Karen's Hideaway - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Very pricy plus they only take cash. They have an ATM

We have been coming to Boothbay Harbor for many years and have had many dinners in town at almost every restaurant. Sometimes you just get tired of seafood and want a burger instead. In my opinion, the prices of a burger in town have become outrageous - not a lot of bang for your buck. We decided to try Karen's Hideaway, and boy, are we glad we did. I had the BEST burger I ever had in all my times coming to BBH. I had the Cowboy Burger. It was huge and cooked to perfection! The price was also a pleasant surprise...only $12.00 for a huge burger, coleslaw (which was also delicious with small pieces of pineapple added,) and a bag of chips. Compare that to an $18.00 (much smaller burger) purchased at one of the places in town and you'll agree that Karen's Hideaway is worth the short drive.

Amazing Lobster roll, amazing potato salad, and great coleslaw! 10/10 recommend for a pit stop lobster roll.

Not fine dining BUT GOOD EATING! Freshest anywhere.

Husband and I finally returned to Booth Bay, Me after probably 5 years, I must say when you snooze, you loose! I love this area and it didn’t take long to realize it. Won’t happen again! I do remember eating at Karen’s Hideaway and upon arriving at our Campground, we made a bee line the next day for an early dinner. Karen and her husband are the most nicest and kind people!! Hub and I both got large Lobster Rolls, each one with 1/2 pound of meat nestled in a buttered, toasted hot dog bun. Hub had his with light mayo, I had mine naked with drawn butter. We both had her delicious potato salad made with bacon and cheese. Very good hot fries as well. That Lobster was so perfectly cooked and so tender. We both were in Hog Heaven!! We had very little conversation because are mouths were full of lobster goodness. It was fantastic! We got a tour of the live Lobster tanks, Karen’s husband Garry even posed with two lobsters for me, he has the great gift of gab, lucky me! Other than Lobster and Crab rolls, you can get Hamburgers and Hot dogs and dinners. A great road side place to eat, many picnic tables with umbrellas to eat your food. Save yourself the aggravation of going downtown trying to find a parking spot, just pull up and plenty of parking and enjoy the fresh air and a Delish, fresh Lobster or Crab roll. Must try Karen’s, Debbie and Bob, Mich 🦞🦀🌭🍔

The best cheeseburger in Maine! The lobster roll was great with a side of potato salad… and those fries! We showed up 10 minutes before closing (we didn’t notice) and they were still so nice!

Not sure how the rating is so high. Nice people but very low quality food for the prices.

The haddock sandwich was ridiculously big! Delicious too. If you're in Boothbay, do yourself a favor and stop.

The fish is fresh and tasty. Yes this is not your sanitized chain, rather a quaint roadside establishment. I suspect most will pass this place and miss something probably more authentic to mid-coast Maine. Yes, I am not a fan of the cars flying by, the food makes up for it.

Great seafood, great service and atmosphere is picnic tables. Many do take out. Can also get lobsters and have them cooked. Been going here for many many years.

Love love love this place, the ladies who run this little place are so very sweet and generous. The food is delicious and big for the price. Don’t let looks deceive you because this place is a little gem.

Highly overrated, reviews must be from people from way and have no idea what good Seafood is like. Way too expensive. Just down right nasty inside their trailer.

Good food , decent price, loved the sweet coleslaw, crab roll was good

Very nice little place to get lobster rolls and woopie pies, friendly people working at the food shack and lobster shop. Prices seemed comparable for the area, they only accept cash and check and there was an ATM in the lobster shop.

A+ Lobster Rolls and fried Scallops!

Awesome food!! Huge amounts and absolutely love the owners. ❤️

Fish was very tasty and fried perfectly. Lady helping was very nice. Only wished they made their own tartar sauce.

The place is a nice little hideaway, with GREAT customer service. She was SUPER nice, its not a cheap food place, but the atmosphere, service, and food are worth the extra few bucks. Great menu selection. ill go there again and again everytime I'm in the area. Id love to have a place like this closer to home.

