Boston is a beautiful city…

That comes with its fair share of delicious food.

One that was recommended to me by a Bostonian was the lobster roll at Neptune Oyster. I first encountered the name of the place through Yelp, but I was highly suspicious that it could have just been a tourist trap. Seriously, what could be more cheesy and touristy than having lobster in Boston? But when my friend, who was born and raised in Boston, recommended it, I just knew that I had to try it.

And boy, I sure was glad I did.

Normally I would let the picture speak for itself, but I will try to be helpful and give you some heads up and tips in your pursuit for one of the best lobster rolls there is.

1. I think it is absolutely worth mentioning that the lobster roll was gorgeous and delicious. I mean, just look at the pile of fresh lobster meat on the grilled bun. I’m not normally one who takes pictures of food and writes reviews about them. Partly because I’m not very picky with food and I find most things rather pleasing to the tongue anyway. But mostly because whenever I’m faced with food, my first instinct is to eat them rather than take pictures of them so I have nothing left to document. But this, this made me do a double take that, as impatient as I was to stuff the whole thing into my mouth, I thought it was worth to fish my camera out of my bag and take a picture of it.
2. You can choose between the warm sandwich with butter or the cold one with mayonnaise. We chose the former and it was definitely a good decision.
3. It is not cheap. At USD 29 per portion, this is definitely not a meal for anyone on a strict budget. However, there are ways to make this place slightly more affordable. Since the portion was pretty generous and it came with a mountain of fries, my friend and I decided to share one lobster roll and a bowl of Boston clam chowder (which was much more affordable at USD 11). The bill came to about USD 50 including tips – still not cheap, but we came out stuffed and REALLY happy.

   

4. Be prepared for a crazy waiting time. The restaurant is popular with both tourists and locals, and you can’t make reservations. You have to come in person, put down your name and contact number and they will call you in a few hours’ time (or an hour if you are lucky). Not to mention that it is a tiny space with only around 10-15 tables and a row of seats along the bar. It is highly recommended to come during non-peak hours. My friend and I registered our name at around 1 30 pm and we could go in by around 2 30 pm. When we were leaving the place at around 3 30 pm, we could see some empty seats.

   

5. Do some sightseeing while waiting. The estimated time given by the waiters/waitresses are surprisingly accurate, so you are free to set on a sightseeing spree while waiting for them to call you. For us, we just read a book at a park nearby, trying our best to ignore the persistent growling from our stomach.

The good news is that once you are seated, it is pretty much a no-brainer what to order. The service was prompt that you would get your food in no time. And after the first bite, you would know right away that it was totally worth the wait.

Neptune Oyster is located at 63 Salem St, Boston, MA 02113, United States.