Luke’s Lobster Will Open in the Seaport This Summer

Luke’s Lobster photo provided

A rapidly evolving waterfront neighborhood is getting another rapidly growing fast-casual restaurant chain—and Northern Avenue is getting another from-the-source lobster company. Luke’s Lobster, the New York City-born, Maine-sustained seafood shack, is opening its third Boston location at Fan Pier this summer.

Boston Restaurant Talk first spotted the signage at 53 Northern Ave., on the ground level of the new Benjamin and Via luxury towers. Luke’s will be right across the street from the world’s 100th Shake Shack. It will be about a quarter mile across the bridge from James Hook Lobster Co., and another three-quarters of a mile from Yankee Lobster.

“The Seaport is one of Boston’s fastest growing neighborhoods for both business and residential developments, with some of the finest fast casual brands like Shake Shack, Sweet Green and By Chloe opening in the area. We are excited to join our friends and bring our traceable, sustainable seafood to diners [there] later this summer,” says the company’s marketing director, Brenda O’Donovan.

Founded in the East Village by Maine native Luke Holden and Ben Coniff in 2009, Luke’s now has locations in New York City, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Las Vegas, along with Back Bay and Downtown Crossing. It has a full-service restaurant at the cooperative fishing dock Tenants Harbor in St. George, Maine, and also partners with an international operator on six locations in Japan.

When the company was opening its downtown location, Coniff told Boston, “We would be very sad if we only have two Boston locations in the next few years.”

“Boston, the biggest city in New England, has a high appreciation for quality seafood and one we are very proud to have such a strong following in,” O’Donovan says, citing a Boston’s Best award from the Improper Bostonian, and Yelp love.

The Seaport location will operate like the other outposts: Customers will order cold lobster rolls, New England clam chowder, Jonah crab claws, the Maine Wild Blue salad, and more a la carte options at a counter and seat themselves. It’s currently in the design and buildout phase, O’Donovan says, but Seaport diners can expect to see Luke’s there by the end of the summer.

Luke’s Lobster, coming to 53 Northern Ave., Seaport, in 2017; 290 Washington St., Boston, 857-317-4843, 75 Exeter St., Boston, 857-350-4626, lukeslobster.com.