Top Haarlem Restaurants

Lobstershack & more – The Louisiana, Haarlem

For an extremely fun and lively night-out head to The Louisiana Lobstershack in Haarlem’s Zijlstraat. Opened in Autumn 2015, the vibey Louisiana Lobstershack has been an instant hit with locals – and at the time of review – is certainly Haarlem’s “in” spot. As a result The Louisiana Lobstershack can be booked up for weeks (certainly on Friday and Saturday nights) – so reservations are highly recommended.

Cracking good fun

As the name suggests, the house specialty is of course lobster – and what can be more fun than donning a bib, cracking a juicy claw and dipping the delicate flesh into a bowl of melted butter? Our favourite is the “Brother from another mother” – which is a delicious combo of 1/2 a lobster and two crab claws, served with fries and heavenly homemade coleslaw. But never fear if you don’t like crustaceans – the blackened entrecote happens to be excellent too (and is my husband’s favourite). And the “Surf ‘n Turf” is great for those torn for choice. The food is also very reasonably priced, especially given the quality and serving portions.

Drink up

One thing that might strike you while browsing through the menu, is that the drinks list is tremendous – and longer than the food menu! In fact The Louisiana Lobstershack specializes in craft cocktails – and the cocktail list (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) changes monthly. Later in the evening, it’s loads of fun watching the cocktails being expertly flairtended behind the bar and the staff make great suggestions. The wines – selected by a sommelier – are also excellent. And with baristi in the house, the coffee is sublime! Even if you don’t have dinner at The Louisiana, pop in for a drink or two later.

Music at The Louisiana Lobstershack

Although we’ve never experienced live music at The Louisiana Lobstershack yet – it is apparently another favourite feature of this establishment. On the evenings we’ve visited (including during the week), the shack has been buzzing and so much fun, that we haven’t missed the music. Looking through the agenda though, it certainly sounds like they’ve got this formula right too.

Best for…

With its laid-back, lively hum The Louisiana Lobstershack is a great venue for a group of friends of any age catching up and chilling out toger. It also would be a great place to visit on a first or second date where any awkwardness would certainly vanish as soon as you start pounding on a crab claw with a hammer – and as it’s open until 3am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, you certainly can linger longer over cocktails if things get interesting.

What other people say…

Read the latest Louisiana Lobster Shack reviews to discover what other people think of it.