Tony Valainis
Pier 48 Fish House & Oyster Bar
130 S. Pennsylvania St., 317-560-4848
Hot with browned butter or chilled with mayonnaise? There are two types of lobster-roll people, and the divide runs deep. Fortunately, downtown Indy’s boat-to-table restaurant does not discriminate, serving its market-price roll both ways. Each version packs bits of lobster meat into a housemade toasted bao bun. They run small, so maybe order one of each?
J’s Lobster Truck
855-562-7655
Owner J. Wolf, who relocated his Chicago food truck to Indianapolis last summer, focuses just as much on the roll as the lobster. His New England–style bun leans toward buttery brioche, served warm with chilled claw and knuckle meat inside. A drizzle of warm butter, swipe of mayo, and dash of Old Bay finish the roll. Look for it (and a tricked-out lobster BLT) when Wolf opens a brick-and-mortar stand at Bottleworks this year.
Slapfish
15009 Gray Rd., Noblesville, 317-218-3508
A traditional toasted split-top roll holds loads of warm lobster tossed in drawn butter and lemon mayo at this seafood counter inside Broccoli Bill’s market. The
sandwich’s hefty market price, generally $22, is in proportion to its generous allotment of claw and knuckle meat. Watch for a second location on Mass Ave soon.
Caplinger’s Fresh Catch
Several locations
The real challenge here is resisting every other sea creature lounging on the iced beds under the counter—the oysters, crawfish, and glistening salmon steaks and freshwater filets that they’ll fry to order. But once you try Caplinger’s signature lobster roll, more like a nicely seasoned lobster salad spilling out of a toasted bun, you might never be tempted by anything else.
