Maine vs Connecticut Lobster Rolls: The 4 Big Differences

Sweet, succulent lobster piled high and spilling over a toasted split-top roll – is there anything better? But do you know the difference between Maine vs. Connecticut lobster rolls? If you are confused about the difference between the two main styles of lobster rolls, Maine and Connecticut, we are here to clear up your questions. 

Here is everything you need to know to tell the two most common lobster roll styles apart, and even how to prepare them at home. 

Are lobster rolls better in Maine or Connecticut?

Neither is objectively “better”—Maine and Connecticut lobster rolls are two equally excellent styles that appeal to different preferences. Maine’s cold lobster roll features chilled meat lightly dressed with mayo, lemon, and sometimes celery, served in a buttered, toasted bun for a refreshing, creamy bite. Connecticut’s hot lobster roll showcases warm lobster meat tossed in melted butter and served in a grilled bun, delivering a rich, indulgent experience. The “best” depends entirely on whether you prefer cool and zesty or warm and buttery.

Maine-Style (Cold) is better if you want:

• Light, refreshing flavor perfect for summer
• Mayo-based creaminess with lemon brightness
• The “classic” lobster roll most people picture
• More textural contrast (cold meat, warm bun)
• Easier prep for making at home

Connecticut-Style (Hot) is better if you want:

• Rich, butter-forward decadence
• Warm comfort food experience
• Pure lobster flavor without mayo
• More elegant, upscale presentation
• The style favored by serious seafood purists

The real answer: Try both. Most top restaurants in New England now offer both preparations because each has passionate devotees. Maine-style outsells Connecticut-style 3-to-1 nationally due to name recognition, but Connecticut-style has a devoted following and has won major food awards. Both use the same premium Maine lobster—the only difference is the finishing treatment.

Regional bias note: Mainers prefer cold rolls 2:1, while Connecticut residents split 50/50. Outside New England, 70% of diners choose Maine-style simply because it’s more familiar. Food critics and chefs tend to rate Connecticut-style slightly higher for letting the lobster flavor shine without mayo masking it.

🦞 New to lobster rolls? Start with our
Classic Lobster Roll Recipe guide →

Getting lobster at home or at a restaurant is always a treat. It’s important to make the right decisions when it comes to ingredients and cooking styles. If you don’t know whether to make or try a Maine or a Connecticut-style lobster roll, it’s time to let the confusion end here. 

There are several major differences between these two popular styles of seafood sandwiches. From their origins and history to the ingredients and flavor, let us break down everything you need to know about the two camps of New England lobster rolls, including:

• Who will most likely prefer a Connecticut vs. a Maine-style lobster roll
• What the two kinds of rolls look, smell, and taste like
• All of the ingredients that you need to prepare the rolls at home
• How to best serve lobster rolls with appropriate side dishes

By the end, you’ll know exactly how to tell the difference between a Maine and a Connecticut lobster roll so you can try both for yourself and choose your favorite. 

Also Read: How to Make the Best Lobster Roll: A Definitive Step-By-Step Guide

Maine vs Connecticut Lobster Rolls – What’s the Difference?

The two most common styles of lobster roll are known as Maine and Connecticut, based on where they originated and where each style is most popular.

You may also come across a Manhattan-style lobster roll, which is less common but worth noting. 

Maine Lobster Roll Overview

The main feature of a Maine-style lobster roll is that it’s served cold. Chunks of lobster meat are coated in a light dressing made with mayonnaise and seasoned with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon. The addition of extras can be considered blasphemous in many local seafood shacks. Travel north, and the lobster roll transforms. The Maine-style roll, arguably the most iconic version nationwide, features chilled lobster meat lightly dressed in mayonnaise and is served, like its southern cousin, on a toasted, buttered bun. It’s often lauded for its light, refreshing character, making it a quintessential taste of New England summer.

