Maine Line Seafood owners bring Fresh Lobster and A hometown favorite to the Carolina Coast
By Lorne Chambers | Folly Current Editor
When you think about fresh seafood on Folly Beach, you probably don’t think about lobster. Fish shrimp, crab, oysters … but not lobster. That’s until two New Englanders, now living in South Carolina, started bringing fresh lobsters and authentic lobster rolls to Center Street on Folly Beach.
And unlike when unwitting tourist mistake frozen Alaskan crab legs for a fresh local delicacy, the owners of Maine Line Seafood are bringing in lobsters so fresh that they’re still kicking … literally.
A couple of years ago friends and business partners Jacob Bichrest from Harpswell, Maine and Chuck Buser from and Kennebunkport, Maine began selling live Maine lobsters in the Lowcountry under the name Maine Line Seafood. “Initially we provided live lobsters to the residents of Kiawah and Seabrook. However, since then, we have expanded into three food trucks,” says Bichrest, whose family back in Maine catches all of the lobsters that they sell and make into delicious lobster rolls, a New England favorite.
At the end of May, Maine Line Seafood began setting up shop on Center Street, offering their over-stuffed lobster rolls in three different sizes — chicks, medium, and selects. The cost of the lobster and the rolls are based on market value and could vary from week to week.
Like barbecue in the south, lobster rolls are loved but harshly judged by New Englanders, so Bichrest and Buser take their trade seriously. “We believe in the quality of our meat. Therefore we only use the best fresh lobster meat in our rolls,” says Bichrest. “With that said, we also refuse to add any fillers, which hide the taste of our fresh lobster. Because of this you end up with a much larger portion of the good stuff.”
While the lobster is the obvious star of the show, Bichrest and Buser also know that bread is a key component of great lobster roll. “Some may say bread is all the same, however, a New England-style split top bun is essential when creating a traditional Maine lobster roll.”
In addition to their Folly lobster stand, Bichrest and Buser also set up regularly at Rosebank Farms on Johns Island on the way to Kiawah. They can also cater lobster bakes at and provide large orders with advanced notice.
You can catch Maine Line Seafood on Folly Beach at 20 Center St. (next to Mr. John’s Beach Store), Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. For more information, call (843) 735-8959, email contactus@MaineLineSeafood.com, or follow them at Facebook.com/MaineLineSeafood.