I'm intrigued and rather shocked at the 4.6 rating. Usually, I'm very agreeable with my experiences and the ratings by the majority of fellow google raters. We walked up to the building confused on exactly where to go. A lack of employees in either building added to my initial confusion. We stopped specifically for an authentic Maine lobster roll. After seeing lobsters in an aquarium in a run down garage building, I should've maybe tried a different place. The lobster tank inside was not clean and mold was in the top of the tank. Another reason I should've ran. I had no idea the price of the lobster roll and ordered based on what I expected the price to be for an out in the middle of nowhere place. No prices were listed. After I ordered it, I was told $30. I should've ran. Fast. And far. The lobster roll was served on an amazingly buttery flavored but incredibly small undersized hot dog roll. Very mediocre and very lightly seasoned/sauced lobster chunks were stacked on the bun. It was soooooo CHEWY and it took forever to swallow. It was served with chips and the smallest container or coleslaw in the history of any of the New England states. Don't spit on my face and tell me it's just raining outside. This place is STEEPLY overpriced for what you get. Lastly, marijuana smoke smells disgusting and I don't want my clothes saturated with that thick fungus'y smell of rank stank weed. That's all I smelled while waiting a while for the aforementioned $30 lobster mini roll. Ps....I choked some pepto afterwards...... just in case.

Just a small small shack with great food.

Close to garden, suggested by staff member, no line. Didn't have time for the line @ Reds! Next time. Your looking at a $30. Lobster Roll 🦞 That's a nonresident price 😳 once is a enough. Thanks

Nice place and good portions only if Karen the owner waits on you. The workers don't seem to want to be there working. Plus the sitting table area could really be spruced up its like a dump.

Great lobsta roll and homemade brownies. Friendly peeps. Place to go for take out!

Worth the stop. Great prices and excellent quality. Do not change a thing. Almost afraid to post a review. I kind of want it to be a secret but I also want her and her family to thrive. Get the haddock club sandwich and the naked lobster roll.

Awesome! And also cash or check only

We always visit Karen's for lunch when we hike in the Boothbay region, and are never disappointed. They make the best French fries! I always get the crab BLT, SO delicious! My husband has the cheeseburger, it's huge, tender and juicy, and he's a happy man. The pineapple coleslaw and stuffed baked potato salad are excellent, I always get them both on the side. The people here are great, very friendly and fun. Can't wait to have lunch at Karen's this spring!

Excellent service and food . We Stayed at Shore Hills RV Park and had cooked lobsters delivered right to our site. I recommend this place.

Great roadside stand. Lobster rolls were perfect/ classic. Picnic tables outside. The staff was very accommodating to a special request to have the meat and rolls separate for eating at a later date. Prices were good. We have returned many times.

One of the best Lobster Rolls we had in Maine!

Wonderful lobster roll very fresh. Loved the homemade chips.

Always a great meal from Karen and crew! And the kitchen is always spotless.

Don't let appearances deceive you! This was one of my and my husband's favorite stops during our stay. We were surprised by some of the most fair prices for lobster and crab rolls with quality that could not be beat, plus generous servings. I was also impressed by their sides. Sometimes, restaurants throw in potato salad, cole slaw etc. in as a side and it's mediocre - not Karen's. I LOVED their potato salad. I hope to come back next year and have another crab roll :)

A no-nonsense, honest to God, roadside delight. Crab rolls--just perfect. Picnic tables behind the building, not fancy, but just right. And Karen herself is a sweetie. We were there in 2021 when I wrote the review. Update: August 2022... All Still True and also, the sweet potato fries Rock!

Not best place for lobster rolls in our opinion.

Great fried haddock sandwich the best!!!!

Great lobster roll and fried haddock. Was really pleased

What a find! The lobster rolls and crab rolls are both fantastic.

Such an amazing place to eat seafood. Big portions that won't empty the wallet. So easy to get to, on the way into Boothbay Harbor with plenty of parking. And the owners have Lobster tanks right there, so you can grab dinner to go. You will NOT be disappointed!

They deep fried Purdue chicken fingers, fries tasted like fried fish. Would be better off making your own from a supermarket. Wouldn’t recommend.

Disappointing at best. If you have never had a lobster roll this place would be fine not great. $40 for a very small lobster roll and fries. The lobster was okay, a little rubbery and no claw. The fries were frozen, which is fine, but there was no salt and they were over fried. Nice people. For the cost you are much better off going somewhere not in Boothbay. Real tourist trap.

Came for the crab roll and was not disappointed! Best I've ever had! If that was the only thing I was rating it would get 6 stars! But we also tried the bacon wrapped hotdog which was as red as a cooked lobster and tasted nothing like a hotdog! The French fries were good, the onion rings were alright and potato salad was mediocre. I recommend this ONLY FOR THE CRAB ROLL.

Very disappointed, only thing that was decent was the crabroll. Will definitely Not be going back or recommend.

