwich sooooo good! Would come back again! read more

Holy moly doly goly boly! This place is THE SPOT. you want lobster? You want GIANT lobster?! Yes this is it. Come on down and get your MEGA lobster. Fresh caught right from the wharf that you can sit and look upon. Unreal. We got 3.75lb lobster and it was massive. So full of food I felt like I went septic. Mammy has the astounding recipes for cole slaw, blueberry cobbler, and most importantly, the clam chowder. Wow. Guys, don't just pass by this, go and gorge your hearts out. Great workers, amazing people and owners. Me and my family ate like KINGS and everyone was thinking that there isn't anywhere else in Maine like this. Super chill vibes with amazing food. Don't walk. SPRINT. read more

Claws - Nearly a 4lb lobster beast. - Seafood Near Me - Rockland, Maine

Stopped here for lunch. Food was ok. There was a line to place your order, then pick a table to wait for your order to arrive. The prices were not cheap for the minimal food and minimal ambiance. Service was very good; the ladies who were cleaning up the seating area were working hard to keep things clean and keep things moving. I ordered a salad with no onions and of course the salad arrived covered in onions,... no problem, I can pick them off. We tried to sit so we could have a view of the water, but there wasn't a lot of seating options. I think it was overpriced for what it was, but thats my opinion. My husband ordered the lobster roll, and fries, but he didn't really have a generous lunch. I felt guilty stealing a french fry from his small portion. Seems like the hype exceeded reality. The one good thing was that we each got one refill of our sodas. read more

Made error when taking my order and over charged me $8.12. They made it right but the girl was clueless as to how this was going to happen. Took awhile and she was really nice about it, but it was a bit frustrating. The oysters were a bit on the small side but they were tasty as heck and the lobster roll, clam chowder were both out of this world delicious. The view out the back is gorgeous and its a traditional type food stop for the coast of Maine. You won't be disappointed. read more

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My husband and I so enjoyed our dinner tonight! Fantastic lobster roll and lobster Mac n Cheese! Though it was drizzly outside, the space we sat in was great sea decor and we still enjoyed the view out at the sea. Staff was super friendly! read more

Claws - Lobster Mac and cheese - Seafood Near Me - Rockland, Maine

Perfect lobster shack in Rockland. Gets busy and parking is tight so plan accordingly. I picked a cool rainy day to get takeaway which worked out great. Place your order outside the main shack and either eat in or out. Small bar area if you have a wait. So in October a lobster roll was $34. Luckily it was plenty of lobster for a couple of rolls and large chunks and full claw meat. Very tasty. Since I was paying that much I figured I'd go ahead and add the Parmesan truffle fries and the blueberry cornbread. Best fries I've ever had! Portions were large enough for a few meals. Really enjoyed this spot! read more

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I looked at the menu for this spot and came here soley because of the Maine Lobster Stuffed Doughnuts. I share those with my husband and got some of the Blueberry Cornbread too. The cornbread is good, but that's not why you need to come here. The doughnuts are one of the best things I've eaten this year. They're a little bit like a Crab Rangoon, but replace the wonton with a slightly sweet doughnut and then cover it in an old bay seasoned butter. I was expecting them to be small little donut holes and I couldn't have been more off base. They were huge full size doughnuts and had so much filling. This could definitely be a full meal if you didn't share it. I would go out of my way just to eat these doughnuts again. read more

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A+ for cute lobster shack vibe! They sell a wide variety of lobster rolls and lobster-focused meals. It's not just lobster rolls, here. I did try a lobster roll (I am a sucker for a good looking lobster roll) and a cup of clam chowder. A very good portion of meat in the lobster roll and not too much mayo. Taste was a bit bland for me. The lobster was beautiful but did seem preprocessed. I admit to being a lobster roll snob, I just love when the lobster tastes like it just came out of the shell. But, again the amount of lobster was very good! Chowder was also very good. Creamy but not overly so. Full of clams and enough potatoes so that you know they are there but they don't dominate. The cup was filled to the very top! Nice! Very friendly staff from start to finish. People seemed genuinely happy we stopped in for lunch. They have three lots for parking. I can imagine it could be tight in the middle of summer but on this September Saturday we were just fine. read more

