Nova Scotia Lobster – The Best in the World
Lobster is serious business in Nova Scotia! And anyone who knows anything about this tasty crustacean knows that Nova Scotia lobster is the best lobster in the world. Seriously – we are famous for our sweet, cold-water lobster in Nova Scotia. Atlantic Canada is also one of the world’s largest exporters of lobster with nearly half leaving our shores for export.
When visitors come to Nova Scotia, one the first things they search is “restaurants with lobster in Nova Scotia”. You can find lobster dinners, lobster rolls, lobster bisque, lobster poutine, lobster mac n’ cheese and even lobster beer and lobster ice cream! Yeah, I know…but you can.
When is lobster season in Nova Scotia?
Not only does is Nova Scotia the lobster capital of the world (shout-out to Barrington), lobster season is year-round here. The province is divided into different districts when licensed fisherpeople can pull traps at certain times of the year. But, as a whole, you can get fresh lobster 365 days a year in Nova Scotia.
Check out our 17 reasons to visit Barrington, Nova Scotia blog post. It’s full of quirky stops, great food and the most amazing beaches!
Nova Scotia Lobster Festival
Yes, lobster is a year-round thing in Nova Scotia. But – and I run the risk of getting my knuckles wrapped for this one from other regions – there’s one season and one district that produces the absolute BEST lobster of all. Enter, Nova Scotia’s south shore (districts 33 & 34). This region accounts for approximately 40% of all the lobster caught in Canada annually…and for good reason – it’s amazing.
In fact, the official lobster festival in Nova Scotia happens on the south shore. The Nova Scotia lobster crawl happens for the month of February, smack in the heart of lobster season in this part of Nova Scotia. Each year, during the lobster festival, restaurants compete for the title of “best lobster roll” and I’ve had the pleasure of sitting on the judging panel not once, but twice!
The Best Lobster Roll in Nova Scotia
Lovingly known as the Lobster Roll Off, 14 restaurants this year competed in the race for the title of “best lobster roll” in Nova Scotia. Here’s how they stacked up.
Side note: I know a lot of our readers reside in or are visiting Halifax which means you might be looking for the best lobster roll in Halifax. Although you can get fantastic lobster in the city, I urge you to take a day trip to the Nova Scotia’s south shore because nothing beats how they do lobster.
The Kiwi Café
19 Pleasant St, Chester
[visit their website]
8am – 4pm
Description: Large pieces of Nova Scotia lobster with dill mayo, served in a buttered and toasted brioche roll
My Experience: This roll wasn’t as visually stunning as some others. It looked nice and was accompanied by a lovely fresh, green salad but also had less lobster meat than some others but wait for it…this was my highest scoring roll! Why? The flavors in this lobster roll were outstanding! The dill and lemon, the super fresh roll – toasted just enough and the fresh, sweet lobster made this my winning roll. Look, I was as shocked as anyone…I love the Kiwi cafe but after seeing some of the rolls, I wasn’t expecting this to be my favorite. But it was!
Do Over? I’ve already been back!
The Deck
30 Firehall Rd, Blandford
[visit their website]
12:00 PM – 06:00 PM
Description: 1/4lb of luscious Mahone Bay caught lobster meat, mayo, fresh ground pepper and a touch of
celery, topped off with crispy lettuce for the crunch of it!
My Experience: There’s no way this roll had a 1/4lb on it. We were served less than fresh lobster on a stale hot dog bun here. I’ve tried to come up with something nice to say about this one, but I can’t. I will say, however, I know others who’ve been and had a very different experience (we compared photos and they were night and day) so perhaps they were just having an off day when we visited. But, the roll we had was inedible, unfortunately.
Do Over? No way.
Oak Island Resort and Conference Centre
36 Treasure Dr, Western Shore
12pm-8pm (weekends only)
[visit their website]
Description: Fresh lobster, mayo & herbs.
My Experience: Their description is brief and doesn’t do this delicious roll justice. We loved Oak Island’s lobster roll and placed it well inside our top 5 best lobster rolls this year. The fresh herbs were a standout – I love dill, so this was a winner for me. This roll was so good I actually saw a man drop a piece of his on the floor, call the 5 second rule, and eat it anyway! Now that’s dedication!
Do Over? Yep, loved it.
242 Bahama Mama Delicacies
64 School Road, Blockhouse ( Blockhouse Market)
Saturdays only 12pm-5pm
[visit their website]
Description: Cracked Lobster Roll – deep fried lobster on a kaiser bun with cilantro lime sriracha sauce!
