The Lobster House

This New Year, we’re celebrating by reviewing the “Cape May Classics.” These are the restaurants that are the essence of Cape May, known casually as the culinary capital of New Jersey. On the top of any list is the esteemed and globally revered Lobster House.

Situated on Schellenger’s Landing Road (Fisherman’s Wharf) in Cape May, the restaurant inhabits quite a bit of real estate on Cape May Harbor. It’s a huge concern, an operation with many moving parts, owned and managed since the 1940s by four generations of the Laudeman family. The enterprise encompasses an expansive amount of real estate: a covered dockside dining area, a huge commercial fishing fleet and bustling fish market, raw bar, the Schooner American, a fantastic luncheonette (fondly dubbed “The Stools”), and a full-service bar and five dining rooms on two levels inside, which seat hundreds of diners.

My dining companion Reginald and I went on a Monday evening in mid-December. As the Lobster House doesn’t take reservations, we weren’t worried. I mean, (foreshadowing) how busy could it be on a Monday? Answer: Very. Because: Christmas in Cape May! During the high season, you’ll likely experience a bit of a wait. My gauge for waiting time length is: if the parking lot closest to the entrance is full, you can expect a wait of roughly an hour. We only had to wait 15 minutes and took advantage of the cozy bar while we did.

We were soon seated at an equally cozy two-top in the main dining room, overlooking the quiet harbor. Everything makes the Lobster House comfy: the dark woodwork and furniture, the red-and-white checked tablecloths, cloth napkins, low lighting, all of it. Even the impeccably uniformed wait staff give the restaurant its particular homey vibe. That’s it. It’s the feeling of familiarity and comfort.

We were greeted by our superstar server, Alisha. All smiles and easy humor, she set the tone for the rest of the evening. When you can kibbutz with your server, it just makes the whole experience something of a romp—with great food.

Alisha asked if we’d seen the specials on the board at the entrance, and I lamented that no, we had forgotten to pay attention to that. We also pretty much knew what we wanted before we stepped foot inside. I knew I wanted a lobster, and Reginald knew that he wanted salmon. And so, we ordered our entrees and appetizers. Shrimp cocktail for me and French Onion Soup for Reginald, along with a glass of cabernet.

As always, the Lobster House signature opener is a warm loaf of Everything Bread and a tub of soft butter. It’s nearly impossible for a sane person (even one who is watching carbs), to refrain from having at least one slice. One cannot resist, and so we didn’t!

My shrimp cocktail arrived, five huge shrimp with cocktail sauce. I asked Alisha for a little extra horseradish, and she obliged. Between the bread and the app, I shuddered at the thought that there were entrées and most likely dessert in our futures.

Reginald’s French Onion Soup arrived right along with the shrimp cocktail, and it was really a work of art. It was perfect and tasty and, as with all Lobster House fare, generously proportioned.

My 1.5-pound steamed lobster was exactly what I desired. As this is not an adventure that I share, I’m thankful that Reginald doesn’t understand the lure of this sweet and succulent crustacean. I admit that I’m drawn to drawn butter, but really, no one does a lobster like The Lobster House does a lobster. Fully bibbed, I tucked into this one using my well-honed and proven lobster-eating skills.

Reginald’s broiled salmon was accompanied by his favorite: a simple baked potato and steamed veggies. Again, the salmon was a large portion and broiled perfectly to the right temperature.

Dessert was a shared order of homemade apple pie a la mode. It was served warm, with a flaky crust and tender layered not-too-sweet apples, and a perfect vehicle for the vanilla ice cream.

It’s no surprise that the Lobster House is one of the highest grossing restaurants in the country, serving close to a million diners annually. The operation is run with such precision that from parking to completion, the experience is seamless. Every single employee—and they employ hundreds—is well-trained and friendly and you can observe that their teamwork works!

The Lobster House serves lunch and dinner daily, but if breakfast is your jam, you simply must eat at “The Stools.” They offer the best breakfast in town, and it’s filled with locals with some of the best people-watching ever! The Lobster House is open year-round but does not take reservations.