RYE HARBOR, N.H. — Nothing says summer in coastal New England like chowing down on quick-serve seafood in the salty air outside a family-owned shack, and the Rye Harbor Lobster Pound offers that experience in spades.
The unpretentious seasonal shed-sized stand sells live lobsters and ready-to-eat foods from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, right alongside the working harbor where fishermen and whale-watching tours head out to sea. (Be sure to park in the designated area: up to 30 minutes for free.)
A small serving of fluffy chowder ($9.50) or creamy lobster bisque ($10) comes topped with a generous scoop of lobster meat and a bag of oyster crackers on the side. Either option offers a hearty and flavorful bite, whether you worked up an appetite on the high seas or a sandy beach. There’s even a small picnic area around the corner, with solid views, courtesy of the New Hampshire Port Authority.
Depending on when you stop by, you may run into Sylvia Cheever and Nathan Hanscom, the father-daughter duo who have been running the Rye Harbor Lobster Pound for years. Their little business has landed near the center of a big controversy in political circles. They filed a lawsuit in January alleging the state’s long-serving port authority director, Geno J. Marconi, had conspired to undermine their seasonal operations. Marconi’s family owns and operates Geno’s Chowder & Sandwich Shop in nearby Portsmouth. Both parties maintain their innocence.
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New Hampshire’s coast, at 13 miles, is shorter than that of any other ocean-adjacent state, but it has no shortage of seafood spots within earshot of the cresting waves. Here are a few other fan favorites you may wish to check out before summer slips away:
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- Brown’s Lobster Pound and Markey’s Lobster Pool are right across the street from each other in Seabrook;
- Swell Oyster Shack and Smitty’s State Pier Lobster Pound are up the road in Hampton;
- The Beach Plum has a spot in North Hampton; and
- Ray’s Seafood and Petey’s Summertime Seafood are serving in Rye.
If none of those options tickles your fancy, then consider heading into Portsmouth to sample from the city’s rich restaurant scene.
Meanwhile, go ahead and mark your calendars for the Hampton Beach Seafood Festival, which will run Sept. 5-7 this year.
This article first appeared in Globe NH | Morning Report, our free newsletter focused on the news you need to know about New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles from other places. If you’d like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday,you can sign up here.
Steven Porter can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @reporterporter.