Luke’s Lobster has set its claws into Brooklyn with its first brick-and-mortar shop in the borough, at 237 Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, and as fans expected, the wait was worth it.
The railroad-style restaurant has two tables in the front and ample standing room for the inevitable lines that follows the eatery’s brand around the city, but also comes complete with an airy backyard where grilled lobster parties will be held in warmer weather.
The menu features Luke’s signature fresh lobster, shrimp and crab rolls ($15, $8 and $13 a la carte) served in split-top buns with a bit of mayo, lemon, butter and simple seasonings such as celery salt, as well as New England Clam Chowder ($8), Soup of the Day ($7-10), slaw ($2), grilled cheese ($5) and Cape Cod chips ($1, your choice of original, salt and vinegar and mesquite bbq).
The lobster is sweet and comes in huge chunks, the crab shreds are smooth and disappear into your stomach remarkably quickly, and the shrimp is tender and melts in your mouth. Add chips, a pickle and either a soft drink ($3) or a beer ($6) to make it a meal.
There are also several Brooklyn-specific menu items that put some of the borough’s unique food purveyors on display.
According to Co-Founder and President Luke Holden, the team has always wanted to plant roots in Brooklyn and they chose Park Slope for its sense of community.
“Having local partnerships is very important everywhere, but in Park Slope more so,” explained Vice President Ben Conniff. “We really want for this to be a neighborhood spot. I’ve lived here for seven years now and people are drawn to places that specifically cater to neighbors.”
That means Four and Twenty Blackbirds’ Maine Blueberry and Salted Caramel Apple pies ($6) are available for dessert, and locally brewed Grimm Artisanal Ales – a fun peppery and citrusy brew – are among six craft beers available on tap, the first Luke’s location to offer this option.
The other beers on tap are Maine microbrews: Allagash, a Belgian brew that has lemony and coriander hints; a rich brown chocolaty Atlantic ale from Bar Harbor; a hoppy, lightly bitter Peak ale; and a mild English-style blond ale from Shipyard. As it is autumn, there is also an Octoberfest ale from Peak Organics.
On the non-alcoholic front, you can’t go wrong with Maine Root’s sodas in blueberry, mandarin orange and lime ginger brew flavors, Spindrift’s half-and-half iced tea/lemonade (all $3), or bottled Coca-Cola ($2).
The Fifth Avenue restaurant is Luke’s Lobster’s 14th location for managing partners Luke and Bryan Holden, Scott Bullard and Conniff.
The Brooklyn location will also eventually offer nightly deliveries and serve as a weekly pickup site for Village Fishmonger, a community-supported fishery program bringing sustainable seafood to the neighborhood.
LUKE’S LOBSTER
237 Fifth Avenue
347-457-6855
Open daily at 11 a.m.
Closes Sun.-Thurs. at 10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. at 11 pm.
Happy Hour daily from 4-7 p.m.
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