I love everything about this place. Delicious fresh seafood. The ladies running it are so friendly and enthusiastic about having a great time. We had two lobster dinners and a side of fried clams to start. Fantastic beer selection too! We can't wait to go back. read more

Claws - 1.5 pound lobster love - Seafood Near Me - Rockland, Maine

I am local to Rockland. We had family visiting from Long Island, NY & decided to give Claws a try. They did not disappoint! We enjoyed twin stuffed lobster tails, crab dip, lobster burgers, and haddock sandwiches. We ordered a 1/2 doz oysters. They weren't brought out with the rest of our food (not at all a big deal). When they finally arrived, they had given us another 6 for free because of the error. Will be DEFINITELY GOING BACK SOON! read more

Claws - Happily anticipating our delicious food - Seafood Near Me - Rockland, Maine

I'll be honest, loved the decor, location, and vibe but the food was quite average. I didn't care for the fries at all and the fried Haddock Sandwich was a generous serving; but nothing really stood out. Huge curb appeal and my expectation were equally high but it failed to rise to the challenge. I agree with the complaints about long lines and Slowwwwww service at the order window. You all definitely need a new system. 20 minutes is probably being polite for literally just three groups to order ahead of me. I might recommend not having the cashier / single order taker double as the bartender for starters. Staff was great and personable, real plus. But my final recommendation is to take a pass on the Claw. It's just another local seafood shack that will keep you wishing it did better. read more

Claws - Seafood Near Me - Rockland, Maine

From all the places we stopped for seafood, this was the gem. Incredibly organized ordering process and super helpful for answering questions and making suggestions. The very friendly woman taking our order helped me to decide to go off the beaten path and order up the lobster burger and it did not disappoint. It was battered and fried, but once that first bite was taken, it fell apart beautifully and was loaded with lobster meat and not much else. Lemon remoulade sauce the icing on the cake. Very unique for getting my lobster fix and pricing was very reasonable. They had plenty of seating to handle the crowd and even a clean bathroom with added perks (hair ties, berets, floss, etc) inside. Affordable pricing compared to almost every other place we encountered. Claws is the real deal. read more

Birthday meal.. And wanted to find a good spot for the occasion. Sadly, it was a dreary wet day, and with the pandemic, I wasn't thrilled with eating into a normal brick and mortar spit just yet. My birthday wishes were answered with Claws though. First off, reviews were already good and the place has been recognized time after time for their lobster meals, so I knew I was in for something good. Arrived around 2 or so, do lunch rush was gone and dinner rush hadn't hit - perfect by me. The place is all covered decking/patio seating, so even on the rainy day it was dry and airy as it was all open, but covered, which was exactly what I wanted given the pandemic. They also request that everyone wear a mask when not eating. The menu was big! Even if seafood isn't your thing, there's staples for everyone.. Even some super generous salads. I skipped breakfast and was beyond hungry. So getting their "Claw"ssol roll was a must. A pound of meat on a footlong sub roll paired with a blueberry lemonade and a blueberry ale.. Nothing more Maine really. It didn't disappoint and I was pretty close to entering food coma. Prices for all their items was reasonable. The footlong was a bit steap, but for a birthday dinner it was beyond worth it. It could easily be shared if you want the photo credit too. read more

Claws - The 'Claw'ssol - Seafood Near Me - Rockland, Maine

Dog friendly! Amazing crab & lobster rolls. Fried clam straps were also fresh and amazing. Lots of outdoor seating to choose from. 10/10 will be back. EDIT: We loved this place so much we went back 2 days later! read more

We went here for lunch today. I had the crabby artichoke dip. It was the worst I had ever had. Tasted like hot cream cheese. No flavor crab or artichokes would not recommend read more

Best seafood I've ever had on vacay, and I'm from the coast!!!! The chowder was delicious. The roll was exceptional, and the fried scallops were absolutely to die for. I cannot wait to be back. Come eat here! read more

