Young’s Lobster Pound is a seafood lover’s staple located right on the water in Belfast, Maine. This family-owned business that has been serving fresh seafood to locals and tourists for over 60 years. The restaurant’s reputation has grown over the years, making it one of the most iconic seafood destinations in Maine.
Located on the shore of Penobscot Bay, Young’s Lobster Pound has a rustic and cozy atmosphere for diners to enjoy, On busy weekends, the line can easily extend out the door and around the corner.
The restaurant’s menu is mainly centered around north Atlantic lobster but there are a few other items which include clams, mussels and shrimp. Like all fresh seafood restaurants, their prices vary on market price so keep in mind the prices you see may vary from the prices shown here.
The lower level of the two-story building is mainly filled with live seafood and lobster holding tanks. Stairs that lead to the upstairs seated dining area which offers plenty of tables to enjoy your meal.
Two large brick-lined boiling pots sit behind the counter area. Today’s traffic was a little light so there was only one pot going but on busy days, they have both going. As a mechanical minded person, I found their boil setup pretty interesting, the fire box below, the main water lines valved so that they can add water easily when needed.
Two smaller pots sat above the main large pots, one of which contained Clam Chowder and is kept nice and hot for diners. Here you can see the large hose trickling fresh water into the boiling pot, this is to maintain the water level throughout the day. As the pots lose water via steam and for being soaked into the lobster, this trickle replenishes the pot’s water level.
When you place your order, they assign you a number and place your lobster and other seafood items into a mesh sack and drop them into the pot. Here you can see two orders currently being cooked and on busy weekend there will be an order on every pin and on each of the two large boiling pots.
The restaurant was established in 1950 by Gus and Helen Young. They started with a small shack selling lobster to passing cars, but their business quickly grew as word spread about their fresh and delicious seafood.
Young’s Lobster Pound has a loyal following of customers who come back year after year. Many of them have fond memories of visiting Young’s Lobster Pound as children and have now brought their own families to enjoy the same experience.
This is just one of the holding tanks that is filled to the brim with live lobster. This restaurant is not only a place to dine but it is like an aquarium! Cold, fresh and filtered seawater is constantly circulated through each of the many holding tanks which requires a lot of maintenance in order to keep their live seafood stock as healthy as possible.
Young’s Lobster Pound is a large supplier of live lobster to many restaurants all over the northeast. Being able to stop in and have one (or two) for yourself straight from the source is an experience like no other.
Fresh seafood just tastes better when you’re right on the water enjoying it. Their outdoor patio is right on Belfast Bay and offers a great view of the surrounding picturesque fishing village. Hearing the distant seagulls and feeling the crisp sea breeze was almost as good as the food itself! It definitely adds to the overall experience.
My lunch for the day! I chose the lobster meal which is a whole lobster, a bag of chips and some drawn butter. What was nice was that the shell was already cut prior to being served so cracking the claws and the tail were very easy tasks. I’ve had lobster all over the country and in some pretty fancy restaurants, my meal here served on a cardboard tray and with a bag of chips was far better than I had ever experienced elsewhere. I was not disappointed!
I am so glad I took the advice of a friend and stopped in to experience Young’s Lobster Pound. This was one of the highlights of my road trip through Maine and I highly recommend it to anyone I know that is planning a trip to the Maine coast. It’s located on the popular scenic coastal route that runs from Portland to Bar Harbor, making it an ideal stop for travelers exploring the region. Be sure to add this little gem to your road trip to-do list!