I ALWAYS stopped here on my annual pilgrimage to Boothbay for a nice buttery lobster roll. Well I did just that on my way into town. I ordered the "Naked Lobster Roll" as opposed to the lobster roll with mayo. I always get it naked ! When I brought the food to the car my friend said the lobster is cold. Getting ready to eat it with drawn butter, I felt the meat and it was refrigerator cold. Had I put drawn butter on it the lobster would have solidified immediately which seems kind of gross. I brought the lobster roll back up to the window and asked if they could heat it up a bit. (maybe 30 secs in the microwave ?} The girl at the window loudly said "no !". You ordered it naked and that's what you got ! I said if I put the butter on it it's not going to be very good because the meat is so cold. She said "that's how we make them." I said I stop here often and always get the warm, buttered lobster roll and Karen herself turned around and 1/2 shouted "you never got a hot lobster roll here, we don't make them that way". Then the semi-toothless chef {?} piped in to further scold me for asking that it be heated. He yelled "it's already cooked, if I heat it up it will be like rubber !" I don't think 30 secs in a microwave, just to take the chill off is going to ruin it. Even if it does, I already paid for it and I own it ! At that point all 3 of them were yelling at me and refused to heat it. I ended up throwing the lobster roll at them and told them to shove it up their a#$. All this because they refused to nuke it for 30secs. I thought the customer was always right and I don't think my requested was that far out that I should not have been accommodated. I was really disappointed in their rotten attitudes and my "go to" place is officially gone ! Never again !!!!!

All amazing homemade food and if I'm certain, the ketchup was even homemade. Took my son and I there for lunch and grabbed my mom lunch as well, her and I both agree, best food we've had in a long time. The haddock was cooked to a T and the coleslaw and potato salad were incredible. My son loved his hot dog,chicken nuggets and fries. Really good size portions, we all had left overs for dinner. The lady who runs this place was super sweet, polite and down to earth. Will most definitely be returning this summer.

So delicious and unique options! Cash or check only, but totally worth the drive to the nearest ATM.

Delicious freshest crab, fine hot dog. Nicely grilled buttered buns. Interesting tasty cole slaw (pineapple?). Lower rating because the accompanying condiment packets were all spoiled/separated, as if they’d been stored somewhere warm. Will come again for the crab.

Great fresh seafood, amazing crab rolls. What maine seafood shacks should be

If you want to stay away from town and eat food from the people who caught it , This is the place. Thanks Karen for the amazing food.

This kind-of wacky roadside food joint turned out to be a diamond in the rough. My Lobster BLT sandwich was one of the best meals I enjoyed all week. Good place to stop when you're not wanting to go all the way into Boothbay Harbor, park, and pay a lot of money for lunch

The owners are wonderful. She catches her own crab daily. The lobster and crab rolls were absolutely delicious and reasonably priced. This is a must stop and try.

The french fries were soggy and undercooked. The haddock was overcooked. What a waste of $20! We would not recommend.

Cute little roadside stand. We ate outside under the trees. Awesome Haddock and fried clams. Even better BYOB with the Heady Topper IPA.

Cute little side stand. Had the fried Haddock and clams. Delicious

Great sandwiches haddock and lobster roll

Seriously amazing home cooked food. The crab roll especially!!

Our family was staying in Boothbay for the week and enjoyed two meals at Karen's Hideaway. Crabmeat roll, Lobster roll, scallop and shrimp combo, and Clam strip roll. French fries, onion rings and their Cole slaw were prepared perfectly. Definitely will go back next summer.

I liked the fact the clams were fresh. They were breaded & cooked as I waited. Good flavor but we did have to crisp up a little bit more.

Great little spot. Really really good crab rolls and lobster rolls. Good prices. Very reasonable.

Good lobstah sandwich 🥪! Get the traditional or drawn butter. $30 They have burgers and dogs too. Order taker a funny guy, and a good salesman!

I ate a crab roll in here 7 years ago and it became the gold standard of fresh seafood dishes in my life. I ate that crab roll again today it and it totally holds up. Fresh is the word here. Generous is the portion. Not cheap. It should not be cheap. We owe this woman much for here efforts. She deserves them.

Excellent haddock basket & huge! Great food, friendly service. I'll go again if I go to Boothbay soon.

I had the Haddock basket with fries and coleslaw. The piece of haddock was huge and fried perfectly and the coleslaw was fresh and delicious. The servers were friendly and welcoming. Definitely recommend!!!

The food is great the best seafood I've had definitely recommend

The food is good the service was good too

Amazing food! Fresh, hot, and large amount. You must try the homemade coleslaw! Added bonus...they cook in Canola oil.

Stuffed my cake hole good ,lots of food for ur $$😱

Really nice people. Cash or check only business good food.

Big Haddock club, excellent sweet potato fries, quick service. Clean Porta-potty!

Portion were great and perfectly done.

