Lively lobster: The lobster must be fresh – as in, just came off the boat. If it’s lobster season where you are and you’re contemplating making a roll with frozen lobster, stop now.* Make it into risotto or pasta instead. Seriously. You’re on the ocean, you have access. Buy it fresh. In addition to being fresh, the lobster must be properly cooked, ideally in ocean water. Of the rolls we tried on the island, those with the best cooked and seasoned lobster were in the same town, about 100 metres from each other. The first was at the Lobster Barn on the wharf in Victoria by the Sea, a beautiful little town that turns out to be the island’s lobster roll Mecca. The other was just up the street at Landmark Oyster House. Both appear to have been cooked in sea water, but if they weren’t, they were cooked in the next best thing — heavily salted water. Take it from this lobster-roll enthusiast: Lobster boiled or steamed without enough salt (or any, as my 14-year-old self discovered) is almost not worth eating. Coincidentally, the lobster roll at Richard’s, which has locations in Victoria and Covehead and which is lauded by Islanders near and far as the best on offer, featured under-seasoned lobster. There was plenty of the tender red stuff so it was still worth eating — made more imperative by its distinction as the island’s priciest roll at $27 to have it with fries. But it did need to be cooked in saltier water.

The bun: Some places on the Island — we’re looking at you, John Brown’s Richmond Street Grille in Charlottetown, and Sou’West in Kensington — dare to mess with the social contract into which lobster-roll eaters enter when they order one, namely, that the bun shall be rectangular and hotdog style, opening on the top to expose a wealth of briny-yet-sweet red nectar. Seasoned lobster-roll eaters also know that there must be some butter on that bun, given that lobster and butter go together like love and marriage. But these same folks will admit that a bun that’s buttered and grilled on the outside leads to some pretty slippery fingers. Here’s where the Lobster Barn chefs’ approach is ingenious. They slice a regular sub-style bun  lengthwise across the top. They then butterfly it, butter the inside and grill it, giving you the same crunchy effect, while leaving the mess on the inside so all the butter goes into your belly. They also line the buttered crunchy side with a piece of Romaine lettuce, offering even more crunch and ensuring the crunch doesn’t get soggy from the lobster. Told you it was ingenious.

Mayonnaise: There’s much debate about mayo quantities on lobster rolls, but connoisseurs prefer it on the light side — enough to give a dash of flavour and not so much that it drowns out the subtle lobster taste. This is where Lobster Barn and Landmark Oyster House shine again. Landmark tosses its lobster in a small amount of charred lemon aioli, letting the lobster be the star. Lobster Barn takes a different, but equally effective tack, offering a fat line of mayo across the bottom of the roll. Meanwhile, the flavour of mayonnaise must also not be overwhelming and it must be homemade. Lobster Barn’s has a sweetness while Landmark keeps it on the tart side. Both are clearly homemade. Honourable mention here goes to Blue Mussel Café’s roll, which had restrained mayo with a small amount of lemon zest. 

Extra ingredients: Here, again, it’s important to keep it simple. Tarragon makes a nice addition as it’s subtle and complementary. Blue Mussel Café’s addition of dill was also a good choice and Blue Mussel also adds celery and onion sparingly, and to good effect. Landmark uses chives well while Lobster Barn keeps it bare and simple. Richard’s adds some lemon, celery and chives, but its under-seasoned lobster and heavy-handed mayo weigh it down.

Side dishes: Lobster rolls seem to most commonly come with French fries, but the best places will offer alternatives. Here, Blue Mussel Café stands out with one of the best potato salads on the island, even though you already have carbs with your lobster roll’s buttered bun. But hey, it’s healthier than fries and worth the splurge. That said, fresh-cut Island fries are also a delicacy and here, the Lobster Barn and Richard’s stand out with their crispy yet yielding and oh-so-fresh Island frites. Many places offer side salads and some even give you a choice between Greek, green, Caesar and potato salad. Most are well made, but ask for your dressing on the side to be protected from overly oily greens. 

Price: Lobster roll prices range wildly, from $17 for a special at Papa Joe’s, a popular family restaurant in Charlottetown, to $27 at Richard’s if you get the fries with it. It’s $23 without. Landmark and Lobster Barn both charge $23 and it is money well spent in either place. Dave’s Lobster Rolls, which has made a name for itself perhaps because of its perfunctory name, charges $17 for three ounces of lobster, $21 for four ounces and $25 for five ounces.  

Lobster rolls are ultimately a pretty simple thing to make and hopefully with these criteria, you can figure out what you like best. If not, just tour the island and taste, taste, taste. 

*If it’s not lobster season where you are - canned lobster is a perfectly wonderful substitute and a longstanding tradition for many throughout the Maritimes! 

Jennifer Campbell is a freelance lobster expert. She’s never met a crustacean she didn’t love. When not enjoying the fruits of the sea, she is a writer and editor.