# What's better - the hot or the cold lobster roll? (need answer kinda fast) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [July 28, 2021, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-better-the-hot-or-the-cold-lobster-roll-need-answer-kinda-fast/947541 "2021-07-28T19:02:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-better-the-hot-or-the-cold-lobster-roll-need-answer-kinda-fast/947541/21 "2021-07-29T14:11:45Z")
Yeah…people will pay a big premium for lobster that walked into the bread instead of being frozen and shipped. Perhaps the locals know places with reasonable prices but the people selling in tourist areas will jack the prices. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-better-the-hot-or-the-cold-lobster-roll-need-answer-kinda-fast/947541/22 "2021-07-29T14:23:45Z")
They best lobstah rolls are ones you make with lobsters bought off the boat and cooked in your own kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-better-the-hot-or-the-cold-lobster-roll-need-answer-kinda-fast/947541/23 "2021-07-29T14:30:48Z")
> [@solost](#): > > > [@Telemark](#): > > > > $35 is pretty steep for a lobster roll, **even on the coast of Maine.** > > I would think lobster rolls would be at their cheapest on the coast of Maine. Talk about locally sourced ingredients… This [seven-week-old article](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/11/style/lobster-roll-spike.html) in The New York Times says the price at one Maine shop was $34, because of a spike in the price of lobster. They are cheaper in Connecticut, which is, after all, where the lobster roll was invented. At the place where my parents get lobster rolls, it’s, I think, $19. (My father has weirdly developed a fondness for them in the past few years. I’m not that excited by them. I’d rather get fish and chips.) ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-better-the-hot-or-the-cold-lobster-roll-need-answer-kinda-fast/947541/24 "2021-07-29T14:41:16Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > But the demand is incredibly high, and flatlanders will pay anything. Heh, flatlanders. Years ago I had a work thing I had to go to on the east coast. I had never been, so I decided to leave a few days early, do a road trip and make a workation out of it. One goal was to get a “fresh off the boat” lobster meal from an authentic lobster shack. My first night I stayed at a nice hotel and, eager for some lobster, ordered the live lobster in the hotel restaurant. It was every penny the same price as it would cost back in Michigan, and the meal came on a fancy plate, with the lobster all oiled up and shiny. It was a perfectly fine meal, but I felt like a dumb tourist getting lobster that way. Couple days later I found a real, authentic, hole-in-the-wall lobster shack with the menu written on a chalk board, much better prices, and the meal-- lobster, half a corn cob and baked potato-- served in a plastic basket with wax paper. That was more like it! ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-better-the-hot-or-the-cold-lobster-roll-need-answer-kinda-fast/947541/25 "2021-07-29T15:11:48Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > and flatlanders will pay anything. I thought the correct term was “folks from away.” ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-better-the-hot-or-the-cold-lobster-roll-need-answer-kinda-fast/947541/26 "2021-07-29T15:19:20Z")
The Summer Complaints ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-better-the-hot-or-the-cold-lobster-roll-need-answer-kinda-fast/947541/27 "2021-07-30T17:19:51Z")
Just got back from Cape Cod. First day we could only find cold lobster (salad) rolls, in hot dog buns. There was much disappointment and discussion, but that’s all we could find. (due to a shortage of workers, I think - it’s easier to make and serve, no fiddllng around with a grill), Well, we bought them and they were just scrumptious, huge! serving of delicious lobster, lightly mayonnaised, squirt of lemon! About $17 … Before we left, we went to Provincetown and got the hot buttered lobster in a grilled hot dog bun, ALSO huge and scrumptious. That one was about $21 … If I had to choose, I would be hard pressed to make a choice. I do think I am, for the first time in my life which I never thought I would ever say, I am lobstered out for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2021, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-better-the-hot-or-the-cold-lobster-roll-need-answer-kinda-fast/947541/28 "2021-07-31T03:17:14Z")
Please tell me how to bring them to my place! I see they now roam the suburbs only. I miss them. ---
**Author:** ![Somethingwitty1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/somethingwitty1/32/8899_2.png) [@Somethingwitty1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Somethingwitty1)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2021, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-better-the-hot-or-the-cold-lobster-roll-need-answer-kinda-fast/947541/29 "2021-07-31T03:25:17Z")
If you want hot lobster and butter, get a lobster with butter. If you want a lobster roll sandwich, get a cold lobster with mayonnaise and crunchy stuff in it. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2021, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-better-the-hot-or-the-cold-lobster-roll-need-answer-kinda-fast/947541/30 "2021-07-31T03:28:16Z")
This is what i was going to say. Hot lobster with butter is delicious, but it’s really messy and a lot easier to eat with a plate and fork than out of a hotdog roll. Cold lobster with a bit of celery and just enough mayonnaise to hold it together, plus a bit of lemon juice, makes a really splendid sandwich. Mmmm, maybe I’ll get a lobster roll tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2021, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-better-the-hot-or-the-cold-lobster-roll-need-answer-kinda-fast/947541/31 "2021-07-31T04:57:21Z")
Hmm…food for thought… ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2021, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-better-the-hot-or-the-cold-lobster-roll-need-answer-kinda-fast/947541/32 "2021-07-31T05:01:51Z")
