The Smack Shack
Although named for the boats used to catch lobster, Smack Shack was launched as a food truck in 2010 serving lobster rolls from a land-locked downtown Minneapolis parking lot. Owner Josh Thoma had a great recipe and a belief that appetite for fresh lobster in the Twin Cities was as strong as any coastal city.
Smack Shack is committed to serving sustainable seafood and is a current partner in the Minnesota Zoo’s Fish Smart program. Sustainable seafood is wild caught or farm raised seafood that has established practices to ensure the long term growth and thriving populations of seafood with limited harm to the environment.
Safety precautions
- Surfaces sanitized between seatings
- Common areas deep cleaned daily
- Digital, disposable or sanitized menu provided
- Sanitizer or wipes provided for customers
- Limited number of seated diners
- Distancing maintained in common areas
- Extra space between tables
- Waitstaff wear masks
- Sick staff prohibited in the workplace
Popular dishes
Lobster Roll Connecticut Style
11 reviews
Lobster Mac & Cheese
Taleggio, Sweet Corn, Breadcrumbs
20 reviews
Original Lobster Roll
45 reviews
Still the best lobster roll in town. We sat inside but there were people out on the covered patio which has ceiling heaters.
Food, drink, service and atmosphere was amazing! Highly recommended!
Sat outside on the patio under the heaters and had a great meal as the four of had different items. All tasty and great service as always. You can never go wrong with the original lobster roll!
I had an early reservation for me and my husband and it was nice and quiet atmosphere. The food was amazing and the server was awesome! I’ll definitely be going back.
We enjoyed the lobster and crab boil - it did not disappoint. Our server was friendly and provided great service. We had a great view from the 2nd floor. The only downside was the fans (at that height) were MOVING and cooled our food off a bit too quickly.
Had the Connecticut Lobster Roll and it was absolutely wonderful!
Friendly service. Would highly recommend.
Had a great time for restaurant week! We love smack shack.
Seafood Boil was amazing, also ceviche was very good. The lobster bisque wasn’t good. We sat on the covered patio and heaters kept us warm, and tables were spaced nicely to allow us to feel safe.
awesome as always! food is always good, and consistent. Love the lobster rolls and lobster quac.
Food and service were both amazing! I would like to have lunch there everyday.
The lobster roll was as amazing as I remember it and the bartender was great! But the lobster bisque was super gelatinous and disappointing, as well as the overall feeling of the place. It's just not the same, it's hard to explain! It think that restaurants forget that we diners have also been hit hard by COVID and are just scraping by, so eating out is such a treat, and when it's not super great, it feels extra disappointing?
Anyway, it was fine and it won't stop me from enjoying that patio and happy hour once I'm allowed to again. Thank you.
This was outstanding. I like the Smack Shack anyway but this visit was superior. The Lobster Guacamole was very good, I had the Jambalaya which was a little spicy but packed with shrimp, chicken and sausage. Will be returning soon
Very nice and helpful with the very young children dining with us.
I haven't been to the Shack since last March. They are COVID cautious and tables were very spaced out. I felt very comfortable dining there. Our server was excellent and the food is always amazing!!
Great food, great service, following all covid protocols and invested in heating for patio and indoor safety measures.
Great food,great sever,spendy but awesome food...wonderful time
We had the lobster poutine and oysters as appetizers which were very good. The jambalaya and crab Étouffée were amazing and the lobster Mac and cheese was just average. Cocktails were very good snd out service was excellent. Would highly recommend this restaurant!
Great location for a drink and some appetizers, as the bar is large and usually lively. Service was slower than previous visits and I didn’t love what I chose, so will stick to the tried and true dishes like the wings and lobster rolls next time I come.
Valentine’s Day
My lobster was very very chewy like gum I wasn’t able to eat it. And our rolls were soggy and nearly all of it had no flavor.
It was my friend’s and my first time at the restaurant. We were both looking forward to trying it out. It was a less than desirable experience. We were seated in the bar area and there were two tables who were loudly speaking and going back and forth without their masks on. None of the staff advised them of the rules. Our waiter had great recommendations and was knowledgeable about what was easily gluten free, but wasn’t hands on with the service. She also asked for our order several times and didn’t remember our drinks. My friend and I both rated the experience a 4/10 which is disappointing when we heard positive reviews. I hope to go in the future and not be let down.
Had a great time a couple Friday nights ago for a lil date night. Taylor was our server SHE WAS AMAZING!!
The service we received was outstanding and the food was excellent!
Great service great food lots of fun
Connecticut lobster roll and Mac n cheese are amazing!! The crab cakes are decently spicy and delicious. Service was great, and the ambiance was fun. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a casual, laid back night and great seafood.
Great experience! Stuffed salmon was outstanding.
An excellent warm patio to share drinks and food with friends on a winter afternoon!
Food was wonderful as always. We were celebrating a special occasion and the staff helped to make it special!
Smack Shake is amazing! Lobster Cobb is amazing as is the Lobster Roll - Excellent food!
2nd time having dinner on Smack Shack patio since COVID reopening and I am SO IMPRESSED. It’s warm, adequately spaced, music is always on point, the staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and the food goes without saying—delicious. If there was a ranking of restaurant winter patios, you guys would be #1. Thanks for letting us eat good food while staying safe!
Overall Sunday brunch was good BUT... I ordered a cup of the clam chowder and every once in a while I would get gritty bites from the clams. Which just ruined the rest of my experience. Have dined before a few times. Always very good. Recommend Lobster guacamole for appetizer.
What an incredible lunch celebration! First of all, the service was impecccible- our waitress did not rush is and gave us time to enjoy each others company! She was very attentive, friendly, and fun. The lobster guac was incredible, and we all ordered the 1 pound crab legs- which were cooked to perfection. The other thing that impressed me was the sides that came with the crab legs- the corn was fresh and snappy, the potatoes had a delicious seasoning, and the cole slaw was delicious! Honestly, this is where I would go in the Twin Cities for the best seafood expereience in a casual atmosphere. Thi splace is a treasure...
We were being seated, mind you, it was 4:30. The host gave gave us menus and told us to "limit your time here" It was me and my husband. I was so astonished, My first inclination was to really limit my time by leaving. But we drove a long way. So we stayed. The service was O.K the food was flavorless. Never again.
Currently the BEST covid-safe experience in the Cities. Patio was very warm without just being a tent or other "indoors-outdoors" experience without good air flow.
Always great!
Great service & food! It felt good to do normal things!!
The Original lobster roll was delicious! The staff was attentive and kept a safe distance as much as possible. We felt very safe eating inside with the addition of the ventilation system. Overall it was a great experience.
We love the menu so much that it’s hard to choose. Jill helped us with decisions and made it fun. The environment is sparse but it felt warm and comfortable. Very casual.
We love this place.
These are stressful times for everyone so it is wonderful when a restaurant takes customer service seriously. I got a very personable call to tell me they couldn’t guarantee a request for patio dining but were hopeful the timing would work. When seated we got a gentle reminder about how much time our reservation included for our table (in contrast to a restaurant I won’t name that sternly said “you have to be done in xx minutes- not welcoming at all).
And all of those comments don’t even speak to how super the food is.❤️
Amazing server and atmosphere. Well spent solo birthday experience. I'll be back soon
FAQs
You can order delivery directly from The Smack Shack using the Order Online button. The Smack Shack also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (612) 259-7288.
The Smack Shack is rated 4.7 stars by 1009 OpenTable diners.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable. Due to local restrictions, this restaurant may not be accepting reservations at the moment.