Deciding If Costco's Lobster Roll Kits Are Worth The Price

A good lobster roll will make you feel the sun on your face and a sea breeze in your hair, whatever the weather. For those who grew up on the New England coast, it's a classic sandwich. For those who only visit the shore, it's a nostalgic vacation treat, enjoyed on a weathered picnic table near a stack of decorative lobster traps.

And now, it's available at Costco. The Pepper's Landing lobster roll kit comes frozen to preserve the freshness of the lobster and includes four New England-style brioche hot dog buns, two packets of seasoned lobster butter, and a spice packet. The pre-cooked lobster hovers around a pound of meat and includes recognizable pieces of claw meat, not just shredded leftover bits.

The kit will run shoppers $42.99 from the Costco freezers. Though this is definitely on the more expensive side of a Costco meal kit, it's a good deal for four lobster rolls — $10.75 per roll. Pepper's Landing, the Maine and New Hampshire seafood restaurant group behind the frozen box, sells its in-house rolls at market cost, but $26 to $30 depending on location. Though we don't know how much meat is stacked into those (and they do come with a side of fries), ¼ pound of meat is pretty standard for an average lobster roll. Bigger rolls, such the one at the Provincetown, Massachusetts restaurant The Lobster Pot, runs $37 for a hot roll stuffed with ¾ pound of meat.

The Pepper's Landing lobster roll kits are easy to prepare and assemble, and they've gotten positive reviews on social media. Though it's not as easy as sauntering up to a lobster shack, it might be easier and more enjoyable than waiting in a long line of vacationing families at low tide. The kit's instructions outline the best way to thaw your lobster: overnight, in the refrigerator. Too impatient? You can speed up the process by soaking it in cold water. (For food safety, whatever you choose, the lobster should remain under 38 degrees Fahrenheit.)

Once the lobster is thawed, remove it from its package, drain, and chop into ½ inch pieces. The spice packet (ingredients of which say, "spices including mustard flour and smoked paprika") can be used to your heart's content. Sprinkle as much or as little on the lobster as you'd like, and set it aside. Melt one packet of butter and toast each side of your rolls, then set those aside. 

Melt the other packet of butter in the pan, and then gently warm the lobster. This should not take long; the key here is to not actually cook the meat, just warm it through (it's already cooked). Any additional cooking, and you risk rubbery lobster (a wicked bummer). Divide the lobster among the four rolls and drizzle with leftover butter.

There are two styles of New England lobster rolls: Connecticut and Maine. The Connecticut version is served hot with butter. As the legend goes, the hot lobster roll was invented in Milford, Connecticut sometime in the 1920s by Harry Perry, the owner of Perry's restaurant, for a regular named Ted. The Costco kits are built to be Connecticut-style hot rolls.

The other type of lobster roll is a cold roll; a Maine roll. This roll is filled with steamed, chilled lobster salad dressed in mayo, celery, onions, garlic, scallions, chives, and lemon juice. No one really seems to know exactly who created this roll or when this version hit the scene — sometime in the 1950s, perhaps, with a boom in roadside lobster shacks in the 1970s, the golden era for Vacationland. The top two guesses are the Maine Diner in Wells or Moody's Diner in Walderboro.

If you'd rather munch on a Maine roll than a Connecticut roll, never fear. The Costco kit can easily be adapted with a few quick lobster roll ingredients: four tablespoons of mayo and two tablespoons each of diced celery, onion, and lemon juice. Combine and toss thawed, chopped, and seasoned lobster in the dressing. Don't forget to toast the bun.