This internal debate about additions highlights a fascinating tension within the Maine tradition itself. While the classic ideal emphasizes simplicity, the standard inclusion of ingredients like celery suggests an evolution, perhaps driven by changing tastes or practical needs, such as adding texture or protecting the bun. The Maine roll, therefore, isn’t a single, rigid entity but exists on a spectrum, reflecting the dynamic nature of even deeply rooted culinary traditions.

Connecticut Lobster Roll Overview

Connecticut’s Claim: The Birthplace?

The most widely cited origin story points to Perry’s Restaurant in Milford, Connecticut, around 1929. Legend has it that owner Harry Perry created a “hot grilled lobster sandwich” for a traveling salesman or a regular customer seeking a portable meal. Early iterations apparently used simple white bread, which proved too flimsy for the buttery lobster, leading Perry to commission a sturdier roll. Perry’s proudly displayed a sign proclaiming itself “Home of the Famous Lobster Roll” for decades, solidifying Connecticut’s claim to the hot, buttered version.

Emerging from the southern coast of New England, the Connecticut-style lobster roll presents a study in luxurious simplicity. Its defining characteristic is warm, succulent lobster meat, gently bathed – some might say drenched – in melted butter, nestled within a toasted bun. Purists appreciate its minimalist approach, often featuring little more than the holy trinity of lobster, butter, and bread. Indeed, from a Connecticut perspective, the chilled, mayonnaise-based version might be dismissed simply as a “lobster salad roll”.  

The flavor profile of the Connecticut roll is unapologetically rich, savory, and decadent. The warm melted butter doesn’t mask the lobster; instead, it amplifies its inherent sweetness, creating an indulgent experience that comforts and satisfies. It’s a favorite among those who crave the pure, unadulterated taste of lobster enhanced by the simple luxury of butter, making it particularly appealing on cooler days when warmth is welcome.

Manhattan Lobster Roll Overview

The third and far less common style of lobster roll is known as the Manhattan style. You’re most likely to find a Manhattan-style or Long Island-style lobster roll in one of those places, but it most closely resembles a Maine Lobster Roll in presentation and ingredients. New Yorkers like their lobster coated in a mayo-based dressing with small pieces of celery for crunch. 

Maine Lobster Rolls 101

We’re answering all of your questions about Maine lobster rolls, including how they came to be, what you need to make them, and how to pair them with other dishes. 

History and Origin

The lobster roll, a New England staple, first emerged in the early 20th century, with the styles from Maine and Connecticut becoming iconic. While the exact origin is debated, it is widely believed to have originated in the 1920s at Perry’s restaurant in Milford, Connecticut, where a customer requested a lobster sandwich to take on the road. The Maine style, known for its cold, mayo-dressed lobster meat on a bun, gained popularity with the rise of tourism in the region. 

The Maine sandwich quickly spread outside the state to New York City, where chef Rebecca Charles became known for her mayo-coated lobster salad served in toasted buttery buns at the Pearl Oyster Bar. 

As the sandwiches became increasingly popular throughout New England, chefs throughout the region started putting their own spins on Charles’ recipe. In particular, Boston chef Jasper White was famous for his high-end lobster rolls in the 1980s. 

Flavor and Texture: Refreshing Contrast

The Maine roll offers a cool, creamy, and often slightly tangy flavor profile, thanks to the mayonnaise and lemon juice. The dressing is typically applied lightly, acting as a subtle binder that allows the natural sweetness of the chilled lobster meat to shine. It’s a lighter, more refreshing experience compared to the warm, buttery Connecticut version.

Ingredients

The ingredients for a Maine lobster roll are simple and straightforward. The beauty of this recipe is that it lets the sweet, juicy lobster meat shine, thanks to a light dressing made with:

• Mayonnaise. Most traditional lobster roll recipes will specify Hellman’s mayo. 
• Celery. This is optional, but it makes a nice textural addition to the lobster salad. The celery should be finely diced.
• Lemon juice thins out the dressing a bit and adds a pop of acidity and brightness.
• Mustard. You need a small amount of Dijon mustard to add a nice, gentle spice to the lobster salad. 
• Salt and pepper to season the lobster meat and dressing. 
• Use Boston lettuce leaves to line the roll before adding the salad, so your bread stays crisp, not soggy. 
• Split top hot dog buns, which should be toasted in butter for the best flavor and structural integrity to hold up your weighty lobster meat. Split-top buns have flat sides, making them easier to grill on a hot skillet. 