My Experience: This one was different because you have order and pay in advance, which I found a bit odd to pick-up in the legion parking lot (also odd) so that set a bit of a weird tone for me. The roll itself was the MOST beautifully presented with pea shoots and other garnish along with the best fries of the entire trip. The roll itself, however, wasn’t my favorite. This is a personal choice but I just don’t prefer a deep fried lobster roll – I think you loose the flavor of the lobster when you start adding too many other elements. Extra points for effort on this one though. I love that they attempted a very different roll, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.
Do Over? Not for the roll, but I’d love to try other menu items.
Dory Mates Seafood Shop
11 Lincoln St, Lunenburg
[visit their website]
Thursday/Friday 12-4 Saturday 12-3
Description: Local claw and knuckle lobster meat, Celery, lightly tossed in mayo, topped with arugula, and served on fresh focaccia bread from Boulangerie La Vendeenne Bakery.
My Experience: We arrived on a Saturday afternoon (arguably the busiest day in Lunenburg) during lobster crawl to a “we’re out” greeting. We were told that they only prepare a few rolls and “when they’re gone, they’re gone” which was really too bad since there are only 4 Saturday’s in February.
Do Over? Yes, because I know this experience isn’t reflective of the owners attitudes.
Grand Banker Bar and Grill
82 Montague St, Lunenburg
[visit their website]
Monday-Sunday 11:30am – 8:00pm
Description: House-made citrus aioli, green onion, a small amount of lettuce and a good quarter pound of claw and knuckle meat all served on a fresh toasted Boulangerie La Vendeenne brioche bun with garlic butter.
My Experience: Besides a 25 minutes wait for a table, the roll itself had some strong points. Mainly, it was light and fresh with nothing that overpowered the lobster. No sides came with it but you could add one a side for $5 if you chose to. The bun was REALLY tasty, from a local bakery, but slightly over toasted for me.
Do Over? Maybe, but not likely for the lobster roll.
Salt Shaker Deli
124 Montague St, Lunenburg,
[visit their website]
4:00 PM – 08:00 PM
Description: Nova Scotia Lobster with tarragon, mayo, fresh celery, and arugula on a brioche bun
My Experience: I generally love the Salt Shaker Deli and have been many times. When it comes to the lobster roll though, it was another one that was “just OK” for me. I was excited for the tarragon addition but the flavors didn’t come through like I’d hoped they would. This was another roll served with no side. As you can see from my descriptions, I do think a side should be included with rolls. I did, however, really like the use of Arugula and the addition of celery for the added crunch!
Do Over? Not for the lobster roll, but I’ll be back for the pizza!
27 South Best Western
527 Nova Scotia Trunk 10, Cookville,
[visit their website]
11:00 AM – 08:00 PM
Description: Local lobster prepared with house made lobster mayo, side pickled red onions on a top split bun.
My Experience: This was one of my favorite rolls. The lobster mayo (not too much) gave it an added complexity and richness that we didn’t experience with many other rolls without taking away from the lobster itself. This will come as no surprise, but I LOVED the elevated choices of sides and chose the tomato bisque which was excellent. This roll was also garnished nicely with pickled onion and fresh herbs for an overall, higher quality experience.
Do Over? Absolutely, loved it.
The Blarney Stone Restaurant
16339 NS-103, Hebbs Cross
[visit their website]
11:00 AM – 07:00 PM
Description: A brioche hot dog bun stuffed with lobster, lettuce, celery, sour cream mayonnaise blend and a bit of dill. Served with a side tossed salad or fries and coleslaw.
My Experience: This was my “don’t just a book by its cover” lobster roll. The Blarney Stone is a local watering hole and is definitely understated when you arrive. The roll itself wasn’t the prettiest looking thing we’d seen BUT we were both pleasantly surprised by the great flavor. I loved the extra lettuce (compared to others) and the freshness of the dill and lemon.
Do Over? I would absolutely order this roll again.
Osprey’s Nest Public House
39 John Rieser Drive, NS-331, Petite Rivière Bridge
[visit their website]
Description: A brioche hot dog bun stuffed with lobster, lettuce, celery, sour cream mayonnaise blend and a bit of dill. Served with a side tossed salad or fries and coleslaw.