Our friend recommended Claws from when he visited Rockland years ago, and we're so glad we listened to him! He ate here multiple times in one week, and now we know why! We got a cup of Mammy's clam chowder, a lobster roll Flatlandah style, and the lobster mac and cheese. The clam chowder was good, the lobster roll was packed with HUGE pieces of lobster, and the mac and cheese was simply AMAZING. I will say that the lobster roll was a bit hard to eat since the pieces were so big (first world problems), and the bun couldn't keep it together. The mac and cheese was much saucier than your typical mac n cheese. The cracker crumbs on top (Ritz maybe?) make me want to put it on top of everything. We also tried the blueberry lemonade which tasted great to us (we're old and can't tolerate supersweet things anymore), but it may be on the tart side for others. I want to stay in Rockland longer so we can eat at Claws again! read more

See all

Great Lobster restaurant. Great price and big portion. We were very happy we found this one on the way to another restaurant. Fried whole bellyclam basket was sooo yummy. Lobster roll was excellent. Tuna taco was meh. Lobster bisque was pretty good but too salty. You order and pay the food at the register, and they will bring your food to you. read more

I guess we ordered all the wrong things. After reading the reviews, we decided to try Claws. Excited to try things, we ordered calamari, crab cakes, and artichoke crab dip. What a disappointment. The calamari itself was tender, but the batter tasted like donut batter and was very greasy. The crab cakes were all bread and virtually no crab. They were brown inside and out. most crab cakes are white - crab meat, get it? Had an INCREDIBLE lump crab cake at Red Rooster in Harlem (Marcus Samuelsson's restaurant) last week. This Maine fake crab cake was so so disappointing. We felt totally screwed by the kitchen. They charge a lot gor a dough ball. Same goes for the "crab" dip - hunks of cold cream cheese and almost no crab. We all thought it was canned crab, there was so little meat to be found. The positives were the unique building/merchandise and the beer selection. That's not a reason to go though. Underwhelming. We won't be going back or recommending this sham to any friends. We wish we could. read more

We picked up the menu in our hotel lobby and it immediately screamed "TOURIST TRAP." I was a bit weary but ended up really happy with our choice. We waited about 15/20 minutes to order and got a great spot on he back deck. For dinner I got a cup of clam chowder and the 1/2 lb lobster roll. Husband got the Shore Dinner. Everything was delicious and the chowder is the best I've ever had. Broth was perfectly creamy without any hint of the gloppyness you sometimes get. Good balance of veg to clams. We enjoyed dinner so much we returned for lunch the next day, something we NEVER do on vacation. For lunch we got the lobster bisque, more chowder, truffle Parmesan fries and the seafood cakes. All were great except the cakes which we knew were going to be a gamble. Would definitely return! read more

See all

This was some of the best food we ate in Maine. The fried clams were amazing. The lobster roll was also great. You can't go wrong here.

We loved this cute little Maine lobster restaurant by the water! We had our very first lobster in Maine, and it was delicious. We had such a great experience, and everyone was so friendly. We sat at one of the tables with a great view of the water. We each ordered a whole lobster (1.5 lb) and a side of fries, and cans of soda. We definitely recommend this place and will come again if we get the chance!! read more

See all

Responding back to the owner, Luanne, Ok you're right you got a really great lobster roll and a few other entrees also. Came back a second time and tried out that Lobster roll with Buttah, Drunken Mussels and Fried Haddock. Some lunch companions also shared scallops and fried calamari. First the toasted Lobster roll was simply fantastic. I didn't get much grief at the counter for adding butter thankfully, and from that point on, I didn't need anything else. So kudos to Luanne for backing up her words on the lobster roll. The issue with many Lobster shacks is that many are one trick ponies, they may do the lobster roll well but not everything else. Well, to my surprise, Claws does the everything else, really great as well. These drunken mussels they do, are piled high, loaded with flavor, garlic everywhere, just the way I like them. The bread that was served alongside it was simply buttered, waiting to be dipped into the sauce underneath. This is one of the favorite dishes on my trip. The fried haddock is less seasoned relative to the mussels, but thinly battered and nicely fried. As soon as you cut into them it can easily be seen how fresh these fillets are. I enjoyed this with the Maine Blueberry Habernero sauce at the table based on the recommendation of an employee managing the tables. The scallops were super seared and swimming in spices with buttah. Again great for dipping that bread that came with the mussels. The fried calamari are not unlike everything else that was fried here. Lightly battered and delicious. So Luanne, I've upped the stars assigned based on your flagship entree being really awesome but you've definitely got a few other tricks up your sleeve. read more

