Liv’s Shack “Lobster Rolls And More” (CT)
Article by Sam Dostaler
Located in beautiful Old Saybrook, Connecticut on Harbor One Marina along the Connecticut River, Liv’s Shack “Lobster Rolls and More” provided the ideal setting for lunch on a summer afternoon.
Open Memorial Day to Labor Day, Liv’s Schack offers visitors with a simple but delicious menu. Best known for their hot buttered lobster rolls (more on those later!), Liv’s also offers lobster grilled cheese, grilled fish taco, fried shrimp, and New England Clam Chowder on their seafood menu.
On the day we visited Liv’s we rolled the dice a little bit, thunderstorms were predicted and with the restaurant only offering outside seating we risked getting our meal rained out as we made our way down to the shore. However, after driving through pouring rain much of the drive, once we arrived at Liv’s the sun was shining and it was time to tuck into a meal.
Our party of four made our way into the roadside shack and swiftly placed our order with the friendly and busy staff; two lobster rolls, fried shrimp, and three New England Clam Chowders. The non-seafood eater in the group took advantage of the grill portion of the menu ordering chicken tenders and french fries, both of which were excellent.
After placing our order we moved to the picnic tables behind the building, like many seafood shacks around New England, Liv’s is BYOB, so we broke into our cooler to sip on some local craft beer and wine while waiting for our food. Liv’s offers two seating locations. You can either sit on the deck or behind the building at any number of large picnic tables. If you are looking to spread out a bit then heading to the picnic tables is your best, however if you are hoping for a glimpse of the Connecticut River then the deck is your spot.
Once the meals arrived we dove right in, trying the chowder first, which to me was the highlight of the meal. The chowder was the perfect complexion, not too creamy but not to watery, with large chunks of clam and potato offered in every bite. What made the chowder so good however may have been the temperature it was served at, even though it was a warm early August day the cup wasn’t served so warm that you began to sweat as you ate it. In my mind swinging by Liv’s for a cup of chowder is alone worth the trip.
However, lobster rolls is in the name of the restaurant after all so it was now time to try the main attraction. There are two options when you order lobster rolls at Liv’s, 4 oz ($18) or the eight oz ($35), we opted for the 4 oz which is the average roll size you will find at most restaurants.
Even though we opted for the smaller of the two lobster rolls they don’t skimp you on the meat, each lightly toasted and buttered roll was filled to the brim with a combination of tail and claw meat. Then comes the moment you have been waiting for since you got out of your car, the first bite.
Once you take a bite the first thing you will notice is that the meat is fresh and tender, then after a moment, the richness of the butter will hit your taste buds completing the bite. What I found with the Liv’s lobster roll was that most of the butter taste came from what had seeped into the roll, rather than from the lobster itself, meaning that the butter was almost the second taste you experienced with each bite.
The final portion of the meal was the fried shrimp, they don’t say it on the menu but they appear to be jumbo. They are fried in a light batter and snap with each bite and they disappear all too quickly.
Following our meal, we decided to check out Harbor One Marina so we made our way down to the parking lot about a 1/4 mile away next to the Saybrook Point Inn. Taking the extra half hour was well worth it as you can stroll along a walkway that looks out into the Connecticut River and offers sweeping views towards Long Island Sound. On the Marina, there is a mini golf course that was busy and plenty of benches for people to sit and relax on.
Of Note: In addition to chicken tenders the grill menu offers burgers, hot dogs, BLT’s and grilled cheese. There is also a kid’s menu. On Wednesday’s Liv’s offers discounted lobster rolls for $15 to seniors 60 years and over.
Be aware if it looks like it is going to rain on the day you are heading to Liv’s call ahead and make sure they are open. They will close if the weather isn’t good.