Maine Lobster Week has reignited a long-running dispute over whether lobster rolls should be served cold with mayonnaise, as in Maine, or warm with melted butter, following the Connecticut style. Although many Mainers see mayonnaise as the authentic choice, growing tourist demand for buttered rolls is prompting restaurants to adapt, creating tension between local tradition and commercial opportunity.

Maine-style rolls typically combine chilled lobster, mayonnaise, lemon, lettuce and seasoning in a split-top bun, while Connecticut-style rolls use warm lobster in a toasted bun with butter. Portland restaurant Eventide Oyster Co reportedly introduced a butter option after customers demanded it, and its brown-butter roll soon outsold other versions. Local critics argue that warming the lobster changes its flavour, but the rivalry has become part of Maine’s culinary appeal.