See all

First timer. Super delicious!! Others had calamari dinner and baked seafood casserole. Everything was yummy. You place your order, they give you a plastic lobster toy with a number on it, go sit in one of their two covered outdoor dining areas and an employee delivers your food. They also will bring other things you may need, napkins, to go boxes, etc. I've already gone back. Highly recommend. read more

Claws - Lazy lobster, corn, blueberry biscuit and side of red roasted potatoes. - Seafood Near Me - Rockland, Maine

See all

This is a family run restaurant, with the friendliest, precious family around (no, they're not relatives, this was my first time there). The food was out of this world delicious and fresh. A special treat for me was the finest calamari I've ever eaten. I'm allergic to shellfish so my only delight close to that is squid so I eat a lot of squid... everywhere. The only way to describe Claw's calamari is "pillows of happiness." The batter is light and fluffy and so is the calamari! Not chewy one little bit. Unbelievable! Everything tastes as if it's homemade including their cocktail sauce, tartar, sauce, coleslaw, etc. The beer I ordered was freezing cold and filled to the brim! What a treat that was too. This is a "don't miss" place. read more

This place is fantastic!! Definitely recommend! Doesn't look like much from the outside but the food is amazing! We had a lobster roll, a crab roll, lobster Mac n Cheese, and a haddock meal. Every single one was delicious! The loss of one star is because ewe were so cold. They have plastic up but didn't have their space heaters on even though it's in the 40s/50s. That said, I definitely recommend stopping here, you won't be disappointed. read more

We came here for lunch thanks to a concierge recommendation..& after reading reviews we were excited to try it out. Service was good. The views were real nice, But the food was ok... My fiancé ordered the Bourbon BBQ steak tips and it had no flavor. I ordered the popular lobster roll but it was just ok. . :( read more

On our east coast road trip, I was looking for a place to stop near the water with good food and to be pet friendly. Claws checked the box on each of those! Definitely recommend stopping by! read more

Great place! Great location! Service was fantastic and both meals were really good. Dog friendly as well. We will be going back. read more

Claws - The Lazy Lobster Dinner and the Fried Scallop Basket. - Seafood Near Me - Rockland, Maine

We had high hopes coming to Claws. Sadly, we were tremendously disappointed. We ordered the Lazy Lobster meal, double order of shrimp and clam fritters. This order took 1 hour and 10 minutes to get. That's absurd. I get that you have various orders: to go and eat in, which leads me to my other gripe, the woman taking your "eat in" order is also taking take out orders! This means you wait and wait... aaannnd wait. There's a better way. Figure it out. The food? The 1 hour and 10 minute wait didn't justify what we got. The double shrimp order was popcorn shrimp. It wasn't what we were expecting. And it wasn't anything special- absolutely no flavor. None. The clam fritters? More filling than clam. The Lazy lobster? It kept me from getting my hands dirty, for sure. There was plenty was there for me to eat, but the coleslaw had NO flavor. Maybe that's the way it's made in Maine, but it wasn't to my liking and the corn was corn. You're most likely wondering what I did enjoy, right? The beer. I enjoyed this beer. If we're ever up in Rockport again, I wouldn't return to Claws. Sadly, I can't recommend this place to you or my friends. read more

Claws - The best part. - Seafood Near Me - Rockland, Maine

Delicious lobster shack located right on the water. Their lobster rolls are piled high and served warm with a touch of old bay seasoning and your choice of lightly tossed in mayo or plain with a side of drawn butter. Great service, numerous other food options including various fried seafood and pie, and a decent selection of beer and wine. The whole staff was super friendly. Great experience! read more

The haddock was fabulous. Well cooked and served piping hot. My husband got the seafood plated and he gave it two thumbs up (especially the scallops). Try the blueberry cornbread! Downside was nature! Sitting outside we were fighting the flies but food was delicious. read more

The place seems like a good local joint where the locals can have a good meal. However, it appears to be a tourist trap. The food is terrible and overpriced. There was a line outside that led me to believe the food would be great. That was not the case, the food was at best mediocre. I really feel they disrespected those poor lobsters they were serving. Would not recommend or even eat there a second time. read more

Wanted a nice lunch on the water and this place appeared . Took awhile to order although it was not that busy. The seating area was adequate but the background must was not in the background but the foreground making it hard to talk on the deck . We sat on the lower part of the deck and could still see the water and also hear each other . The scallops were grilled in butter and very good but not that unusual or exciting, the homemade potato salad was good but not great. The lobster bisque was a nice size portion but a little salty. All's nd all it was good not great. read more

