Fried clams were amazing. The best I've ever had. And the cocktail sauce was so different and addictive. read more

when we came it was impossible to find a table and when we did we had to start harvesting people's chairs because we didn't have enough. my mother placed our order with very kind waiter and got WAY too much, she and my sister and eva all got a lobster that was looking at them in dispair while they ate it and i got a lobster roll which i didn't quite enjoy because i am not a big fan of shellfish. and then we ordered our brownies separately after we ate the other food because we wanted them later and they were pretty tasty and the ice cream was perfectly shaped on top. while i was eating my brownie my sister was yelling at me to hurry up because she wanted to take aesthetic sunset pics. if you like lobsta then you should come. read more

See all

I regret not ordering the onion rings, they looked so good. I ordered a fried clam strip box, which was wonderfully battered, and deliciously prepared. Don't sleep on the cocktail sauce here! Its peppery and so delicious. The tartar sauce is also super chunky of pickles and also delcious, the cups to fill with sauces were not up to the task here. The crab sandwich was okay. The fries were not crispy at all, in fact putting the fried clams on top may have made them a little soggy. There is malt vinegar to put on top, so that helps, but there also wasn't any salt on them. read more

A rainy Memorial Day weekend birding stop, and two bowls of clam chowder hit the spot. Great casual coastal vibe with a view that makes even a gray day feel worth it. read more

See all

Danger. Undercooked a pair of lobsters. The eggs were black sludge instead of red/orange. I googled it and it said it was undercooked and potentially contaminated. I brought it to the counter. The person at the register was confused and kept asking me to repeat myself. Ok fine, she brings in the head guy. This guy proceeds to tell me that I ate half the lobster and now I want to return it, but they could cook me another one. Listen, I ate the claws first. My bad. Back and forth with this guy trying to say it was fine but they can cook another pair. And kept telling me that I ate half and retreated to the back. Tbh I was and I'm still pretty upset. I asked for a refund which they gave me to the cent. Nothing for tax or anything. Again confusion from the person at the counter. I go back pack up some fries and shrimp wanting to get the hell out of there before I got more upset. I didn't wash my hands so as we drove away I turned around and gave the packed up food back fearing I contaminated it. That's 50 dollars I'll never see again. Maybe it was all fine and not undercooked idk. I'm not a lobster expert. To undercook then ok fine, but to argue with me about how much I ate is pretty messed up. Don't go to this place not because the food isn't good, don't go because they don't deserve your business and there are plenty of other spots that give a ****. read more

I just had my first ever lobster roll here (am I even from Boston?) and it was so good! My friend had suggested we go here since she's seen The Lobster Pool on a bunch of lists for where to get the best lobster roll in Boston. It was cute here! The service was pretty fast and there's a nice view looking over some water. There's slightly limited parking outside but people are coming and going so this was no issue! Lobster rolls in general aren't my new favorite food by any means but I can see how they're a fav for most in the summer. I can't say I loved seeing the red lobster arm pieces in my sandwich but I ate it anyways. The fries this came with were also divine! I'm now on the hunt for a warm one with butter! read more

The Lobster Pool - Seafood Near Me - Rockport, Massachusetts

I don't understand the 2 & 3 star reviews. You don't come to the Lobster Pool for fine dining. You step up to a counter, order, and wait for your pager to tell you to pick up your order. Want ketchup, cocktail sauce, plastic ware? Go get it. Now, if you're ready for some fried seafood. Get ready. The platters give you a little less of the fish you order and fill that space with a Mayo based Cole slaw and French fries. You can skip the sides and order a "box" which is really more like a paper boat. Small, medium & large. We went with 2 medium boxes of clams. One box strips and the other strips and bellies. I preferred the straight strips. Sweeter. Both perfectly fried, slightly chewy and a medium was a perfect serving. My wife, the disciplined health nut, went with a garden salad made special with some grilled shrimp. The salad was only average, but the large shrimp made it a decent meal. The fish & chips came loaded onto a plate with fish burying the fries. Again, perfectly done. I tried a cup of New England clam chowder (is there any other kind?) and scarfed it down before I could take a picture. Rich, but not too thick. And surprise, lots of chunks of clams. A little pepper and all was right with the world. BTW, it's BYOB. We sat on a bench facing the water and caught a beautiful sunset. Just a reality check, the Lobster Pool may be a bit divey, but the prices are still steep. 4 adults came to a little over $100 plus tip. read more