Delicious inexpensive seafood it literally tasted like the fish was caught today and cooked immediately for us! We enjoyed the haddock basket and sandwich baskets!

Crab roll is amazing, so fresh! Delicious!

I see people were complaining about Karen's lobster roll price.They don't understand that the lobster price is SKY HIGH this year with the fishermen getting close to 10 dollars a pound at the dock and the average lobster is more than a pound to be legal in most cases.Karen gives you more lobster in your roll than anyone in the region and the price she gets is a very good deal. If you want lobster this year you have to pay more JUST LIKE SHE HAS TO !

We had the big fried seafood family platter for $40. It had clam strips, scallops, Haddock, shrimp, potato salad, cole slaw and homemade chips. Plenty of food for 2 hungry people and absolutely delicious. Everything was cooked to perfection with a light crispy breading. Clams, scallops and shrimp were sweet and the Haddock was battered and tasty. Sorry but we ate it so fast we forget to get a picture.

Best Lobster roll such a nice time relaxing

Decent food, average for burgers and dogs. A bit expensive, but it's Boothbay so not surprised. No wait to order and short wait for our food. Decent portion sizes too. Friendly service.

I’m in Nantucket now and lobster rolls that are just as good and just as large are $29 at the Tavern restaurant on the wharf. Karen’s is way over the top in pricing considering her location and facility and you can get lobster rolls as good and much less expensive elsewhere along the road. The second day I got a haddock sandwich at Karen’s which was excellent and $20 less. And while eating on the picnic bench a mouse ran out of the adjacent building, circled a customers legs and ran back under the adjacent building. That said, I bought some lobsters from her husband next door at $9.99 per pound (going rate) and cooked at home. They were excellent.

The food was amazing and service was friendly! I recommend the crab roll over the lobster roll but both were absolutely incredible. We also tried the lobster grilled cheese which is a good option for someone not into the cold rolls. Note: they don’t accept card so be sure to bring cash or check or you’ll miss out on this great hole in the wall

Best deal on crab rolls around. Consistently excellent! I am not a lobster roll fan, but I am told that they are excellent as well. If you plan on eating the rolls later, ask for a "kit". They will provide the lobster or crab packed separately from the roll so the roll doesn't get soggy. The pinapple cole slaw is tasty as well! Can't wait for the next crab roll from Karen's Hideaway, and I just finished one!

Tiny little shack that you will almost pass by but you will be sad if you do. All I can review is the lobster roll, but really that is what a lot of us are out to eat. I have had lobster rolls from all over Maine and this is one of my absolute favorites! In my opinion, better than Red's. Sure it's not as big, but full of flavor, perfectly cooked and just what you are looking for in a lobster roll. You can get it regular with mayo or you can have it with drawn butter. Friendly staff and a little diamond in the rough.

Fantastic food and lovely people.

This is the place to scratch your lobster itch. True, you can't drive through Midcoast Maine without tripping over dozens of these shacks, but if you find yourself on Rt 27 near Boothbay Harbor, skip everyone else and come here. A quick 10 minute drive from more popular spots in town, you'll avoid the long lines at other places and get (in my opinion) a superior lobster roll. Friendly folks, and it feels like you're just hanging out in Karen's back yard. Get a live lobster packed to go next door. 100% Maine.

From the friendly service to the simple, but ridiculously good food, Karen’s is a must try in the Boothbay area. This tiny, unassuming food shack serves up big value with a smile. We found this place here on TripAdvisor, and were intrigued by the promise of big flavor at low prices. Man were the reviews right! My wife loved her “big, sexy crab roll”, while I struggled to finish the most enormous, and perfectly cooked, fish sandwich. When I asked Karen what made the crab roll big and sexy, she explained that it was not only larger than the standard crab roll, but it also contained bacon. Sounded like a solid explanation to us! It arrived in a beautifully golden brown, griddled, oversized New England style hot dog roll, with a bag of potato chips. My fish sandwich had to be at least 12 ounces of lightly coated, flaky, perfectly fried haddock with lettuce, tomato and a side of tartar sauce, on a griddled bun. This behemoth was twice as large as the bun itself, and again was served with an accompanying bag of chips. Simple, but perfectly executed. At a mere $8 this sandwich is a steal! Our whole tab came to a paltry $26! This much fresh seafood would easily run you double that in Portland. Admittedly, a roadside food stand lacks the ambiance of some of the nearby seafood restaurants, but if you want fresh, no frills seafood cooked right without pretense, Karen’s is a wonderful spot. This woman is a one person dynamo cranking out great eats with a smile. The menu doesn’t end at seafood, although I’d steer you in that direction simply because it’s done so well. There are French fries, onion rings, burgers, and a ton of other options available, so everyone will find something good to eat here. Additionally, the adjacent lobster pound offers freshly steamed or live lobsters to go. Classic Maine, classic Summer. Thanks Karen!

