November 10 Is the Last Day to Get the Best Lobster Roll in Colorado

In 2019, Drew Ryan, a Maine native, opened his ode to East Coast lobster and clam shacks at 1535 Central Street in LoHi. For five years, it's been a go-to for anyone looking for a taste of fresh seafood done right as it served up the best lobster rolls in the state.

"We buy our lobster fresh from Maine, and since we are also our own distributor, we get it straight from the source and have it packaged and shipped right away," Ryan told Westword last year, shortly after opening a second location at 2010 16th Street in Boulder.

But now Maine Shack has announced that the last day for its Boulder location is Sunday, November 3. The Denver location is closing a week later, on Sunday, November 10, though a social media post announcing the news adds that Maine Shack will be looking "for a new and improved space to call home starting in spring/summer 2025."
In the meantime, the team "will be hard at work on opening a new brick-and-mortar location this December in Naples, Florida," the statement continues. Rising rent played a factor in the decision to close both locations, as well as "the rising cost of labor and goods, along with current economic challenges facing small businesses."

Maine Shack will be offering its regular menu as well as happy hour and drink specials all day at both locations until they close.

This is the second recent closure on Central Street. In May, the doors were locked at El Chingon, and letters from the Colorado Department of Revenue taped to the door at 1691 Central Street noted that the business owed a total of $43,934.02 in unpaid taxes dating back to February 2023. While it reopened briefly — and debuted a location at Denver International Airport in August — it ultimately shut down the LoHi location.

A high-end Chinese restaurant, Blossom by SYC, is set to take over the former El Chingon space next spring.