See all

I really wanted a lobster roll and this place was close to where we're staying, so we decided to give it a try. It's casual and by the water, beautiful view. Service was good. The lobster roll was small for $30, and I wish it was seasoned better. read more

The Lobster Pool - Seafood Near Me - Rockport, Massachusetts

See all

Really disappointing and not that fresh. This place is a tourist trap and only good for the outdoor view and soups. I would only recommend the bisque and chowder. Lobster roll was bland, fries weren't crisp, fisherman's platter tasted like frozen seafood. I wanted to get a crab roll but luckily I double checked and asked if the meat was freshly shucked, and to their credit they admitted it was canned meat. They need to make their own tartar sauce or get a better bottled brand because it does not taste good. Not sure I would come back when you have so many good options around read more

Came in the other day for fried clam strips. I honestly really enjoyed them because it wasn't just fried batter but I can definitely see what people are saying in reviews when they think the food tastes frozen. The fries and clam strips most definitely could have been frozen but I still enjoyed them anyways. Not the best seafood ever but I liked it. read more

The Lobster Pool - fried clam strips - Seafood Near Me - Rockport, Massachusetts

Our friend took us here for dinner and we ordered a lobster, haddock, shrimp, and clam chowder. All was delicious and very fresh. My only disappointment was they ran out of the twin lobster deal. This place is also excellent for viewing the sunset. What an epic view!! read more

5 stars for the view. 5 stars for the sunset. 5 stars for BYOB. Food is awful (a 1), so we give it 3 stars. Btw, I don't know how they did it, but they made their fried clams taste unlike clams. And that "1.5 pound lobster" was a chick, more like a pound. You're not fooling anyone. read more

The Lobster Pool - BYOB - Seafood Near Me - Rockport, Massachusetts

See all

Went there with friends. Very disappointing. We both had the fisherman's platter. The clams were overcooked and tough. The yard was messy. read more

The food is Excellant !! Definitelya place worth checking out Go on a nice day sit outside with a very close up view of the water while you eat- You can even bring your dog outside in the eating area It's casual you order inside where there are more tables for cooler or rainy days They have a varied menu besides lobster fried clams etc there are salads hamburgers desserts.... And BYOB They are open all day until 9 pm Worth the drive to Rockport Granite St Route 127!!! read more

10/10 best fried clam bellies in cape Anne. Ive tried all of the usuals Woodmans, clambox, Farnhams, all of them and this is by far the best clam bellies. Plus, they give you lots more for the money! The food comes out super quick and the service is stellar. The Ambiance is always great as it overlooks the sea. read more

The Lobster Pool - Seafood Near Me - Rockport, Massachusetts

If in Rockport, you've got to eat here. Where better to have fresh seafood than facing the calm waters. The place is BYOB and their menu is simple but delicious! We ordered the following: - Steamer (large clams) - Fried scallops - Fried belly clams With a pack of 4 ciders we had an awesome meal. If I could bring Lobster Pool back to Toronto I would, but again, I don't mind coming back to Rockport for a lovely seafood filled weekend. read more

The Lobster Pool - Seafood Near Me - Rockport, Massachusetts

Had my second visit to the lobster pool. The first was 30 years ago. Great to see a place like this withstand the test of time. We only had the fish and chips, fried clam strips and onion rings. All were excellent. Friend said it was the best fried clams he ever had. Setting was beautiful on a lovely September afternoon by the water. read more

Such a great hidden gem! It was nice to go to a place in rockport outside of the downtown area. It can always be so hard to find parking there. Great lobster rolls!! Yum! We got some fried clam strips and fries too. Everything came out quickly and was so delicious. But the best part was eating outside in a quite little Bay Area on the water. A great place to bring the whole family like we did. read more

The Lobster Pool - Dining area - Seafood Near Me - Rockport, Massachusetts

See all

The best views for a casual lobster/seafood dinner! The cove it's situated on is quiet and beautiful. The food is great and service fast. Their sweet potato fries are to die for. read more

The Lobster Pool - Fresh Lobster Roll Sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Rockport, Massachusetts

See all

Solid lobster bisque with good chunks of lobster meat. Sweet potato fries were surprisingly extra good as were the halibut bites. My bf thoroughly enjoyed his lobster but next time we will bring some proper tools read more

