(San Francisco)
I don’t recall exactly how I heard about this place, but I knew they were opening up a location in SF soon, and I heard that they were going to have a popup. I love lobster, so I knew I had to try it out! Not to mention, I heard about how popular Luke’s Lobster is in Japan. Their popup was located inside Black Hammer Brewery, and I think it was only for a day or two. I’ve been to the SOMA location a few more times after that, and it did not disappoint. The food and service are great! It does seem like their winter specials have been around since mid-January, so it might not be here for much longer.
- Lobster Roll: Initially, I got one lobster roll to try, but after I had the first one, I knew I had to get another one. I haven’t had that many lobster rolls, and I never really liked the bread that it was paired with until I came here. The buttered bun they use is one of the reasons I think makes the lobster roll so outstanding. I also like how they don’t mix their lobster with fill-ins. Although the portions are a bit small for how much it costs ($17), they claim to have a quarter pound of seafood in each roll and it’s only 300 calories! They lowered the price of their lobster roll to $16 last October, but it seems like they raised it back to $17 when I went this month. If you want more lobster, they have jumbo rolls that have 50% more seafood, and it costs $23.
- Luke’s Trio: The trio consists of 1/2 of the crab, shrimp, and lobster, so you can get this if you want to sample each of the rolls. I calculated the price and it’s $0.50 cheaper than if you were to get half individually, so if you want to try all three, it’s not too bad. Out of the three, I definitely still like the lobster the most. The shrimp was nothing special or maybe I just prefer the full size ones. Similarly, the crab was not bad, but I prefer the whole pieces of lobster. The bread is the same for all three rolls, so they were all very buttery and delicious.
- White Truffle Lobster Roll (SEASONAL): I saw this on their winter specials, and I knew I had to try it. For just an extra dollar, you get melted urbani truffle butter. I was very surprised by how strong the truffle taste was in each and every bite! Moreover, this has the same amount of calories as their regular lobster roll, so I guess that means truffle doesn’t have any extra calories 🙂 I am not sure how much longer this will be around for, so get it before it’s gone!
Luke’s Trio 
White Truffle Lobster Roll
This is the best lobster roll place I’ve ever had. I’ve only been to LobsterMe (SF Westfield mall) and New England Lobster Market and Eatery (Burlingame) in the bay area. LobsterMe was not good at all, and I definitely wouldn’t go back. It comes with coleslaw and fries, but I substituted the fries for their clam chowder for an extra dollar. The chowder wasn’t bad, but their lobster had a lot of fillings and I didn’t like the bread at all. New England Lobster Market and Eatery is even pricier than Luke’s Lobster. It costs $24.50 for the same amount of seafood but it’s served with chips and coleslaw. There’s no option to not get the sides for a cheaper roll.