Manhattan Sandwich Co. (Marblehead, Massachusetts)

Lobster rolls are so simple that there’s generally not much more involved in ordering one than saying: “I’ll have the lobster roll, please,” so imagine my surprise when I was asked whether I wanted my roll toasted.

My first instinct, naturally, was to panic. How am I supposed to know whether I want the roll toasted? Obviously I wanted the roll grilled with butter, the normal way. Leaning back on my military training (I watched “Stripes” a lot as a kid) I gathered my wits and thought through the dilemma. A raw bun could be nice but it could also be chewy and soggy. A toasted bun could be nicely warmed and crisped or it could be too hard. I decided to go with the toasted bun. And then I wondered why “Stripes” turns into an action movie halfway through. Did they run out of yucks?

Manhattan Sandwich Co. is a good, dependable sandwich shop in a strip mall in Marblehead. Nothing about it is vaguely Manhattan-esque.

Crustacean: I’m going to assume that the lobster was local lobster and not flown in from Manhattan. The lobster meat was excellent and the portion was quite generous for the $9.99 price.  Clearly the closer you get to the source the cheaper and better the lobster gets. 48 points

Components: This was a very simple roll featuring just lobster, mayo and shredded lettuce. All of the components were great – except for the roll, which was too doughy, too big and just not the best canvas for the lobster.  12 points

Construction: The roll was a little lopsided, with more meat on one side than the other. Thankfully, I was able to redistribute the lobster with minimal effort.  The top of the roll was over-toasted as I feared, but I’m still not sure if I would have been better off with a raw roll. 12 points

Total score: 72

The lobster roll was also accompanied by a bag of chips of my choosing (ugh, more decisions!) I wish I could give this a higher grade based on how excellent the lobster meat was and what a great value it was, but a lobster roll consists of both lobster and roll and the roll really let me down this time. Even so, I’d still recommend a stop by the Manhattan Sandwich Co. next time you’re in the Head.

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