This place is conveniently located near the Halibut State Park, attracting all the hungry people post hike. My friend and I came here for a late lunch and thankfully didn't have much crowd. You order inside and get a puck which notifies you when your food is ready. Their outdoor space has ample space and stunning ocean views. We got a bunch of different seafood. The casserole was a little disappointing as it was mostly baked shrimp and fries. But nevertheless, the clams and the chowder were 10/10! Will definitely be back for the mussels I saw someone having. When we were heading our, there was a very long line to order and no parking left. They also have restrooms available on site. read more

The Lobster Pool - Seafood Near Me - Rockport, Massachusetts

See all

Honestly, this is usually my favorite place to eat each summer because the view is great, it's busy and we sit outside so our kids being kids isn't a problem, and we always get a great family photo at sunset but the food this year was awful. We threw out three lobster rolls because the meat was so tough to chew it wasn't even worth eating, the crab roll had lots of hard pieces which I'm assuming was shells, the fried food was soggy. Overall all just super disappointing, nobody enjoyed their meal. The staff also changed this year-usually the kids taking orders are super sweet and accommodating, this year it was like pulling teeth to be helped. Hoping it was just a terrible night and this is not their new norm, but I'm not sure I'd risk going back to throw out all of our meals again. read more

As a former seafood restaurant owner, I can say that the seafood platter that we ordered was top notch. It was fresh and large enough for two people. The steamers we also great. read more

Good views and great location by Halibut Point State Park. They have nice outdoor seating overlooking the ocean. We got lobster rolls and a fried calamari box. The lobster rolls were delicious (though heavily marinated with mayo, in case you don't like that). Their fries that come with the lobster roll were VERY crispy. I was quite satisfied with them. The water from their soda machine tasted faintly of mold. The fried calamari was... pretty bad. The batter did not stick to the squid, so each one separated when you bit into it. They also tasted like absolutely nothing, no seasoning whatsoever. That makes me hesitant to order any of their fried seafood again, but their lobster rolls are a safe bet! Food 3/5 Location 5/5 Prices 4/5 read more

The Lobster Pool - Lobster rolls and fried calamari - Seafood Near Me - Rockport, Massachusetts

This is a typical lobster shack. Nothing fancy about it. Sitting outside there are picnic tables by the ocean. It's in a somewhat secluded area by the side of the road, and row ocean views are spectacular. They have a lobster pool right at the entrance. They don't sell any beers, but it's BYOB, so bring your favorite pack. Lobster roll is typical, made on a toaster hot dog bun, with just a lettuce leaf and packed with lobster. We also had fried clams that that were just right. read more

grumpy woman at the register, got a Haddock sandwich and fries , fries were not golden , sandwich was not cooked well either,not haddock as said on the menu either. I'd say scrod or flounder , as a former cook there as well . gone down hill since the farm people took over . very disappointed . read more

The only thing this place has going for it is the view. The food is awful! The fish in the fish and chips plate (which is way overpriced) was not fresh (and was more likely flounder, rather than haddock), plus the breading was soggy, not crisp like fried fish is supposed to be. The onion rings were frozen and greasy, not homemade. The cole slaw portion was minuscule. If you want, authentic, excellent seafood, don't bother going here. You are much better off at Essex Seafood or Farnham's. Lobster Pool should be ashamed of themselves for selling such poor quality food at inflated prices, just because they know people will come for the setting. read more

Visited this spot a few weeks ago and felt JUST OK about it. Nothing special really. We dined on a fried fish and shrimp plate. I found the batter to be very UNDER SEASONED and the coleslaw was terrible. We sat outside and the view was enjoyable, but the furniture could use some work. It felt like a bunch of old patio furniture thrown together willy nilly. No real attention to detail inside or outside to create any type of ambiance. A little effort in this area, goes a long way in my book! Overall, I'm not sure I would recommend this spot. Better options abound. read more

Had lunch here today and the lobster rolls were inedible. There was GLOBS and GLOBS of mayonnaise in the lobster roll. At one point I took a bite and it was nothing but bun and a tablespoon of mayo. There were four of us and all were extremely disappointed with the lobster rolls. Real bummer since the clams and fries were good and the view is great. The roll was bad enough that I'm not sure I'd go back. Sad. read more