I see where you are going and I would agree but… There is an ease of consumption with a lobster roll that you do not get with a lobster tail. Walking along the beach in Connecticut does not lend itself to a lobster tail with a drawn butter dipping dish and utensils. Instead you get a lobster roll and carry it with you as you eat it. And, IIRC, it is not a hot dog roll but something better. Dunno what to call it though and I have never seen it in a store. Kinda seems like Hawaiian bread. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2021, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-better-the-hot-or-the-cold-lobster-roll-need-answer-kinda-fast/947541/33 "2021-07-31T06:19:31Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > And, IIRC, it is not a hot dog roll but something better. Dunno what to call it though and I have never seen it in a store. Kinda seems like Hawaiian bread. Wikipedia says they’re [top-cut hot dog buns.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England-style_hot_dog_bun) ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2021, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-better-the-hot-or-the-cold-lobster-roll-need-answer-kinda-fast/947541/34 "2021-07-31T06:25:45Z")
Well, obviously, each place that makes them can choose whatever. But i love lobster roll, and have eaten it at many places, and it’s usually a hot dog roll. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2021, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-better-the-hot-or-the-cold-lobster-roll-need-answer-kinda-fast/947541/35 "2021-07-31T06:27:01Z")
Usually I get them in this: [![](https://www.chicagomag.com/wp-content/archive/images/2013/0613/C201306-T-Lobster-Rolls-Acadia.jpg) ](https://www.chicagomag.com/wp-content/archive/images/2013/0613/C201306-T-Lobster-Rolls-Acadia.jpg) Dunno what you call that but it is not a hotdog bun. A quick Google search and [none of them look like hot dog buns.](https://www.google.com/search?q=lobster+roll&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS956US956&sxsrf=ALeKk021_S3OUj_vitHbAx_UhvKUCnufHQ:1627712511632&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi7g7XQ1YzyAhWCW80KHX97DCEQ_AUoAnoECAIQBA&biw=2560&bih=1297) That is [different than this:](https://www.google.com/search?q=hot+dog&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwih-LXI14zyAhXui60KHSQOCP0Q2-cCegQIABAA&oq=hot+dog&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzIECCMQJzIHCAAQsQMQQzIECAAQQzIHCAAQsQMQQzIICAAQgAQQsQMyBQgAEIAEMgQIABBDMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyCAgAEIAEELEDUJ-QA1iMngNgxKADaABwAHgAgAF3iAHvA5IBAzYuMZgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1nwAEB&sclient=img&ei=B-4EYeHYLO6XtgWknKDoDw&bih=1297&biw=2560&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS956US956) [![](https://centralca.cdn-anvilcms.net/media/images/2021/05/25/images/Hot_Dog_pix.max-640x480.jpg) ](https://centralca.cdn-anvilcms.net/media/images/2021/05/25/images/Hot_Dog_pix.max-640x480.jpg) That said, maybe where you are, they put lobster in hotdog buns. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2021, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-better-the-hot-or-the-cold-lobster-roll-need-answer-kinda-fast/947541/36 "2021-07-31T06:46:55Z")
Hmm, we have different hot dog buns. That first one is what i usually get with hot dogs, except i don’t saute it in butter. Eta, Hey, from wikipedia, maybe it’s regional > **[New England-style hot dog bun](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England-style_hot_dog_bun)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > New England-style hot dog buns, also often known as New England hot dog buns or top-loading hot dog buns, are the hot dog buns most commonly used in the United States region of New England and its cuisine. They may also be called split-top, top-sliced, frankfurter rolls, or frankfurt rolls. > This style of roll or bun was developed in the 1940s by Howard Johnson's, who approached the Maine bakery J. J. Nissen in search of a bun for its fried clam s... ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2021, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-better-the-hot-or-the-cold-lobster-roll-need-answer-kinda-fast/947541/37 "2021-07-31T06:55:02Z")
Interesting. They are definitely different. What you posted seems a little bit more crusty. But there are a zillion different types of bread with subtle differences. Every lobster roll I have had has been in a very soft and sweet bun. Not like a typical hotdog bun which is a bit more dense, less sweet, and crusty (soft crust but still more crusty). The lobster roll bun is softer, more pillowy and sweeter. If you are ever in Chicago look me up and I will buy you one of each and we can see if they are the same (hot dog bun vs. lobster roll bun). Chicago is known for its hotdogs…no shortage of those. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2021, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-better-the-hot-or-the-cold-lobster-roll-need-answer-kinda-fast/947541/38 "2021-07-31T07:15:12Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > That said, maybe where you are, they put lobster in hotdog buns. I’ve never seen a lobster roll available for purchase around here. There’s probably a few places in Seattle where you can find them, but I imagine a Dungeness crab roll would probably be more appropriate. The seafood market in downtown Olympia sells “lobster roll filling” at $24 for a 16 oz. tub, but it’s cut with crab and shrimp, dressed in tarragon mayo. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2021, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-better-the-hot-or-the-cold-lobster-roll-need-answer-kinda-fast/947541/39 "2021-07-31T07:20:33Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > The lobster roll bun is softer, more pillowy and sweeter. “Pillowy” or “pilloughy”? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2021, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-better-the-hot-or-the-cold-lobster-roll-need-answer-kinda-fast/947541/40 "2021-07-31T13:42:45Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > They are definitely different. They are different. And I’m aware of the existence of side-cut hot dog buns. They sell them in my supermarket, next to the ordinary (to me) hot dog buns But i don’t think I’ve ever, personally, eaten a hotdog from one of those. Maybe in Denmark i had a Danish thing that was kinda like a hot dog in a bun like that. The top cut bun has less crust (except it’s often toasted) but I’ve always assumed the bread inside was the same. I’d describe the bread in a hot dog bun (the ones I’m familiar with) as “like wonder bread”. Maybe the side cut buns are not as soft and are less sweet? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-better-the-hot-or-the-cold-lobster-roll-need-answer-kinda-fast/947541.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-better-the-hot-or-the-cold-lobster-roll-need-answer-kinda-fast/947541.md?page=3)