Find the best and easiest lobster salad recipe for your sandwiches here. 

What Does a Maine Lobster Roll Taste Like?

The flavor of a Maine lobster roll is all about, well, the lobster. The dressing adds a slight creaminess and brightness, but you get plenty of sweetness from lobster meat and a bit of vegetal crunch from the celery. 

What to Serve with a Maine Lobster Roll?

The classic combination is a Maine lobster roll with a side of warm, creamy clam chowder or homemade seafood chowder. Other popular side dishes to serve with Maine-style lobster rolls include seafood shack classics like onion rings, salt-and-vinegar potato chips, coleslaw, and a fat dill pickle spear.  

You’ll like Maine Lobster Rolls

If you love a dish that offers textural, temporal, and flavor contrasts, the Maine-style roll is for you. The bun is warm and crisp, while the lobster salad is chilled and creamy. If you’re a fan of a mayo-based dressing that’s flavorful and tangy without being overwhelming, opt for a Maine-style roll. 

Connecticut Lobster Rolls 101

Here’s what you need to know about Connecticut-style lobster rolls and how they differ from Maine rolls. 

History and Origin

The first known Connecticut lobster roll was served in 1929 at a restaurant in Milford, Connecticut, called Perry’s. This roll held a signature Connecticut-style hot lobster salad, served on a toasted bun with plenty of melted butter. For more information on the unique history of lobster rolls, check out our article on the topic.

Lobster Roll Ingredients

The Lobster: Claw, knuckle, and tail meat are all commonly used. The lobster is typically steamed or boiled, then promptly chilled to stop the cooking process and ensure a firm yet tender texture. A crucial point of pride for many Maine establishments is using chunks of lobster, never shredded meat, which is seen as devaluing the premium ingredient. There’s even nuance in the type of Maine lobster used: soft-shell lobsters, available after molting (usually summer), are prized by some for their sweeter, more tender meat, though they yield less meat per pound than hard-shell lobsters. Hard-shell lobsters offer more meat with a denser, brinier texture.

The Dressing: High-quality, full-fat mayonnaise forms the base. Brands like Hellmann’s are frequently cited. The key is restraint; the mayo should lightly coat and bind the lobster chunks, not drown them. Common additions folded in gently include fresh lemon juice, finely diced celery, salt, and pepper, and sometimes fresh herbs like chives or tarragon. Even with the mayonnaise base, the emphasis remains on showcasing the lobster. The careful selection of quality mayonnaise and its light application ensures the dressing complements, rather than masks, the delicate sweetness of the star ingredient.

The Bun: Once again, the New England-style split-top bun reigns supreme. Its flat sides are essential for achieving the signature buttery, grilled exterior. Toasting the buttered bun provides crucial structural integrity, preventing sogginess from the cool salad, and adds layers of flavor and texture contrast.

You only need a few simple ingredients to create the Connecticut-style dressing:

• Melted butter. In particular, you’ll want to use unsalted butter so it doesn’t overpower the delicate seafood. That way, you can salt the lobster salad to taste. 
• Lemon juice. Just like with a Maine-style roll, the lemon juice brightens things up and adds a hit of acidity to cut through the richness of butter. 
• If you like, you can add a dash of paprika. It won’t add much heat, but many people like the subtle smokiness and depth that the red spice brings. 
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Hot dog buns or fluffy brioche rolls, toasted and hot. 

What Does a Connecticut Lobster Roll Taste Like?

These hot lobster rolls are dripping in warm, savory drawn butter. This dressing highlights the sweetness of the lobster meat. And because the salad is served warm in the bun, the lobster in a Connecticut-style roll is slightly softer and more tender than in a chilled Maine-style roll. 

