Luke's Lobster FiDi

"We remember when Luke's was just a lonely little seafood shack in the East Village, but now they're all over the country (as well as in parts of Asia). The rolls here are for purists—what you'll mostly taste is unadorned lobster. The bread is buttered, but not too heavily, and you'll detect only a light swipe of mayo and just a trace of lemon butter. There's a dusting of secret seasoning too. (We think there's some oregano in there.) If you're not in the mood for the classic roll, give one of their special varieties like truffle or spicy honey butter a try." - willa moore, bryan kim, molly fitzpatrick, neha talreja

"We remember when Luke's was just a lonely little seafood shack in the East Village, but now they're all over the country. The rolls here are for purists—what you'll mostly taste is unadorned lobster. The bread is buttered, but not too heavily, and you'll detect only a light swipe of mayo and just a trace of lemon butter. Luke's used to just serve a smaller roll with four ounces of lobster, but now you can (and should) get the bigger six-ounce version." - kenny yang, neha talreja, hannah albertine

"Dear Luke, We hope this letter finds you well. It was great seeing you last time we visited New York. It’s always a pleasure to stop by any of your locations when we’re in town to indulge in a lobster roll or two. We love the simplicity of your approach, with just a little bit of mayo and some seasoning so that the lobster really shines. $16 per roll isn’t such a bad deal, either. But unfortunately, we're writing to tell you that we don’t think this long distance relationship is going to work out. It's not that you've changed - maybe we have. Or maybe something just feels a little out of place. Chicago is a lot further from your Maine harbors than New York is, and we imagine that makes the shipping process a little more complex. And quite frankly, Luke, your lobsters don’t really hold up the same way here. Geography is a b*tch. And so is that one girl we keep seeing on your Facebook page. WHO IS SHE? At the end of the day, we don’t want to lose you completely, Luke, so don’t take this the wrong way. We’d love to catch up over lunch every now and then. But that being said, we aren’t always looking to spend $16 on a worse version of your former self for a tiny lunch in the Loop. Because that doesn't cut it during the work week, and, well, the Loop is the last place we ever want to be after 6pm, or really ever on the weekends. And considering your lobster doesn't give us that tingly feeling it once did, your business casual location most certainly doesn't help the cause. So, we’re sorry, Luke, if this caught you off guard. We’ll still be around to say hi when the time is right, but we hope you understand if it’s better that we remain just friends. Sincerely, Infatuation Chicago Food Rundown Shrimp Roll The shrimp roll is actually the best value. For $8 it's worthwhile, or get two of them to have a legit grown man meal for $16 - you won't feel cheated. Luke's goes a lot heavier on the seasoning with the shrimp, which adds extra flavor and isn't a bad thing. Crab Roll The one time we had a crab roll here it was pretty plain. Our advice would be go shrimp. Lobster Roll Our problem with this location of Luke's is that the lobster isn't great. The freshness and quality that makes New Yorkers rave over it isn't there. It tastes frozen, and the lobster roll itself isn't a must have. At that point the value isn't there, which makes Luke's another generic Loop lunch place, and an expensive one at that. Jonah Crab Claws Mini little crab claws. You can get a side of four of them for $8, which is worth a try maybe once. Taste of Maine The only way to walk away satisfied. You get a taste of everything, including 1/2 lobster, shrimp, and crab roll, plus two claws, chips, and a drink. For $23 it's at least fun to try everything and compare. It's an expensive lunch habit, but we'd pop in for it every now and then if you're constantly in the area and need a fix." - Sam Faye

"Luke’s Lobster in Soma is a solid spot to check out when you want to break up the monotony of lunch at work. This is a mini-chain from New York that specializes in east coast seafood, like clam chowder and - you guessed it - lobster rolls. The lobster in the rolls is chilled and served with butter in a New England-style, top-split hot dog bun. They’ll run you about $20, but you’re actually getting a lot of lobster for what you pay. Is it a little goofy? Yes. Do you really need to eat lobster for lunch? Probably not. But if you miss the east coast or wore a thick turtleneck to work, you could find yourself in the not-so-common mood for a lobster roll, and Luke’s has you covered." - Will Kamensky

"The seventeen-dollar lobster roll at Luke's Lobster, next door, suddenly seemed like the food of the people." - Hannah Goldfield