As part of our ongoing quest to find great places to eat with our pups, Sadie and Oscar, Leah and I spent a recent sunny afternoon at one of the outside tables at High Roller Lobster. The place was hopping. Even on a Tuesday midday there was a short wait.
After about five minutes, we were seated at a picnic table along Exchange Street. The tables are separated from the street by a small wall, so we felt in the middle of things without feeling like we were in the midst of traffic.
High Roller’s menu features a variety of different style lobster rolls as well as other fish and seafood, including a raw bar. For those who prefer turf to surf, there are burgers, chicken sandwiches, mac and cheese, gridded cheese and hot dogs.
You have two options for ordering. One, you can walk inside (if you’re sitting on the sidewalk like were were) and order at the counter. Or, two, you can scan a QR code at the table, choose what you want, pay and leave a tip. We chose the latter option.
Lobster rolls at their best
Leah and I enjoy lobster rolls and have sampled plenty in Portland and in the surrounding areas. Our last great lunch out at Footbridge Lobster in Ogunquit also included a great roll.
High Roller was the runner up of our 2024 March Madness Lobster Roll Bracket. So accordingly, Leah ordered the lobster roll flight so we could sample varieties that we hadn’t yet had here — one with warm drawn butter, one with chilled lime mayo and one with chilled garlic. While each of the three two-ounce mini rolls was delicious, the lime mayo was our favorite. On a warm day, the citrus was amazingly refreshing. The garlic mayo was a close second. After those two, the butter roll seemed a little too plain. It was tasty and exactly what we ordered.
Still, if we go back again we will try another one of more exotic rolls. Maybe we’ll go for charred pineapple or roasted red pepper mayo. If we are really in the mood for butter (We still debate if we like butter or mayo more.), we’ll add Old Bay.
Goin’ Fishin’
Since I am currently searching for the best fish and chips in the region, that’s what I ordered. Now, lobster and fish are never going to be your least expensive lunch options. However, if you are with someone and both are craving a decent helping of lobster and want to taste a few varieties, ordering a flight of mini rolls and another dish is a way to reduce the cost a bit.
In this case, the very generous portion of fried haddock (two ample pieces) allowed Leah to have some of my fish while I sampled her lobster. Again, not the most frugal lunch by any means, but much less expensive than two flights of lobster.
One thing I’ve discovered as I research fish and chips is that there are basically two types of fried fish (which is usually haddock and occasionally hake or cod). Some offerings have a thick bread-crumby batter that has the feel of an over-sized fish stick. Others have a light, fluffy batter, similar to perfectly crisped fried chicken.
I prefer the latter. High Roller’s dish falls into this category. The fish was very good. Moist on the inside and crispy on the outside.
Getting Saucy
What really differentiated High Roller’s fish for me were the dipping sauces. The dish came with tartar sauce and the choice of two others. I chose mustard dijonnaise and mango habanero.
Now, I usually don’t love tartar sauce, however this one was different from most I’ve sampled. It was, well, tart-er. I really enjoyed it. Leah prefers a more traditional sauce, so this one wasn’t her thing. She loved the mustard and so did I. I also really enjoyed the mango habanero, but it had too much of a kick for my lovely wife.
Each of the sauces also went very will with the fries. My only regret is that I didn’t try all of the sauces on the menu. I guess we will just have to go back.
The Dog Days of Summer
Oscar (pictured below) and Sadie loved our lunch. Besides the occasional stolen table scrap, they enjoyed being near the two water bowls that the restaurant placed for both their canine guests and passersby. Since our pups love other dogs, they enjoyed making new friends and sniffing around the water cooler. If you are looking for a fun dog-friendly spot, the outside tables at High Roller fit the bill.
And it reminded us: while we’ve covered dog-friendly stores in Southern Maine as well as dog-friendly beaches, we really need to do a roundup of dog-friendly restaurants in the area. We’re already been to The Bitter End in Wells. So, if you have any suggestions, let us know.
