Memorial Day weekend is the traditional start of Maine’s tourism season, when millions of visitors flock to the state for an early dose of its rocky coast and rugged outdoors.
One thing that many of those visitors will likely share with the Mainers who are hosting them is a fondness for the state’s most famous seafood — lobster — especially when it’s piled onto a hotdog bun and covered in butter or mayo.
To that end, the Bangor Daily News is launching a periodic index of lobster roll prices, in which staff will keep a running tab on the cost of the beloved summer dish at various restaurants and seafood shacks stretching from Portland to Lubec.
Along with provide insight for people planning to line up for a lobster roll this summer, the index illustrates how broader economic forces are affecting Maine and the rest of the country.
The price of lobster meat fluctuates. Restaurants have faced their share of struggles with inflation and staffing in recent years. And many Americans are now reconsidering their ability to pay for luxury foods as the Trump administration’s trade war stresses the national economy.
According to this first round of the index, many Maine lobster rolls are now hovering around an average price of $35, although some may cost notably less or more depending on how much meat goes on them.
The BDN collected this data by calling the businesses or looking up prices listed online. And while only limited data was available on last year’s prices, at least some places said they have raised this year’s by a few dollars.
Here are the prices in the first index, as of mid-May. Multiple prices are given when smaller and larger sizes are offered:
The Inn on the Wharf, Lubec: $32
Thirsty Whale Tavern, Bar Harbor: $27 or $36 (4 oz. or 6 oz.)
McLaughlin Seafood, Bangor: $24.95
Young’s Lobster Pound, Belfast: $17.95 or $34.95 (2 oz. or 4 oz.)
McLaughlin’s Lobster Shack, Lincolnville: $32 or $38 (3.5 oz or 5 oz.)
Red’s Eats, Wiscasset: $36
Karen’s Hideaway, Boothbay: $35
Tugboat Inn & Restaurant, Boothbay Harbor: $36
Fishermen’s Net, Brunswick: $26.99 or $40.99 (3 oz. or 6 oz.)
DiMillo’s on the Water, Portland: $34