4.5 stars for a great lobster roll, along with friendly service, good portions, beer and wine on the menu, and indoor and outdoor seating. A short 3-4 minutes) drive from the heart of Rockland's lively, cute, and artsy downtown. Well worth the trip. All that it would take for it get that extra half star is a slightly more idyllic view. I do love Rockland's working waterfront though. read more

Claws - The Maine trifecta: awesome lobster roll, Allagash White, and a working waterfront as the backdrop! - Seafood Near Me - Rockland, Maine

Stopped here for dinner on our way through Rockland. At first when I saw it I was like... no way am I eating at a place with a giant lobster in the front .... But then I looked for a restaurant on Yelp and this had the best reviews! (For good reason!) I got chicken fingers and a root beer and my boyfriend got the Haddock PoBoy and a rootbeer. We arrived around 630 on a Monday and there was a line that took about ten minutes to get to the front of. The oceanfront patio was pretty packed so we sat on the side closer to the road which was still pretty nice! Parking was a little confusing as there is a lot next door on the left if you're facing the restaurant that you can't park in! We parked for free on the road across the street and walked over. Our food was delicious and came out hot and fresh- we had to wait to eat it! The service was excellent as well! read more

See all

We were on our drive back from Maine to Boston and decided to take a scenic route. We came across Claws and decided to make a stop based on prior reviews. The line was quiet long and was moving rather slow with a few large groups in front of us. However, the lobster roll was worth every second of the wait. You get the quality and quantity of lobster for your money. I would not hesitate to stop and give Claws a try! read more

Claws - Lobster roll with mayo - Seafood Near Me - Rockland, Maine

The BEST lobster roll is here. They don't cheat you on the meat and it's absolutely delicious. I enjoyed sitting outside on the picnic tables, drinking a beer and indulging in a lobster roll. read more

Claws - Lobster Roll - Seafood Near Me - Rockland, Maine

I was so looking forward to enjoying the food at this place, but sadly, it was sorely lacking in flavor. I got the classic lobster roll, and somehow, they managed to make the lobster taste like nothing. It wasn't sweet or rich. It tasted as if the flavor had all been boiled out of it. A huge disappointment after waiting 30 mins to place our order and 25 mins to receive it. We also got the seafood chowder which was essentially just some chunks of lobster in a cream sauce with butter - very under-salted and under seasoned overall. My husband had the blackened shrimp and Parmesan pasta. Also under-seasoned and the pasta was over cooked. The best things out of the whole meal were the side salad, onion straws and corn on the cob - but no one waits an hour and pays $100+ to enjoy just those few things. Maybe they were having a really off day, but I wouldn't return to find out. Also, what other reviewers have said about the mosquitos is spot on - I got 6 bites on my legs even tho we managed to kill a few. Does not make for a great dining experience! read more

Don't come here expecting table side service. Walk up, order and pay. Wait for your lobster number to be called and come pick it up. They have two window. The front side is for order-in and the back side where you pick up your order is also used for takeout orders. Kitschy place with a nice water view back patio, as opposed to the street side front patio. Both areas are covered. The restroom is gender neutral and covered with lobster related comics and ads. I ordered a big steamed lobster for my wife, which was very good. I ordered their large lobster roll, because I was starving and my wife said...order two. I thought this would be a better way. First, it had like a pound of meat, which tasted sweet and fresh, not mealy or defrosted. The roll however wasn't as fresh as the lobster. I should've just ordered two regular rolls. We got the onion straws, which were enjoyable. They soak there onions in beer and watermelon. All in all, I'd recommend you trying Claws. We would return. The roll was a bit hard, dry and dense at one end, about an inch of the roll. It could very well be from the baking process. The rest of the roll was fine. read more

See all

I have been looking forward to eating at Claws for a long time. The reviews have been very enticing. I am a long time Maine visitor spending weeks every summer here for over 50 years. I know what's available in lobster and seafood. I ordered a lobster roll and a clam chowder. My friends had fried scallops, fried calamari and a lobster pasta salad. The chowder was thick and had a nice flavor. It was good, not great. My lobster roll bun was limp. The lobster limp and truthfully not overly flavorful. The scallops and calamari were greasy as heck. It was all over the bottom of the container. The lobster pasta was good. I was not impressed and the prices are relatively high. I will not return here but will continue to go to lobster coops in Pemaquid and Red Barn in Augusta. Sorry guys. I had high hopes. read more

