East End Eatery Lobster Roll Open 2nd, Year Round

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — An iconic East End eatery has unveiled a new, second location in Southampton — and it's open year-round.

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

Co-owners Fred Terry, Andrea Anthony and Paul DeAngelis partnered with Tilray Inc. president and CEO Irwin Simon on the expansion.

“Together, they have planned a dramatic expansion of the brand that will eventually include everything from new merchandise to food items to doggie apparel and now, the second Lobster Roll that just opened,” a release said.

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

“We're going for a retro vibe, we're from the '60s and we embrace it,” Anthony said.

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

In addition to offering classic hot or cold lobster rolls, the menu will include steamers and broth, quarter “soft shell” clams and fish and chips, as well as chocolates, lobster salad sliders, grilled lobster cheese, stuffed oven puff pastry and Paul's Famous Seafood Chili — as well as a variety of delectable desserts.

The 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 on board. Four decades later, Anthony and DeAngelis maintain the current operations of ownership and management of Lobster Roll.

In March, the restaurant received a nod from OnlyInYourState.com, No. 1 on its list of the top 15 foodie restaurants in New York: “Established in 1965, this iconic restaurant is the best place to go for a lobster sandwich for a roll — outside of New England, of course. The perfect place to stop if you're visiting the Montauk Lighthouse, Lobster Roll is sure to provide an unforgettable dining experience,” the post said.

The Lobster Roll is featured in the Showtime series “The Affair” and has been the go-to place for years for many looking for the East End lobster staple.

Owner Anthony reflected on the outcry: “Needless to say, I'm beyond honored.”

A family business for 44 years, he said: “We work very, very hard. We've been in business for so many years, but we never rest on our laurels.”

While seasonal favorites are always featured on the menu, Anthony said the staff aims to offer new options. “We work so hard to be informed, to make sure we're dotting the y's and the t's,” he said.

Even during the pandemic, Anthony said Lobster Roll had a “banner period” while making sure customers and staff remained safe.

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

It's those memories, the people, the stories, that have made the Lobster Roll rich with meaning, he said. And that's why he continues to evolve and offer new menu items to try to please customers, Anthony said. “That's the fun, the passion – it's about making people happy. That's what we aim for the most, the most important thing we try to offer in our service and above all, the quality of our food. We really want to make sure everything is right We want everyone to leave happy.”