When I think of summer, I think of lazy days by the water, cocktails, BBQ, music festivals (and the seemingly endless sessions for waxing, am I right?) Before moving to New York City, I hadn’t imagined spending a summer day on a lobster boat, but when I learned that I could soak up some sun, binge on oysters, lobster, crab legs, and shrimp, sip frosé, and sail the Hudson all at the SAME TIME? I’m in!
The North River Lobster Company has a simple tagline – Eat Lobster on a Boat. It prides itself as being NYC’s only floating lobster shack. The vibe is make or break with a venue like this one, and they do an awesome job keeping the party atmosphere alive. The music is perfect, the servers are attentive, and the kitchen is quick! They also provide plexiglass partitions to help keep social distancing guidelines in place.
The cost is $10 per person for a one-time pass or $25 for a season pass that works for both the North River Lobster Company and La Barca Taco boats (La Barca will set-sail for the first time next weekend! We’ll definitely be checking it out with our season passes!). After that, you purchase the food and beverages you want on the boat. The prices are similar to any other restaurants in NYC, but as far as the boat passes, they are far cheaper than their parent-company and tourist-central the “Circle Line.”
We definitely recommend this for locals and tourists alike. It’s just easy-going fun in the sun.
We also really appreciated their customer service. They don’t sell season passes on-site. And…their website was broken… I asked if we could buy the 1-day passes now and get a rebate or discount code to go toward the season passes when the website resumed normal functionality. The representative made a few calls and asked us to hold on for a moment. She came back with two complimentary one-day passes. She said, “you’ll buy your season tickets later. We know you’ll be back. Just enjoy today.”
That level of customer service is truly appreciated, and it’s not often found anymore.
We DID buy our season passes later that day. And, she was right – we will be back. Thank you for making life a little easier and more fun!
Sometimes I get on a seafood bender. I couldn’t get enough this weekend. After the lobster boat forced me to see all of those amazing oysters and crab legs, I had to go find more.
One place that we haven’t spent a ton of time in New York is South Street Seaport and Pier 17. The Fulton from world-renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten on Pier 17 near the Heineken Bar is quite possibly the best seafood I’ve EVER had. Yes, I’m comparing it to Swan’s Oyster Depot in San Francisco. Yes, I’m comparing it to the Fish Market in Santa Barbara. Yes, I’m comparing it to the markets in Spain and Thailand. It was THAT good.
I don’t usually like oysters. The briny liquid and grainy texture creates this internal gag reflex that I just can’t help. But, the East Coast oysters at The Fulton were AMAZING. The flavor was fresh and the texture was smooth. They were salty, but not briny. They were more akin to the flavors of sushi and freshness and didn’t leave me with a mouth full of seawater. Maybe that’s not for everyone, but I’m a big fan.
We also enjoyed a sashimi plate of some of the freshest fish I’ve ever tasted and a truly creative ceviche of red snapper and strawberries, all while looking out at the sunset and the Brooklyn Bridge.
Where are your summer seafood spots in the city? Let us know!
More Posts About New York
- Toasting New York City’s Upper West Side
- Toasting Beacon and the Hudson River Valley
- Toasting the Top 10 Best of Spring in NYC
- Toasting Brooklyn’s Western Waterfront
- Toasting Coney Island, Brooklyn
- Toasting Gardens and Green Spaces in New York City
- Toasting Spring 2021
- Pizzas, Parties and Poetry in Greenwich Village
- The American Museum of Natural History
- Christmas in Midtown, Manhattan
- Holiday Spirit in NYC
- The NYC Zoos
- Tea Tasting in Soho and the Lower East Side
- The New York Botanical Gardens
- Halloween in New York City
- Exploring Queens: Long Island City
- Exploring Downtown Manhattan: FiDi
- Exploring Brooklyn: Red Hook
- The Best Observation Decks in NYC
- Exploring Queens: Rockaway Beach
- Exploring Our Neighborhood: Midtown East
- Exploring Central Park
Should I Come to New York in 2021?
YESSSS!!!! If you live in the U.S.A., then go get your vaccine and come visit! As of April 1, quarantine and testing will no longer be mandated. Quarantining for a few days is still recommended, but we are reaching the end of the formal testing, paperwork, and quarantines for domestic travelers! Huzzah!
***UPDATE*** On April 1, 2021 New York will no longer be requiring quarantines for domestic travel. International travelers will still be required to quarantine. All travelers will need to fill out a NYS traveler form upon arrival.
***UPDATE*** On May 17th the MTA Subway System will resume 24/7 service!
***UPDATE*** On May 19th NYC restaurants will resume indoor service at 100% capacity
***UPDATE*** On September 14th Broadway will re-open at 100% capacity
You’ve waited patiently, and New York is still here! Start planning your trips!
As always, don’t forget to Toast The Moon to all of your international travels by visiting our store, and make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and the ‘gram to catch all of our latest posts and adventures!
Cheers,
Noah and Majhon
4 Replies to “Toasting Summer Vibes on Pier 17 and the North River Lobster Boat”