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Amazing lobster rolls. The best lobster pound we visited on our trip to Bar Harbor and Camden areas read more

The Crab rolls were so Amazing!! The views were so pretty!! The blueberry ice tea lacked blueberry flavor read more

Claws - Seafood Near Me - Rockland, Maine

I was driving North and I saw this restaurant which caught my eye as it is bright red. They have multiple parking spaces and very accessible and convenient. They have two windows, 1 it is for eating in and the other for take out. The outside is very spacious and plenty of breeze. They have plenty of water for you to serve yourself and convenient. The food was good and very delicious! By far the best Lobster Roll that I had in Maine and I stopped 4 different places or restaurants. The calamari was crispy and good as well. The service was good and easy going. If you are driving by or near this town, I would encourage you stop by and have some fresh lobstah roll! read more

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Supposed to be a good to place for fresh seafood. Perhaps it's resting on an earlier reputation but this wouldn't be a recommend for touristas & especially not locals. The fried whole clams were great my daughter said. Meh fries. I wanted a seafood combo so did the broiled haddock, shrimp, & scallops. Major mistake. No flavor. Biggest issue was the water on the platter- the seafood was "swimming" in 1/4" of water! Haddock was overcooked & dried out on one end. Cute theme & great view. Way overpriced for the poor quality. read more

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OMG, just go to this place for the blueberry crisp, and you won't be disappointed. An awesome Maine experience. Seafood was all fresh and nice setting overlooking the harbor. But, the blueberry crisp and blueberry cornbread were the standouts! read more

First night in Maine and even though we have great lobster in RI, it just seemed like eating lobster in Maine is the thing to do. We ordered a 1 1/2 lb lobster. The shell was super hard--not a good sign The lobster stuck to the shell and would not slide out. OLD Worse part, it wasn't juicy and tasty--all signs of an old lobster. Very disappointing for $40 each. The servers were lovely and very good. The ambulance is loud music. read more

Was looking forward to a delicious meal and fun ambience, our last night in Rockland at a highly rated seafood "shack" restaurant. Instead I found it chaotic, very noisy (screaming children) and poor service. The dish I ordered (salad with Ahi Tuna) was absent the tuna. When asked about the missing tuna, I was told that it was not on the ticket, and if I wanted some, I would have to go back and stand in a long line to put in my "new" order. We were on our way out of town and was not about to do this. (and glad we did not) Only after asking to see the original copy of the receipt, (which indeed included the charge of the tuna), we received an apology, and the cost was deducted. The salad was very good, and it seems others enjoyed their meal but I could not give 5 stars to poor service and noisy ambience. read more

Very disappointed with pur experience there. The Broiled Seafood Delight was supposed to come with haddock, shrimp, and scallops. It was served without the scallops. The seasonal veggies on the side came with too small a pieces of corn on the cob that left you wondering how to even eat them. The Adult Strawberry Lemonade with vodka had no alcohol in it. Changed $14 for it though. Sadly we will not revisit. The experience was spotty at best and left wondering if they intentionally left things out hoping that it wouldn't be noticed. read more

Claws - A picture of the Broiled Seafood Delight. - Seafood Near Me - Rockland, Maine

I have to say this was my favorite lobster roll from our entire trip to Maine!! The lobster portion was very generous and it was warm and buttery. I'm still day dreaming about this lobster roll. I only wish I lived closer! Amazing amazing amazing! read more

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In town we were told Claws is end of the block...I think they meant end of the town bec it was +5,000 steps! Long line to order at a window and then find a seat to eat. Friendly personnel and even had a free shuttle back to boat. Lobster roll was full of lobster (6oz and $34) but all the lobsters were expensive! read more

Claws - Roll - Seafood Near Me - Rockland, Maine

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Lobstah at its finest! The cornbread and dessert were pretty amazing too. Had the full lobster and roll. Reasonable prices, great staff, excellent food! read more