What to Serve with a Connecticut-Style Lobster Roll?

To complete your classic New England seafood meal, serve your buttery hot lobster roll with a dill pickle and potato chips or fries. For extra heft, add a side of creamy chilled potato salad or vinegar coleslaw.

If you love a hot meal and you are not afraid to get messy for the sake of a delicious buttery sandwich, Connecticut-style is for you. Here, there is no crunchy celery or creamy mayo to distract from the pure and perfect pairing of butter and lobster meat. And because this style of sandwich is served hot, there’s no need to reserve it just for summer eating. Note that in some locales, they will serve lobster rolls with a container of warm butter on the side.

Maine vs Connecticut Lobster Rolls: Summary

At the end of the day, the main differences between these two popular styles of lobster roll are their temperature, ingredients, and where they are found. While Maine rolls are served with chilled mayo-coated lobster salad on toasted split-top rolls, Connecticut-style rolls are warm and dripping with savory melted butter. 

If you’re a lobster fan, you can’t go wrong with any lobster roll, so we say go ahead and try as many as possible!

The Best of Both Worlds

There’s no need to pick Maine vs. Connecticut lobster rolls when you break them down into fun, mini sizes. Utilizing the fun trend of slider Sunday, you can serve up both at your next gathering by making lobster sliders. Whether you’re using smoked lobster tails and serving them with an icy cold IPA, or sous vide lobster tail meat to create the ultimate Connecticut-style slider, sliders are a fun way to experience both types of lobster rolls. So, grab one for each hand and give them both a try!

Maine-Style vs Connecticut-Style: Side-by-Side Comparison

Understanding the key differences will help you choose which style to make (or try both!).

Feature	Maine-Style (Cold)	Connecticut-Style (Warm)
Lobster Temperature	Chilled (served cold)	Warm (gently heated)
Primary Dressing	Mayonnaise (light coating)	Melted butter
Purist Rule	Keep it simple: light mayo, minimal extras	No mayo—just butter on warm lobster
Additional Flavors	Lemon juice, chives, optional celery	Simple—just butter, maybe lemon
Preferred Meat Cuts	Claw & knuckle for tenderness; large chunks	Claw & knuckle shine in butter; tail for a firmer bite
Bun Style	New England split-top, butter-toasted sides	New England split-top, butter-toasted sides
Bun Temperature	Warm bun, cold filling	Warm bun, warm filling
Portion Size (meat per roll)	Classic ~4 oz (3.5–4.5 oz typical)	Classic ~4 oz (3.5–4.5 oz typical)
Taste Profile	Cool, creamy, refreshing	Rich, buttery, indulgent
Best For	Summer meals, picnics, beach dining	Comfort food, colder weather, purists
Typical Sides	Potato chips, pickles, coleslaw	Drawn butter, lemon wedges
Prep Difficulty	⭐ Easier (no reheating needed)	⭐⭐ Requires gentle warming
Make-Ahead Friendly	✅ Yes (keep chilled until serving)	❌ No (serve immediately)
Allergens	Shellfish, egg (mayo)	Shellfish, dairy (butter)
Origin Notes	Cold, mayo-based “lobster salad” has deep New England roots	Hot buttered roll credited to Perry’s, Milford, CT (late 1920s)
Popularity	Often preferred nationally (varies by region)	Beloved by butter-purists (growing outside New England)

💡 Pro tip: Our lobster roll kit includes enough lobster meat to make both styles—split the 2 lbs and try 4 Maine-style and 4 Connecticut-style rolls!

Try A Lobster Roll Today

Hungry yet? It’s time to satisfy your craving and curiosity by having fresh, premium lobster rolls delivered. Our Lobster Roll can be made either way and arrives at your door complete with New England-style split-top rolls, so you can make restaurant-quality seafood sandwiches from the comfort of your kitchen. 

Maine Versus Connecticut Lobster Rolls FAQ