Five Islands Lobster Co in Georgetown, Maine

Five Islands Lobster Co sits right on the water in Georgetown, serving straightforward New England seafood from a rustic wharf shack. The lobster rolls come piled high on grilled potato rolls, and the fried oysters are locally caught and crispy. It's window service with picnic tables overlooking the harbor, BYOB encouraged, and the vibe is pure coastal Maine without pretense.

• Lobster rolls piled high on homemade grilled rolls
• Direct harbor views from outdoor picnic seating
• Working wharf setting feels authentically Maine
• Locally caught fresh fried oysters and soft shell lobster

Order the lobster roll, piled generous on a grilled potato roll. The soft shell lobster is worth trying. Fried oysters are locally sourced and crispy outside, tender within. Try a whole lobster dinner boiled to perfection. The haddock chowder is hit or miss flavor-wise. Walk next door to the ice cream shack for dessert.

Window service, picnic tables on a working wharf overlooking the harbor. It gets loud and crowded in summer, which is half the fun. The salt air and boat traffic make it feel busy and authentic.

The kitchen keeps things simple and that works. Soft shell lobster, whole lobster dinners, fried oysters, haddock chowder. One diner recommends ordering smaller lobsters and getting several rather than one large one for better meat and tenderness. The lobster is boiled to near perfection. Not every dish lands equally (some guests found the chowder underseasoned), but the lobster itself is consistently sweet and fresh. The ice cream stand next door makes a good finish.

Guests rave about the setting and the quality of the lobster, which locals say is sweeter because of the deeper, colder water here. One recent visitor called it "a totally authentic Maine lobster experience." The casual BYOB setup and nearby general store mean you can grab a beer or wine and settle in for a long meal watching the boats.