OK, so I officially ate too much lobster on vacation... I did not think this was possible, but indeed it is. That said, it was a super-fun experience to taste-test some of Southern Maine's finest. I know I missed a few spots (ok, maybe I missed hundreds), but these are some of my favorite joints and I had a blast hitting 'em up in the same week to compare. If interested you can check out all of my lobster roll reviews here, but here's my final result:

It came down to Barnacle Billy's and Oarweeds for the best roll of my reviews this year. Both serve it with a moderate amount of mayo and a dusting of paprika. Barnacle Billy's grills their bun on an actual grill, while Oarweeds grills theirs on a griddle. I prefer the griddle-grill flavor, but in the end the way Barnacle Billy's cooked their meat wins out. Its a very close battle, and these establishments sit less than 10 yards from each other so you really can't go wrong in either place. As a caveat, Red's Eats up in Wiscasset serves up a killer roll as well, but its kind of in a league of its own.... really hard to actually call it a lobster roll because its quite simply a cooked lobster served with a roll. I think Red's as an experience is definitely worth it, but I also think half of the reason its so awesome is the torture you endure while salivating over everyone else's meal in line. 

If you're in southern maine anytime this year, I'd suggest hitting up Barnacle Billy's. Plus, their chowder is absolutely killer. That will be the subject of another review-a-thon this winter I'm sure!