If you're looking for the best roadside lobster roll in the Camden Rockport area, well Claws it is. We were here our last night in town for dinner. Wife declared it better than the other place (which was also good, see my other review) I didn't interact with staff, and no idea what we spent, but the food was good! Claws gets 5 solid stars! read more

Quintessential New England lobster shack. Show up in a beat up t shirt and sandals, get in line to order at the window (we waited about 20 min), grab a beer and find a seat. Sit back and enjoy your drink and company; you're on vacation. Waited about 40 min and had another beer until food showed up. Top notch chowder, thin crispy onion rings, fresh corn on cob cooked just right and fresh, sweet lobster. The roll had a generous portion of huge chunks. Delicious and exactly what you'd want from this place. Ignore the complaints about wait and $. Just Google 'lobster price 2021' and 'restaurant staffing pandemic' or don't bother going. The line will be a bit shorter for the rest of us. read more

Stopped here on our way back down from Acadia to Freeport, line was long but seemed ti be moving quickly. We hadn't had a lobster dinner yet so decided to get the lazy lobster dinner (peeled for you) and clam chowder with the lobster donuts. Lobster was in butter and delicious, great option to get a whole lobster but not have to peel it when you're traveling and don't have the right utensils. Blueberry cornbread was great, loved the golden raisins in the coleslaw, corn was sweet and crunchy. Clam chowder has different spiced than a traditional clam chowder but I really enjoyed it. The lobster donuts were okay, not to say they weren't good I just don't think they were for me. Donut outside was really good and it was stuffed with lobster and cream cheese. The only downside was the long wait time after ordering carry out, about an hour. read more

Food may be delicious, but we unfortunately didn't get to eat it. We ordered a lobster dinner, lobster roll, seafood casserole, bacon bourbon scallops, and coconut curry mussels. We sat at the table for 50 minutes without being served any food and without any word from the server. During that time, 2 lobster dinners and 2 lobster rolls were served to tables that ordered between 10 and 15 minutes after us. We then were served cold mussels, and lukewarm scallops and seafood casserole. The curry in the mussels had started to congeal, and the casserole was lukewarm only because of the crumb topping. As of an hour since we ordered, we still had not been served the lobster dinner or the lobster roll. We asked that our cold food be remade, that our lobster dinner and lobster roll be served, and that some sort of discount be provided to account for the poor service and food issues we encountered. The server decided to just cancel and refund the entire order, which was done immediately without our assent. The server then stopped by and picked up the previously served scallops, mussels, and seafood casserole because "the entire order was being cancelled." When we mentioned that the situation could have been handled better from a customer service perspective, the server indicated that she asked the owner to come out, but the owner said she should "handle it because she was the deck manager." The owner was on site but did not come out to speak to us. All in all, an extremely disappointing experience. We would have liked to have eaten what appeared to be some delicious sounding food, but that did not happen. I hope others have a better experience than we did. read more

Definitely glad we checked yelp for a good seafood place in Portland. Good customer service and beautiful coastal views. We were lucky to arrive just after opening as we didn't have to wait long at all to order. The lobster roll was delicious and very generous with the lobster meat! We also tried the seafood chowder which was creamy and full of large chunks of fish. Would definitely recommend this place! read more

Claws - Lobster roll and cup of seafood chowder - Seafood Near Me - Rockland, Maine

See all

Friendly people (,everyone) excellent reasonably priced sea food. Touristy lobster shack vibe. Dog friendly!! I've got a big ol dog and he was welcome on the deck. Thank you. Highly recommend, will be back to try more things. read more

Very cute place with nice people. We enjoyed the lobster rolls and crab cake sandwich. You order and pay, bring your lobster table marker to your picnic table and they bring your food out to you. The husband and wife who brought the food and bussed the tables were super pleasant and kind. They made us feel very welcome. Food was good. We thought the additional $2 for flat lander lobster roll (no mayo, but butter instead) was a bit much. Butter is expensive no doubt but there's about 1-2 tablespoons of butter on there. They have a nice paved parking lot with decent wheelchair access to the order counter and deck. Bathrooms were fairly spacious and clean. read more