My Experience: This was another one of my favorites (Update: Osprey’s Nest won first place this year – yay!). It was our first stop so as I was making notes I wondered if I just found it delicious because it was my first lobster roll. But now having tried all 14, nope – it was actually just really really good! There was lots of claw and knuckle meat, not too much sauce (which is my preference) and nicely toasted buttery bun.
Do Over? Yep, certainly!
Lane’s Privateer Inn
27 Bristol Ave, Liverpool
[visit their website]
11:00 AM – 08:00 PM
Description: Rich lobster, crunchy celery & green onion lightly tossed in horseradish mayo
My Experience: First, absolutely love that they offer a gluten free option! This was probably the largest portion we saw so if that’s your criteria, Lane’s is your place! While I loved the horseradish mayo (because it was different), I did find it too saucy for my tastes. I prefer a roll that isn’t dripping because, in my opinion, they’re already hard enough to eat. I opted for a side salad with mine – which was fantastic. You will not leave Lane’s hungry, that’s for sure!
Do Over? Probably not, but I still love Lane’s and will be back!
Nova Scotia Rollies & Catering Company
151 Water St, Shelburne
Description: Spicy sushi mayo, a whole lobster, parsley & celery on a freshly baked brown bread roll served with pineapple mango salsa.
My Experience: Really good! I thought the spicy mayo would take away from the lobster but it didn’t. This was another large portion that you could easily share. I did love the brown bread roll (so good) but I don’t think it would be my first choice for a lobster roll. Honestly, the brown bread roll stands alone and should be the star of the show. What I loved most, was the pairing of the lobster roll with the fresh, tangy salsa. Note: You do have to order this roll in advance
Do Over? I would, yes!
Anchors Away Family Restaurant
10341 NS-103, Clyde River
[visit their website]
11 AM – 7 PM
Description: lobster meat fried in butter with mayo and lettuce added, served in a grilled hot dog roll and topped with toasted cracker crumbs
My Experience: Fried. Very, very fried. So if that’s your thing, you might like this roll but I found it way too greasy to enjoy. Again, fried lobster isn’t my top choice to begin with but when you add fried crackers, fried roll, etc it just makes for a messy, heavy meal.
Do Over? Not for me.
Captain Kat’s Lobster Shack
3723 Nova Scotia Trunk 3, Barrington Passage
[visit their website]
11:30 AM – 07:00 PM
Description: Fresh local lobster, baby spinach, celery, green onion & mayo on a buttery, grilled bun
My Experience: It’s always good at Captain Kat’s and this was no exception. They’ve nailed it with the “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it” motto – they’ve always had a great lobster roll and they still do. Fresh, simple, and reliable. I love that they don’t mess around with it — and they don’t have to. Very good, as always.
Do Over? Of course, yes.
Nova Scotia Lobster Rolls To Try
If you’re looking for the best lobster roll in Nova Scotia, we’ve done the heavy lifting. To recap, here are our top 5 lobster rolls you should definitely try:
- Kiwi Cafe
- 27 South (Best Western Bridgewater)
- Oak Island Resort
- Osprey’s Nest Public House
- Captain Kat’s Lobster Shack
Look, I get it. Lobster rolls are a personal choice and when it comes to lobster in Nova Scotia we all have strong opinions. These are just mine! I’ve also talked to folks who’ve said my least favorites were at the top of their list – so there you go!
Let us know if you tried any lobster rolls this and what you thought. We also love hearing from you in the comments!
* This post was sponsored by Nova Scotia Tourism! We were asked to try all of the lobster rolls and give our honest opinion – so that’s what we did! We LOVE being able to share the best of Nova Scotia with you and, as always, all opinions are our own.
Don’t forget The Quarterdeck’s lobster roll. So tasty and chock full of lobster! Also love lobster rolls from Capt Kat’s if you are in the Barrington area.
Quarterdeck didn’t participate last year, which is why they weren’t on the list!
Great article, but in my opinion you missed out on the two best lobster rolls on the South Shore, The River pub and The Rose Bay Store. I consider myself a bit of an expert on the subject of lobster in a bun and these two places are definitely ranked in my top 3. The first is my Aunties in Shediac.😁 it’s actually a blessings you didn’t include those local haunts, it’s already hard enough to get a table. Happy Lobster Crawling!
I might suggest the best lobster on toast at some point. Certainly, the French Shore is the place for that delicacy. I have m two favs down there.
Thanks for the notes! I don’t think those restaurants participated last year – at least they weren’t on the list from NS tourism. Our “job” last year (when we wrote this article) was to visit all participating restaurants based on the list they gave us, so that’s what we did!