East End Eatery Lobster Roll Opens 2nd, Year-Round Location

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — An iconic East End eater has unveiled a new, second location in Southampton — and this one is open year-round.

On Thursday, Lobster Roll, known as LUNCH, opened at its new spot at 32 Montauk Highway.

Co-owners Fred Terry, Andrea Anthony, and Paul DeAngelis have teamed with chairman and CEO of Tilray Inc., Irwin Simon, for the expansion.

"Together, they’ve plotted a dramatic expansion of the brand that will eventually include everything from new merchandise to grab-and-go food items to doggy apparel and now, the newly opened second Lobster Roll," a release said.

The new spot features a "modern, nostalgic shack vibe" for its second location.

“We go for a retro vibe, we’re from the ‘60s, and we embrace that," Anthony said.

Although Lobster Roll is known as LUNCH, the Southampton location is focusing on the dinner and cocktail menu for the year-round late-night crowd, owners said. Cocktails will include Bacardi rum splashes, frozen daiquiris, and new additions including the Basil Hayden Manhattan and Belvedere Cosmopolitan; a wine menu featuring local choices is also available.

Besides offering classic hot or cold lobster rolls, the menu will feature steamers and broth, a quart of "soft shell" clams and fish and chips, as well as chowders, lobster salad sliders, lobster grilled cheese, baked stuffed flounder, and Paul's Famous Seafood Chili — as well as an assortment of delectable desserts.

Lobster Roll was purchased in 1965 by Frederick H. Terry Sr. and his father Richard C. Terry Sr. when it was a tiny roadside clam shack. In 1978, Andrea Anthony joined forces with Terry, and three years later, Paul DeAngelis came aboard. Four decades later, Anthony and DeAngelis maintain the current ownership and management operations of Lobster Roll.

In March, the eatery received a nod from OnlyInYourState.com, listed #1 in a list of the Top 15 restaurants for foodies in New York: "Established in 1965, this iconic restaurant is hands down the best place you can go for a lobster roll sandwich — outside of New England, of course. The perfect place to stop if you're out visiting the Montauk Lighthouse, the Lobster Roll is sure to give you a memorable dining experience," the post said.

The Lobster Roll is seen in the Showtime series "The Affair," and has been a go-to spot for years for many searching for the quintessential lobster roll on the East End.

Owner Anthony reflected on the shout-out: "Needless to say, I am beyond honored."

A family business for 44 years, she said: "We work really, really hard. We've been in business for so many years, but we never rest on our laurels."

While time-honored favorites always appear on the menu, Anthony said the staff aims to offer new options. "We work so hard at being current, on being sure that we dot the 'i's and 't's," she said.

Even during the pandemic, Anthony said the Lobster Roll had a "banner season," all while ensuring customers and staff alike were kept safe.

Anthony thanked the generations of customers who've become more like family. "We have someone who just posted on social media that he's been coming in since 1967," Anthony said. "I have staff members that have been with me for 30 years. One girl's mother waitressed for me for years, and now she's working for me and she has kids."

It's those memories, the people, the stories, that have made the Lobster Roll rich with meaning, she said. And that's why she keeps evolving and offering new menu items, to try and please customers, Anthony said. "That's the fun, the passion — it's about making people happy. That's what we aim for most, the most important thing we try to put forth in our service and most of all, our food quality. We really want to make sure everything is right. We want everyone leaving happy."