About Us

The building at 23 Washington in Nantucket was originally a Laundromat known as Dryshoal Cleaners. Our grandfather Ernie Whelden ran operations beginning in 1947 with the motto "Get in tune with the times, clean clothes often!". 

In 1975, 23 Washington was converted by our father Larry into the restaurant we know today, The Lobster Trap.  We are a family owned & operated New England style seafood restaurant specializing in (you guessed it) Lobsters. Lobsters however, are not all that we serve. Coastal New England is known for fresh fish and other seafood. We strive to encompass this novelty style and provide many classics that people who live and visit this region have come to know it for. By pairing fresh, classic seafood with a casual family atmosphere, we invite our guests to come on down and enjoy excellent food prepared simply with good drink and great service. 

The Lobster Trap is a seasonal restaurant with 2 food trucks. The restaurant is open for dinner service from May- October, with additional lunch service on offer for peak season in July and August. Our food trucks operate a similar schedule. One truck operates 7 days a week at the local Cisco Brewers while the other is available for private catering. 

We offer a take-out program we call “Meals on Keels”. This name is a nod to the earlier days when most of our take-out orders would be delivered to the large boats in the harbor. “Keel” is a term used for the spine of the bottom of a boat. 

This is a program that allows people to have fresh lobster dinners at their homes or the beach “Bring your own wine, blanket and the guest of your choice… We’ll supply the rest.”

During peak season, all take-out orders will be made out of our brand new to-go kitchen that will offer customers the ability to call in, order online, or walk up to our new take out window on the side of the building. We are excited about this new addition. Our goal is to have a quick order menu that is similar to our food truck menu as well as many of the Lobster Trap favorites.

Lobster Trap & The Nantucket Bay Scallop Trading Company

During the off season, we shift focus to the water. We head out into the harbors fishing for the scallops that we serve here at the Lobster Trap. They are caught right here in Nantucket, shucked in our “shanty” (we convert our back prep kitchen into a processing facility). We then vacuum seal and freeze the scallops the very next day in order preserve freshness. The Nantucket bay scallop is known for its sweetness and to many, one of the finest types of scallops on the planet. Known as "Nantucket Candy", we take pride in offering our customers the access to this product during our restaurant season as the scallops themselves are only legal to harvest from November to March. Our scalloping side project we call The Nantucket Bay Scallop Trading Company. 

The Nantucket Lobster Trap Season Hours

The Trap’s Season begins Mid May and runs through Mid-October, with the food truck open until Mid-December. During the season we are open for lunch and dinner services. We open the patio for lunch roughly the second/third week in June. Lunch service starts at 11AM and ends at 3PM. 

LUNCH: 11am-3PM

DINNER: 5PM-10PM.

Serving Everything Fresh @ The Nantucket Lobster Trap

Not only are our scallops extremely fresh tasting, but so are our Lobsters. We bring in live lobsters every week. They are kept alive in the lobster tanks in the kitchen until they are ordered. 

Our Oysters and “Littleneck” Clams are another special Nantucket treat that we serve here at the Trap. We are lucky enough to serve Pocomo Meadow oysters that are farmed right here in Nantucket. We get our delivery daily which are the oysters that are harvested that same day!  Our clams are wild caught, harvested at low tide between Nantucket and neighboring island Tuckernuck. 

Like what you hear? Well we'd love to see you! Come on down and join us for your quintessential casual Nantucket dining experience. We've left our worries behind and encourage you to do the same.

Cheers!