Never before have I had such an amazing lobster roll stuffed with more lobster meat than I could ever eat in one sitting, served on the water beside a marina… on a paper plate. It is Canal Cafe’s 11th season offering fresh seafood and a laid-back atmosphere to its restaurant-goers. With parking available by boat and car, Canal Cafe’s location at 44 Newtown Road inside the Hampton Watercraft Marina which looks over the Shinnecock Canal, the Cafe is not to be missed. Boasting of a “70s Cape Cod” vibe, trying to “make it as un-Hamptons-like as possible”, Chef and Owner Paul Hodges was associated with the Barefoot Contessa for ten years before opening the Cafe. However, its lobster roll is one of the best well-kept secrets of the East End. It is my first love, the lobster roll in which I base every other lobster roll off of, and is the only lobster roll which could be accurately described as two lobsters sandwiched between ciabatta. Be prepared for the Canal Cafe to ruin every other lobster roll you will have for the rest of your life while listening to live music and watching the sun set across the Shinnecock canal.