Definitely the view is worth more than the food here. I was thoroughly disappointed with the lobsters here. We visited on a Monday to avoid the crowd and had a great view lunch sitting outside. Too bad that was about the only positive for this place. Unfortunately the boiled lobster I had was overcooked and dry, they probably left it in the water for too long definitely could have been better. The lobster pie was quite disappointing too, although they were generous with the lobster meat it was covered way too much in greasy butter and flakes that made it not so enjoyable. The rolls were decent although for the price I expected more of it but I guess they make it for it with plenty of fries, basically almost everything we ordered comes with a side of fries lol. But yeah if you come here for the State Park I would skip this place and better spend your hard-earn money elsewhere. The view itself isn't any more spectacular compare to the view within the State Park read more

See all

Rude staff (albeit we did stay past our welcome but still...,) and expensive lobster. the lobsters were very tasty, and came reasonably quickly. The french fries were undoubtedly the worst I'd ever had. Very bland and stale. The butter dip had left over lobster meat in it upon arrival...so do with that what to will. read more

The view can't be beat here! The service is quick and fast and the food is delicious! Their menu is so extensive. I've visited a handful Of times and it just keeps getting better. Few things to note they are currently BYOB, so pack a cooler, bring the family or a date and enjoy the view. Like always I forgot to take a picture of this outing but it's wealth worth the trip to Gloucester. Fyi BYOB! read more

Super cute little place along the ocean. We sat and ate our lunch outside, it was really nice. I got the lobster roll, but I don't like the mayo style, so I asked if they had butter, and they said they could give me butter on the side with cold lobster. I didn't think it was as good as other lobster rolls I've had, but maybe it's because the meat was cold instead of hot. The french fries were really good! I could've eaten a whole plate of them. It was a little expensive (to me), the lobster roll was around $30. But tbh I think that's around the standard price for lobster rolls around here now anyways. read more

The Lobster Pool - lobster roll with butter - Seafood Near Me - Rockport, Massachusetts

The food is garbage. Seafood anyways. Go to Farnham's instead. The view is nice, so next time we'll get burgers and chicken fingers and bring some beers. Fried batter is gross. Too salty! Broiled haddock is too salty as well and the breading was too gloppy and heavy. Chowder is meh at best. Fried clam was ok. So many better options around. read more

Probably my favorite place to get a lobster and eat outside while watching the sunset. And it is BYOB! read more

The Lobster Pool - Seafood Near Me - Rockport, Massachusetts

See all

Bad customer service. The lobster roll was alright. Definitely overpriced. The view was the best part of the whole experience. read more

The Lobster Pool - Seafood Near Me - Rockport, Massachusetts

Came here for dinner with my family and some friends, food was very mid and not worth the price. The view wasn't even great either. Fried fish tasted old and like straight oil; the Lobster Bisque soup had no flavor and tasted like straight heavy cream. Paid over $90 for tasteless oily food - best thing there was their french fries that were probably frozen. read more

See all

The food was great. Service was friendly and quick. You can't beat the view. Loved sitting outside viewing the ocean. read more

The Lobster Pool - View from our table. - Seafood Near Me - Rockport, Massachusetts

See all

Got the Rockport Salad topped with added chicken. Chicken was so overcooked and dry. I stopped forcing it down in fear it would make me sick not knowing when this must have been made to dry out so bad. read more

The Lobster Pool - Rockport salad with chicken - Seafood Near Me - Rockport, Massachusetts

First time this season, 2nd time ever. Most likely not come back here again next time we go visit the state park. I had medium box of belly clams. Some of them didn't taste right/good. Not sure why; but it ruined my craving for fried clams. The fries that came with the seafood platter was way too salty. The rest of the seafood was ok; but nothing to wow about. Since the pandemic started, I've been bringing wipes to disinfect the table when dining out. I can tell that they didn't do a decent job wiping their tables. There was sticky spots on the table that wasn't wiped away. It probably wasn't wiped down properly, if they did. The Pepsi was watered down. The ginger ale was watered down. Guess they don't check their soda machine when they open up for lunch. Overall, it was disappointing after spending over $70 for 2 dishes and 2 cups of soda. read more

The Lobster Pool - Fried Clams & seafood platter - Seafood Near Me - Rockport, Massachusetts