This week’s stop was an impromptu visit to a hub of Southampton nightlife in the summer – Publick House! This place is known for pub eats during the day and a great bar inside (and outside at night). A great pick for lunch in the summer, this place has ample seating indoors and outdoors with a very convenient location in the middle of all the action in Southampton near Agawam Park and on one of Southampton’s main streets.
As I entered the white exterior of the building I was greeted by a dark wood bar with lots of draft beer options reminiscent of an Irish pub. The vibe at lunchtime (on a Saturday) was cheerful and people were enjoying their first drinks of the day as most customers were congregating in the bar area. The bartender and hostess were great, but we had to take our food to go as I had to finish up some work in the office. It couldn’t have been more than a five-minute walk away, though, so I didn’t think it would affect the food too much.
This lobster roll on first look seemed a little off compared to others. The bright white salad that I am accustomed to seemed a little more amber than usual, which after biting into the roll, I figured out was the inclusion of seasoning akin to Old Bay. My roll was accompanied by sliced tomato, lettuce, and a pickle, which I wasn’t really sure what to do with since there was no space for the tomato or lettuce on the roll – as well as sweet potato fries. Not sure if it was supposed to come with sweet potato fries or regular ones – it could have been a mix-up as someone I ordered with substituted them in for their meal.
The bread of the roll was toasted (one of the first toasted so far) but was a bit stale, although this did keep the bread from getting soggy which I did appreciate. The lobster was a tad dry and the seasoning must have been added to make up for the mayo which lacked in flavor. The meat came in variously sized chunks with a plethora of celery slices, but this roll had the least amount of lobster I’ve had on my journey so far.
Sweet potato fries can be amazing when done right, but I don’t believe they belong next to a lobster roll. The overwhelming sweetness and sogginess of the fries and the saltiness of the seasoning on the roll went together like me and my ex – there are many reasons it didn’t work out. I think part of the sogginess may have been due to the addition of the pickle and the tomato which created some excess moisture (ew) which couldn’t have been helped by the takeout container either.
Publick House remains one of my favorite spots to have a drink and a burger (and for being one of the only spots out here that know how to pour a proper Guinness), so it is a bit heartbreaking to give the lobster roll here a 1.5. As long as I’m not blacklisted because of this review, I’ll be back there shortly for a night out (and maybe a fake ID just in case).
