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As Memorial Day weekend unofficially kicks off Maine’s 2026 summer tourist season, there are some things that Mainers and visitors alike can expect: roads will become more congested with traffic, biting insects will return, and local eateries will give themselves a fresh coat of paint and update their menus.
To help you navigate at least part of the suite of those summer staples, the Bangor Daily News will maintain a lobster roll price index for a second consecutive year. Throughout the summer we’ll periodically conduct a quick summertime survey of how much some restaurants and takeout stands are charging for lobster rolls — one of the most highly sought items every summer in Maine.
This week, leading into the holiday weekend, the prices we found are averaging about $36 each, according to our unscientific survey of 10 Maine lobster shacks and restaurants. That’s about a dollar more than last year at this time.
But not everyone is charging more — several on our list kept prices the same, a few lowered them, and several restaurants raised prices from anywhere from $2 to $8.
Some notes on these numbers: A few restaurants include sides like fries and coleslaw in the price, while others don’t. And lobster roll sizes can vary — when a restaurant offers more than one size, we list the price for the largest one.