Sea Salt Lobster in Saco, Maine

Sea Salt Lobster is the kind of place where you go to eat what Maine does best. The kitchen sources local seafood and keeps things straightforward: lobster rolls, fish baskets, chowder thick with clams. It's laid-back and busy, full of visitors and locals who know what they're after. Come hungry and ready to pay what fresh costs.

• Lobster rolls stuffed with 3.5 oz fresh lump meat.
• Clam chowder creamy and loaded with clams.
• Fried seafood consistently crispy and well-executed.
• Portions large enough to stretch across two meals.

The lobster roll is the anchor, a warm buttered roll piled with fresh meat. The clam chowder tastes like Maine in a bowl, creamy and thick with clams and potatoes. Order the bang bang shrimp as an opener if you want something fried and briny. Fried haddock and shrimp baskets are solid bets. The seafood platter gives you options if you're undecided, and it's generous enough to share.

Casual and busy, especially in season. The room fills up with travelers and returning guests who come back specifically for the chowder and lobster rolls. It's unpretentious and warm, especially around the holidays.

This is where you land if you want traditional New England seafood without ceremony. The bang bang shrimp are a solid opener. Lobster mac and cheese shows up on plates, though the cheese sauce can land a bit flat. Fish and chips, whether with haddock or shrimp, come crispy and right. It's not fancy, but it's honest.

Visitors rave about the lobster rolls and clam chowder with particular intensity. One recent visitor came back the next day specifically for the chowder, calling the lobster "some of the best I've had." A first-time Maine visitor was skeptical until trying the clam chowder, which they now rank highest anywhere. One guest noted that the seafood platter's portions meant they got multiple meals out of it at a fair per-serving cost.