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Cute little spot on the water. Fresh lobster, long line, fun decorations. Make sure to visit when you're here. read more

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I can't say enough good things about this lobster house, we visit every time we're in Maine, sometimes more than once !! We stopped in 15 minutes before closing after a long day of driving and they were more than happy to serve us !!! A must stop or take a drive to eat here. read more

Absolutely great food, friendly staff, prompt service and clean dining and parking areas. Nice view of the harbor. Always busy. Great place to take our friends for authentic lobster rolls. Parking is free but limited. read more

Great stop along the road to Acadia. To-Go Lobster Roll warm buttered and a Vodka Lemonade with Blueberry. Ended up eating in on the back deck with a great view. Staff was friendly and helpful. read more

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Every single part of the Rockland lobster dinner was delicious. The corn was perfectly cooked and so fresh. The lobster was not watery- tasted freshly plucked from the ocean you're overlooking on the cute patio. Steamers were heavenly! And generous serving of them. Plenty of drawn butter ! Coleslaw could have been mediocre and I'd have been happy with the rest but it was amazing homemade Cole slaw with little golden raisins. Yummy blueberry corn bread tucked into a little paper raft keeps it dry from all the seafood. Drinks were delicious with homemade fruit purées. All staff were incredibly friendly and kind. Such a great start to a Maine vacation! read more

Claws - Rockland lobster dinner and lobster roll - Seafood Near Me - Rockland, Maine

Excellent service and food. Amazing views. Wonderful ambiance. Easy access. Watch out for the world biggest crab.

$100+ This past weekend, my significant other and I went up to Maine for a trip. I was looking for the best seafood place I could find I googled and this restaurant came up as one of the best to go to in Maine. We were staying up near Waterville so we were trying to find something good and something with a beautiful outlook of the ocean. It happened to be cold that day because it had been raining all day, but we were happy about just being by the ocean and finding a good place to sit and eat. First off as it was very unusual, you had to go up to the counter and order your dinner so that was no big deal. My other half had ordered the salmon. I ordered what I thought was a lobster dinner and we had also ordered some steamed clams is an appetizer. The meal did take quite a bit of time in order for it to come out, but when it finally came out, everything came out really warm and ready to eat. The first thing I was concerned about is I had a lobster on a plate paid $35 for a lobster on a plate. Back home in Vermont I could've gone down to the local grocery store. Gotten a one and a quarter pound lobster, which is only a little less than what I ordered for eight dollars. The only problem is it would've traveled several dozen miles. I was hoping for a very good one right from the ocean and I was hoping to have dinner not just a lobster. But I let it go so I started to dig into my clams. I opened up my first clam, put it in my mouth and proceeded to start chewing nothing but dirt. I looked in the shell. The shell was covered in dirt. The clam had not been cleaned out, expelling the dirt out of it. I opened a second one and it was just full of sand. I sent them back to the kitchen and was told by the chef that it's normal to have a little bit of grit. I know this because I clean my own clams at home before I eat them. There was more than a little bit of dirt. It looked like he had just gone out to the beach picked them himself, threw them in the pan and then steam them. My significant others salmon came out not even looking pink. It was a weird shade of Rosie pink. It just didn't look very appetizing. None of his dish look very appetizing. I did eat the lobster. The business offered me a couple of things and after having a amount of dirt left in my mouth I really just wanted to try and enjoy the lobster not a lobster dinner so they didn't offered me the money back. Well it's been a week later and I haven't received any of my money back Either. I don't know if it's because we were out of town or what I felt like we weren't treated very well at this restaurant as much as you all seem to enjoy it. I was looking for the best main dinner before I went home the next day and I was so letdown. If I go back to Maine, I'll have to try and pick one of the other restaurants that are labeled the best because this would not be a place I'd be willing to return to. read more

Whenever I'm in Maine, I make sure to stop at Claws! The food is always fast, fresh, and delicious! The waitress was polite and service was great. We sat with views of the water which is also lovely! read more

