Adobe Stock / Brent Hofacker
Head to these Hudson Valley restaurants to eat a split-top roll piled high with mayo-dressed or butter-bathed lobster.
By Samantha Garbarini and Emma Denes
Shadows on the Hudson
Poughkeepsie
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Perched 40 feet above the Hudson River with sweeping views of the surrounding landscape and Mid-Hudson Bridge, this top waterfront restaurant is a must for outdoor dining. Served with fries and a pickle spear, the lobster roll boasts generous pieces of fresh lobster meat tossed in Old Bay aioli and nestled within a lettuce-lined, butter-toasted brioche bun.
Seafood lovers have plenty of other fine-dining choices, including jumbo lump crab cakes; an extensive raw bar with Bad Boy, Blue Point, and Kusshi oysters; and the decadent lobster Colorado, a six-ounce filet mignon with chopped, butter-poached lobster and lobster cream sauce.
The Burger Loft
New City
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From the same owner as District.96 Beer Factory next door, this burger-and-beer haven specializes in house-ground burgers, smashed on the grill for maximum caramelization and beefy flavor. Sharing menu space with the mushroom-topped, classic American, and barbecue-sauce-slathered creations is The Burger Loft’s sleeper hit: the lobster roll. Brimming with generous chunks of chilled claw and knuckle meat, it’s a riff on New England tradition, featuring a mayo sauce seasoned with lemon, lime, scallions, and celery salt—all heaped into a warm, butter-toasted bun.
Frank Guido’s Port of Call
Catskill
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The only non-Kingston eatery in Frank Guido’s Hudson Valley restaurant empire (Front Street Tavern, Mariner’s Harbor, Frank Guido’s Little Italy), this Catskill restaurant opens each spring for picturesque waterfront dining. As befits its setting, the menu is heavy on seafood, boasting “What we do best… Lobsters fresh from the tank!”
The lobster roll is straightforward—chilled with mayo and seasonings on a New England butter roll—and fans of the succulent crustacean can also indulge in chilled lobster salad; broiled or steamed whole lobsters; and the lobster bake with shrimp, clams, mussels, corn on the cob, and a potato for $39.95 (Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday only).
Kingston Standard
Kingston
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This Kingston nano-brewery is shaking up the Hudson Valley taproom formula. The beer list is light on IPAs, favoring styles like helles lagers and pale ales, and—in lieu of pub-grub favorites—the menu features elevated sourdough pizzas, fresh North Atlantic oysters, and lobster rolls. The latter is piled high with shredded lobster meat and dressed with lemon, butter, and a sprinkling of paprika, perfect for kicking back in the outdoor dining area.
Buttercup
Hudson
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Mixologist Kat Dunn—who crafted the cocktail program at Fish & Game, Backbar, and Rivertown Lodge—opened this Hudson joint in 2020. Dunn’s grandfather was a lobster man off Cape Cod, so it’s no surprise that the highlight of the menu is the New England-style lobster roll. This roll sports a quarter pound of fresh lobster with mayo, celery, and spices on a split-top bun. (In fall, Buttercup switches to a Connecticut-style lobster roll doused in warm butter and chives.)
Diners disinterested in seafood also have plenty of options: the menu includes Chicago- and Coney Island-style hot dogs as well as crab cakes and chili.
Purdy’s Farmer & the Fish
North Salem
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Farm-to-table goes literal at this jewel of a restaurant, housed in an 18th-century home (dine on the front porch if weather and availability allow), surrounded by a terraced, four-acre farm that provides fresh produce, honey, and other products for the menu and bar program. Beyond the fare that’s grown on-site, the focus is ultra-fresh seafood, including a Maine lobster cocktail and a classic boil with steamers, seasonal vegetables, and bliss potatoes. The rolls are served Connecticut-style and slathered in warm butter.
Clock Tower Grill
Brewster
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Time flies by when you eat at Clock Tower Grill—a family-run establishment offering food that is as delicious as it is sustainable. The brioche bun lobster roll is mixed with butter and local greens and served alongside parmesan herb fries. Craving more? Try the lobster bisque pot pie or the lobster risotto with mascarpone and a spring pea puree. Other seafood specialties include shrimp toast, a gluten free salmon rice bowl, and coriander seared tuna.
Related: This Vegan Butternut Harvest Roll Is Comfort on a Plate
