The second time around at Luke’s Lobster (see previous impressions) left me high and dry.  Granted the noon hour at lunch  this week was not as brilliant a sunny day as it was on my first visit.  Instead the weather was chilly, wet and dreary. Though the view was just as jaw-dropping, and the service was also excellent.  But  the free parking on the pier that existed on opening week turned into metered parking at 3 bucks an hour.

Also on my first visit the staff boasted that the first-floor dining room was an order-and-eat deal.  No table service.  Upon entering you placed your order at the front desk, paid for it and picked a high top, table or bar stool to eat.  The food was brought to you.

Though a gray day, the place still looks bright and appealing

Now it’s less casual with table service–a  lobster pound with urban stripes.

Luke’s Lobster is everywhere: It’s like the Whole Foods/Amazon of lobster, with locations from Boston, New York, Las Vegas, Miami, Tokyo, et al, spawning like guppies.

The staff was not sure if at the Portland Pier location that the table service thing was just a weekend event or seven days.

On my Thursday visit,  the restaurant was busy at noontime, filled with tourists, some off the cruise ships—the type you can spot anywhere, if you know what I mean, as though each male diner—60-somethings,  with gold chains and dyed hair, if any, — pulled up in  Dodge GTOs.


I’m working my way through the menu with each visit.  This time I picked fried clam bellies.  I looked for a clam roll, but the menu offered either a clam plate ($19) with nothing else or the platter ($22) with fries, slaw and pickle.  Twenty-two dollars is the average price for clam plates or baskets at many places in Maine within a 100-mile radius.  Two Lights offers it at $21.99 including biscuit, fries and slaw.

At Luke’s the color of the fried and battered/breaded clams was sort of gray rather than golden hued. According to an early devotee of the restaurant he found out that the clams are coated in rice flour, which is gluten free, and thus the lack of deep color.

Susan’s Fish and Chips is priced as of this week at $17.99, a relative bargain.  Love their slaw and tartar sauce.

The clams, though,  were tasty, with plump bellies set on a pile of fries.  Little metal cups held pepper slaw and tartar sauce.  The slaw was dry. And I prefer celery salt over pepper on my slaw.  The fries were very decent.  With tax and tip lunch was close to $30.

On a sunny day, the dining deck is resplendent at the water’s edge

A huge pile of fried clam bellies with all the fixings at Moody’s Diner by comparison is $17.99 for fresh dug Maine clams.

Fried full belly clams with fries, pickle, pepper relish and tartar sauce at Lukes

Scales, by comparison, offers valet parking, which I’m sure is factored into the overall tab.  (A fried whole belly clam plate, for instance, is $30.)

A couple at the table next to me were visiting Portland and one ordered a whole lobster, which looked pretty big; his lady friend had a trio of shellfish rolls: lobster, crab and shrimp, each stuffed into small buns.  The waitress asked her which of the three rolls she liked best.

“Lobster, of course,” she said, licking her fingers and looking pretty pleased.”

Sources and vendors posted on blackboard

Luke’s Lobster, 60 Portland Pier, Portland, ME 207-274-6097 www.lukeslobster.com

Rating: Interesting, fabulous setting

Ambiance: Casual; come for the view and decent seafood all locally sourced

 

Service: Very attentive

Tables: High Tops, Bar, Banquettes

Parking: On the pier, metered at $3 per hour