New Glasgow Lobster Suppers in Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island is well known for its red-sand beaches, the loveable Anne of Green Gables, and of course PEI potatoes and mussels. But if there’s one thing you can’t miss while visiting Canada’s smallest province, it’s indulging in a lobster supper.

The very first lobster supper took place in the town of New Glasgow at the New Glasgow Lobster Suppers in 1958. It was created as a one-off fundraiser for the Junior Farmers Organization but quickly grew to a daily event by 1970. It has since grown into the most popular lobster supper on the island, welcoming tens of thousands of hungry visitors every year between June to mid-October.

Before jetting off on our 2-month Atlantic Canada Roadtrip, friends were recommending we try a lobster supper while in PEI. So once we crossed Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick, we quickly made plans to make these culinary dreams come true. Seeing as it all began at New Glasgow Lobster Suppers, it seemed like the perfect spot to experience our very first lobster supper!

We walked through the front doors and were immediately greeted with big warm smiles and surprisingly, not a very long wait! We had read that during the peak summer months, there can be lineups out the door. Our late dinner arrival seemed to have worked out perfectly.

The restaurant fans out into a large, airy hall, walls filled with pictures and the history of the New Glasgow Lobster Suppers, and wrap around windows with views of the River Clyde below. The interior finishes are simple and has a very casual, family-friendly vibe – a testament to the family-owned business and small community it’s located in.

We were shown to our table and both opted for the 1Lb lobster dinner. Other options included lobsters of differing sizes (as large as 4Lbs!), various seafood, land-roaming proteins, and vegetarian entrees. All entrees come with unlimited appetizers, salads, desert, and non-alcoholic drinks. Yes UNLIMITED! So wear your stretchy pants for this meal because you’ll need them.

Our appetizers consisted of homemade bread rolls, clam chowder, and a large bucket of freshly steamed cultivated island blue mussels. I kid you not, it was a huge bucket of delicious mussels. And they were so delicious I asked Tristan if we should get another bucket (they’re unlimited by the way!). But then he reminded me we still had our salad, entrée, and dessert courses to work our way through. It’s all about pacing yourself during this meal.

You have the option of choosing one or sampling all the salads on the menu, so naturally we opted to sample all the salads. Go big or go home was our motto tonight! We each received a plate with coleslaw, PEI potato salad and a garden salad drizzled with their homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Then it was time for the main event.

Our waiter dropped two, 1Lb lobsters on our table, freshly cooked, served belly up, and already split into manageable pieces. But before we could dig in, our waiter tied a lobster bib on each of us. It was optional but we really wanted to look the part! The lobster was delicious and juicy and the perfect size considering all the food we had already consumed. We both cleaned our lobsters dry, not a flesh of meat left on the shell all thanks to the lesson we got on a lobster cruise in New Brunswick.

If I wasn’t full from the appetizers and salads, I was now stuffed from the lobster. But there was still one last course to come – dessert – so I did what any classy lady would do, I undid the top button of my pants and said ‘bring it on!’

Instead of telling us what was on the dessert menu, our waiter presented a platter with all the various dessert options including their famous ‘Mile High’ lemon meringue pie. Keeping with the ‘unlimited’ theme, he said would could choose one or sample all the them. We had already gone full tilt with the other courses so we just opted for a slice of lemon meringue pie each. The meringue was light and airy, and the lemon was fresh with the right amount of tartness, the perfect way to cap off an incredible meal!

The meal can be considered a bit of a splurge for some, but it’s a splurge worth going for! Trust me, no visit to Prince Edward Island would be complete without having a lobster supper!