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Had a nice late lunch/happy hour at Claws when I was in Rockland the other week (tip: weekdays around 3-4pm seem to be a bit less crowded). Otherwise, there's usually a line outside, and it's easy to see why! Lots of folks enjoying their lobster rolls and full lobster dinners--seriously, the portions are huge--and there are a lot of other options on the menu too. I got in on the happy hour oyster special and had that along with a basket of calamari and fries (nice crunch, a tad greasy). Fantastic view sitting on their covered deck overlooking the harbor, and friendly staff at the counters and dining area as well. A wonderful way to get your seafood fix for good value at a classic Maine summer shack! Bonus: Claws makes their own dog treats, which you can buy to take home to your lucky pooch. read more

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Cold Lobster Mac & Cheese. Still half frozen. Chewy tough lobster. Cold soup. Bland. Lobster roll worst We have had in Maine. Also very tough and cold. Like eating a bad frozen food meal or leftovers. Very disappointing. read more

I have been going to Claws for many years, but the last two visits were very disappointing because of their famous lobster rolls. I do like decently large pieces of claws but at the bottom of the roll was a big, tough chunk of lobster tail that was inedible. Yes, I know the tail is the least desirable section of the crustacean, but I believe that diced into smaller pieces would have made them much more appetizing. However, the servers are delightful & accommodating read more

We went on a Sunday at noon, it was our first visit. You order and pay and then sit and wait for your food. We had a whole belly clam basket, shrimp basket, clam strip basket a ginger ale and ice water. The portion sizes were plenty. The food was very tasty. All of the seafood tasted nice and fresh. We all loved the fries, they are seasoned and crispy. The coleslaw was good. Tartar sauce was good. They give you ketchup packets. There are no free refills on the sodas, you have to pay $1. The ice water was free and there's a big water jug for refills. It cost $75 for the three of us. The table next to us had onion rings and they looked so good, I'll definitely get those if we are in the area again! We enjoyed sitting out on the deck, it was heated and very comfortable. The guy that brought our food was friendly and very nice. We had a great lunch! read more

Claws - Sign at the restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Rockland, Maine

Had an AMAZING dinner here. Great food, drinks, and service! Customer service was top notch and everyone looked like they were having a great time read more

This is what is advertised: "Chowdahs BEST OF THE BEST, KNOX COUNTY FOR 8 YRS IN A ROW!!! Made fresh daily and always gluten-free! Served with Westminster Oyster Crackers" The reality of what we experienced: First try was on Saturday, 6 June 2026. We arrived at 9:00PM. They advertise that they are open until 9:30PM. We got here at 9 and were told they were closed! We had driven for 5 hours and hadn't eaten since breakfast. No attempt to accommodate us. 2nd try next evening. We arrived around 5. Ordered a bowl of their "Best of the best Chowda"! It came literally cold! We told the woman who brought it. We were told, "Oh, some people like it cold!" Right! Tell me another one. Then took it and said she'd heat it up. Came back in 2 cups this time and it was as cold as it was before! It had a lot of pepper in it, was a putrid color, thick, and look like some kind of paste. Two bites and that was it. Neither my husband nor I could eat it. Also ordered fried calamari. Realized there were 3 options...and couldn't read the small print up on the wall (menu on the wall where you order!) I wasn't asked, "How would you like it?" So I got it covered with jalapeño peppers, pickled onions and grease that it was cooked it! We had two bites each! It was gross! And, no one ever came back .......! We paid $53.41 including tip! And left 90% of our order uneaten! Don't waste your money at Claws in Rockland, ME! read more

Take me back to Claws! Honestly had lobster almost every day when I was visiting Maine, but Claws was bar far the best tasting lobster & best atmosphere I found. Exactly how a lobster shack should be- you can have your lobster on salad, in bisque, on a roll, as a blt, etc etc. I chose a lobster salad and it was to die for (see my pics!) Lobster was so fresh, tender and moist. Huge chunks of lobster, and awesome colorful fresh salad too. Their signature blueberry croutons were such a surprise! Portion IMO was huge for the taste. Staff was friendly & quick, plus the waterfront view was lovely too. I could feel myself smiling and doing the happy food dance as I had lunch at Claws. 1000% recommend! read more

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