brown's vs. markey's: the battle for the best lobster rolls

Sunset behind Brown's Lobster Pound.

In a small town located in New Hampshire's tiny coastal stretch are two fairly famous lobster restaurants. On a recent road trip of New England, Mr. Sazy Rock and I decided to wade in on the local argument as to which Lobster Pound was better: Brown's or Markey's.

The drama could not be better. These establishments are literally (not figuratively) across the street from each other. Only a somewhat busy highway separates them.

We decided not to get a whole lobster because we only had so much stomach and so little meals between us. After all, this was an impromptu stop on our way to dinner in Portland, ME. But, to make it fair, we decided to get lobster rolls from both.


But, before I begin, I have to apologize for the lack of pictures. I lost my pictures, which were stored in my phone, when I dropped them in water. And no, I also did not back them up. So, the first lesson here is: back up your phone. I do have a picture from my real camera, however, of the sunset behind Brown's Lobster Pound. I know it does not substitute for food pictures but it will have to do for now.

Back to regular programming.

First up was Markey's Lobster Pool. We ordered our lobster roll and fried clams from the younger staff who appeared to have been having a terrible day. It was not a very welcoming experience to New England. Nonetheless, we immediately scarfed down the grub. Both dishes were tasty.

At Brown's Lobster Pound, our welcome from the staff was a lot more encouraging. They were much nicer. It turned out that the food was better too. The bread for the roll was softer inside and better toasted outside. The lobster also tasted fresher. Similarly, the clams were hot off the fryer, and were crunchier and less greasy than at Markey's. Although we did not order the clam chowder at Markey's, I have to note that the chowder at Brown's was too watery for my liking.

I should note that both establishments only take cash although they do have ATM's inside.

I have to declare Brown's the winner. But, if I'm honest, Mr. SR and I were the real winners here because we did eat some delicious food.