A perfect lobster roll can absolutely make your day, but it’s also deceptively hard to find that magical roll. I’m by no means a lobster roll guru, but I do have slight preference to the simple so-called “Maine” style lobster roll that has a hint of mayo over the “Connecticut” style that tends to rely on butter to give a jolt of flavor to the lobster. I’m a huge believer in making the seafood’s freshness speak for itself without additional ingredients. I haven’t had a decent lobster roll in a while, and sensing an opportunity for a quick meal before heading out to my friend’s house party, stopped by at Greenpoint Fish & Lobster for a quick fix. It turned out the lobster roll at this unassuming seafood restaurant with a market inside is one of the best ones I’ve had.

Before you turn to the lobster roll, don’t skip various offerings of fresh seafood to start your meal on a pleasant note. There is a daily selection of oysters, and I thoroughly enjoyed each piece of Kumamoto (those little ones from California) as well as Wellfleet that was delightfully fresh. There is daily crudo selection as well, and the arctic chart crudo I had not only had awesome silky smooth texture but worked quite well with extra virgin olive oil, lemon and sea salt to give a slight flavor to it. The slight disappointment was the grilled Baja fish taco (the one that I had came with red snapper accompanied by citrus cabbage slaw, mayo, radishes and cilantro). While the fish was more or less perfectly cooked, I thought the kitchen overplayed this dish by putting too much seasoning into it to undermine the texture of red snapper.

Now on to the main menu! The Maine-style lobster roll at Greenpoint Fish is near perfection, a generous pile of lobster with barely a hint of mayo and sea salt to give maximum effect to the fresh texture of lobster inside the roll. I could seriously eat this every day for lunch! Pound for pound, this was one of the freshest lobster rolls I’ve had in my life, and I just can’t stop thinking about the way the kitchen smartly played down the flavor without undermining the texture of this awesome seafood.

The restaurant doesn’t take reservations, but I was able to get seated on one of the high tables right away. It has a nice neighborhood vibe of Greenpoint, a particularly cozy space with the seafood market next to the dining space. There is full bar, and my suggestion would be to enjoy your meal with a glass or two or white or rose wine during a sunny summer day. Greenpoint Fish & Lobster is really a gem that you should visit if you take your lobster roll journey seriously.

KenScale: 8.0/10

• Creativity: 7.5/10
• Execution: 8.0/10
• Ingredients: 8.5/10
• Flavor: 8.0/10
• Texture: 8.5/10

Address: 114 Nassau Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11222

Telephone: (718) 349-0400

Website: http://www.greenpointfish.com/