Still the best lobster roll around!!!!!

Yummy! The coleslaw is great with pineapple in it. Nice bread that it’s on too. Hot fries

Classic Maine roadside ‘hole-in-the wall’ with fresh Lobster and Crab Rolls.

Still the BEST FISH SANDWICH in midcoast Maine! Also, the Cole Slaw is the best I've tasted! And try the brownies when they're available!

After finding Shannon’s Unshelled closed for whatever reason we had to make an adjustment. The wife and I were on a mission to try a few lobster rolls. Karen’s did not disappoint. I told her I was there to try her world famous lobster roll. Her response was I’ve won a few contests and they’re getting pretty popular. She told me she just got done picking the meat. The rolls were piled high with fresh awesome lobster! Wow what a treat! Enjoyed every bite! Thanks Karen! Of the four places we visited on our trip I only found one better. Rated this place #2 of the four. See the rest of my reviews for number 1....

My mom and I stopped in. I ordered a crab roll and a lobster roll for my mom and I to split, Karen offered to divide the sandwiches for us. It was perfect. Of the five lobster rolls we had on this trip, it was our favorite. We want to go back for the deep fried lobster. We had a sample and it was amazing. Appreciated Karen's hospitality.

We had the fish sandwich and it was phenomenal! Huge and not over cooked with a light breading. Melt in your mouth. Highly recommend!!

Super yummy Lobster and crab rolls ....just as good maybe better than Red eats ...so honestly skip the line at Red and head out to karens besides the ride is beautiful

Doesn’t look like much on the outside but perfect lobster and crab rolls here! Did not disappoint (unlike the one we had a restaurant yesterday). Worth the $20! Best lobster roll in Boothbay!!

Karen is truly one of those cooks that makes you wonder where she got her culinary degree from, Gary is awesome and so much fun to talk to and watch, its almost like waiting for Elvis to take the stage, and when he does look out. Be prepared to laugh and be amazed at his skills of steaming lobsters. HIGHLY recommend going here. If you don't then don't go home and say you have had true steamed lobster cause you didn't.

Gary is awesome...you can't get better service than what he provides...being a tourist he answered every question we had...he is also hilarious to talk with. Food was and is amazing.

Very, very Good!!! Awesome Host as Well!!!

perfect crab roll. i wish i lived nearby.

OH......MY.....GOD!!!!! My husband got the lobster roll meal and he ate that roll with his eyes shut and enjoyed EACH......AND.....EVERY.....BITE!!! I am super picky and I got the steak bomb meal. It was fantastic and I didn't even have to add salt to give it flavor like I usually do. Ok.....now the potato salad. I just started liking potato salad and the chef said she makes hers REAL GOOD. Now usually I have to pick through the gross chunky stuff like celery and would eat just the potatoes. Well this potato salad is soooooo good I actually got to scoop up a fork full without and eat it without having to pain stakingly pick out the stuff I don't like. WHAT A FANTASTIC PLACE TO EAT!!! Update: 15 minutes later he went back for the crab roll. He says it is all the best he has EVER had!!!!

OH......MY.....GOD!!!!! My husband got the lobster roll meal and he ate that roll with his eyes shut and enjoyed EACH......AND.....EVERY.....BITE!!! I am super picky and I got the steak bomb meal. It was fantastic and I didn't even have to add salt to give it flavor like I usually do. Ok.....now the potato salad. I just started liking potato salad and the chef said she makes hers REAL GOOD. Now usually I have to pick through the gross chunky stuff like celery and would eat just the potatoes. Well this potato salad is soooooo good I actually got to scoop up a fork full without and eat it without having to pain stakingly pick out the stuff I don't like. WHAT A FANTASTIC PLACE TO EAT!!! Update: 15 minutes later he went back for the crab roll. He says it is all the best he has EVER had!!!!

Don't wait in a long line at Red's! Karen's has unbelievably good lobster rolls with a lot of meat, plus the crab roll is phenomenal! Just as good (if not better) than Red's Eats. Plus the atmosphere is awesome and a good time to be had all around. Definitely the secret place that locals go to instead of Red's Eats.

Very good food and reasonably priced. Karen is very personable and an overall kind person.

Excellent overstuffed lobster rolls at a fair price, with just the right amount of mayo and perfectly toasted rolls. The cole slaw was really good too. Good social distancing practices, clean picnic tables out back by the woods, and a clean outhouse with hand sanitizer provided. Highly recommend!