Ed’s Lobster Bar
1742 Sag Harbor Turnpike
Sag Harbor
631-72-1131
Lunch and dinner,
Wednesday through Monday
Ed’s Lobster Bar in Sag Harbor, which took over the space formerly occupied by Bay Burger, serves some excellent food.
It is unclear whether it is supposed to be called Ed’s Lobster Bar East or not. It is also a complete mystery as to why its SoHo location gets very high ratings on Yelp (and all those other forums for disgruntled diners and wannabe restaurant critics) and yet this newest location has gotten some scathing remarks.
For the record: If the reason some people are grumpy cats about it is that they miss the old Bay Burger, would it make them feel better to know that Joe Tremblay, an owner of the old joint, tried their lobster roll and loved it? I read that on the internet.
As far as decorative changes to the interior, I didn’t see too much. It is all very white, with an open kitchen, metal chairs, some banquettes with striped fabric, and marble-topped tables. There are a few tables outside in front and some in back, as well as an outdoor bar.
The menu is fairly brief. One of our reviewing pals broke her foot so there were only two of us. We began with fried Ipswich clams and a half order of lobster meatballs. The clams, approximately six to eight per serving, were most excellent. The batter was crunchy and sturdy but not greasy. We squirted a generous amount of fresh lemon juice on them and dipped each into some very fine tartar sauce. This tartar was definitely house-made; it didn’t seem to have capers in it but it did have a generous dose of finely chopped pickle bits. We only got one slightly sandy clam. Yay!
Why someone would make “meatballs” out of sweet, delicate, expensive, subtle lobster meat and then put gobs of garlicky marinara, lots of grated Parmesan cheese, and a dollop of ricotta on top is beyond me, but quite frankly, they were delicious. There were three huge, fluffy, moist balls in a half order. The sauce was really, really good. We cut through one of the lobster meatballs to see if we could detect any lobster flavor (up against the robust sauce and Parmesan cheese) and we did, but it still seemed like an oddity. Ed’s also offers lobster poutine and lobster pizza, so perhaps it’s just trying to get creative with lobster meat.
For entrees we ordered a lobster roll and fish tacos. For the gimp at home we ordered New England clam chowder and a side order of roasted mushrooms.
The lobster roll was excellent, albeit expensive. It was on a very good toasted, buttered, split bun and had about one and a half cups of lobster salad on it, bound with a whisper of mayo and a few token chopped chives on top. Personally, I like a wee bit of celery and/or onion in a lobster salad but I don’t begrudge a chef for wanting to keep it pure. My dining companion declared it “possibly the best I’ve ever had.” Granted, he grew up in the city and was raised like a veal, but he does travel and does cook, so I would agree that it was a fine specimen of a lobster salad roll. It is also important to point out that the French fries served alongside were awesome — thin, crisp, perfectly salted, and a huge portion dwarfing the roll. The other wonderful addition was a little monkey dish of some of the best pickles we’ve ever tried. They looked kind of like bread and butter pickle chips but slightly purplish, maybe from a red wine vinegar? At first I thought they might be from one of my favorite local pickle companies, Backyard Brine, but in fact, the chef-owner, Ed McFarland, makes his own. It’s the little things, folks!
The fish tacos were very good, two big ones with barely battered cod, a bit of slaw and guacamole, paper-thin slices of fresh jalapeños, and a drizzle of citrusy crema. The tacos came with a purple and green cabbage slaw that was just as a slaw should be, not swimming in vinegar or mayo, just a refreshing balance of the two.
Upon returning home with the clam chowder for our injured pal, I took a few bites and found it to be extremely rich, creamy, and buttery but not especially briny. It had a few potato bits and clams and had a smoky flavor from bacon, but it wasn’t quite as good as the chowder from Bostwick’s. The roasted mushrooms were very good; we used them to make a sauce for steaks that night.
Ed’s Lobster Bar hasn’t been open very long. On this particular weekend — the July Fourth holiday — it was packed, and our very nice waiter, Jack, said a few people hadn’t shown up for work. Welcome to summer waitering in “the Hamptons,” you poor, sweet, innocent, hardworking child. It took a while to get the food, but we were content with our Cigar City IPAs.
The manager on site, Rob, was working faster than three people, filling orders, answering the phone, stacking glasses like a flying Wallenda brother, and greeting tables, all with a big smile and firm opinions about our choice of ales.
The only dessert listed on the specials board was “fried dough with caramel sauce,” or perhaps it was what our waiter said was beignets, so we passed on that. Ed’s will have ice cream soon. How about some Joe and Liza’s?
This place is not cheap, but the quality is good so that’s okey dokey with me. Raw bar, soups, and other appetizers are $3.50 to $22, lobster dishes are $20 to $36, other entrees are $18 to $28, pizzas are $15 to $22, sides are $10. Some dishes are market price so ask beforehand.
I never read any reviews of an establishment before I go, but once I have, I gobble up every bit of information and all the opinions I can find. What I found to be somewhat heartbreaking is that the chef and owner responds to every single snarky, ill-informed, grudge-based “review” on Yelp with kindness and patience. He expresses hope that those people will come back and give it another try. Some people who have tried Ed’s Lobster Bar complain about the prices and say, “go to Bostwick’s or Lunch instead.”
Here are some facts from your diligent little researcher here: Ed’s littleneck clams are five cents more than at Bostwick’s. Ed’s oysters are sixty-seven cents more than at Bostwick’s. Fish tacos are $1.95 less than at Bostwick’s. Don’t get me wrong, I love Bostwick’s and its chowder is indeed less expensive and better than Ed’s. But we had a wonderful meal at Ed’s with many delightful surprises like the fries and pickles and slaw and you can’t find such fine fried Ipswich clams and tartar any old where out here.
It was our opinion that Ed’s Lobster Bar is a great new addition to Sag Harbor and we look forward to going back soon.