Maine lobster is what’s on the menu at this new, quick-stop restaurant in Brickell City Centre

Luke’s Lobster is a modern version of a Maine seafood shack in Brickell City Centre with traceable, sustainable sea-to-table fare. It is small and mostly for take out but there are a few tables inside and in the mall corridor. Check the chalkboard near the register to learn where in Maine or Canada the day’s catch is from.

Start with These Dishes

The seafood fest begins with New England clam chowder, a briny stew in a creamy base with small clams and diced potatoes. Another good starter is the lobster and corn chowder made by Hurricane Soups in small batches in Maine and shipped to Miami. The Wild Blue salad with arugula and pickled blueberries is peppery and tangy sweet, with a crunch from shreds of red cabbage and salted sunflower seeds, all topped with a halved lobster tail in the shell. Vegetarians can get the salad minus the lobster tail. There’s also the option of half a lobster tail with lemon butter with any order.

Share These Dishes

If you can’t decide between the Maine lobster, Jonah crab or shrimp roll (made with small shrimp from the north Atlantic), get all three. The trio is a half roll of each, with a quarter pound of seafood on each buttery toasted bun. Wash it down with a Portland-made root ginger brew (non-alcoholic). To share, get at least two orders of the rolls and coleslaw or side salads and a bag of potato chips. There are also combos including Land & Sea (seasonal salad and small chowder), Luke’s Favorite (lobster roll with chips and slaw) and the North Atlantic (shrimp roll and small chowder).

Save Room for Dessert

End with Key lime pie with whipped cream made locally by Derek the Fireman.

What Makes It Special

Founder Luke Holden grew up in Port Elizabeth Maine helping his father on his commercial lobster boat. After graduating from Georgetown University he moved to New York and opened his first lobster shack in the East Village in 2009. It may be fall in Maine but here it is an endless Maine summer, complete with Funky Buddha and Wynwood Brewing beers. Luke’s won a Slow Food award the month they opened last December for dock-to-table, sustainably caught seafood.

This story was originally published October 31, 2017 at 11:32 AM with the headline "Maine lobster is what’s on the menu at this new, quick-stop restaurant in Brickell City Centre."