Meet Pete: San Diego’s Leading Authority on Lobster Rolls and Other New England Fare

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

The last time Pete DeCoste took a day off from his North Park restaurant, Pete’s Seafood and Sandwich—it was on Christmas day of 2015.

The Boston-area native opened the business nearly 10 years ago and has since won the palates of consumers with authentic lobster rolls and other Beantown grub that isn’t so easy to find in San Diego. He also grabs the hearts of patrons with his endearing Boston accent, in which the r’s get dropped when he describes those sumptuous “lobstah” rolls and his mighty fine clam “chowdah.”

DeCoste falls into a rare breed of restaurant owners who jumps into the daily grind with energetic consistency. If you don’t see him serving customers big plates of food while engaging in friendly chit chat, then you will likely spot him working the cook line inside his partially exposed kitchen.

After speaking with DeCoste about the virtues of New England cuisine—and forking our way through some of his popular dishes—we learned to never trust a lobster roll made by a non-New Englander. As seafood lovers keep discovering, Pete’s is the real deal.

Downtown Condo Guys: Were you in the seafood industry in Boston before opening Pete’s Seafood and Sandwich?

DeCoste: Yes. My dad owned a seafood restaurant and I worked with him as a kid, starting when I was three feet tall. The restaurant was almost identical to what I’m doing here. Although the difference is that now my seafood comes in on a plane instead of a truck. When I moved to San Diego in 2010, I came with the intention of opening this restaurant.

Downtown Condo Guys: You are coming up on 10 years at your restaurant. Do you feel the time has flown by fast?

DeCoste: Yes it has. We will be 10 in October. I mean we’ve had some adventures along the way such as Covid and parking removals, but it doesn’t seem like 10 years.

Downtown Condo Guys: About how many lobster rolls would you venture to guess you’ve sold in that span of time so far?

DeCoste: We’re definitely at nearly a quarter of a million. These days we sell about 500 a week. Back when we opened, we sold around 100 a week.

Downtown Condo Guys: For those who have never sunk their teeth into a lobster roll, how would you technically describe the dish?

DeCoste: There are two different types of lobster rolls. Both are made with New England split top buns, https://breadpartners.com/recipe/superior-20-dinner-roll-split-top-buns which get buttered and grilled on their bready outsides. They look like hot dog buns but with a bready exterior. They are essential when making lobster rolls. We source the rolls from a Boston bakery.

The Maine-style lobster roll is filled with chilled lobster that gets tossed in a little bit of mayo. There is no celery or lettuce because that’s not authentic to Maine. The combination of the chilled, sweet lobster meat and the warm, grilled bun gives you two temperatures in one bite. And that’s what makes it so special.

We also serve Connecticut-style lobster rolls, which are filled with lobster meat that is warmed in clarified butter. Nothing else. This roll gives you more of that straight-out-of-the-shell flavor.

Downtown Condo Guys: How much do your lobster rolls cost?

DeCoste: Either type is $29. Each contains 4 ½ to 5 ounces of lobster meat from the claws and knuckles.

Downtown Condo Guys: From where do you source your lobster?

DeCoste: We use a producer out of Portland, Maine. The lobsters are fished off the coasts of Maine and Canada. I get it two to three times a week. It comes cooked and frozen, which isn’t uncommon outside of New England.

Lobster season in Maine and New England is year-round. But once it’s winter, the fisherman pull in their traps because the storms and cold temperatures make it harder to fish. This means that the price of lobster always goes up in the winter.

Downtown Condo Guys: Do lobsters really scream when they’re lowered into boiling water?

DeCoste: I have never heard one do it. And I’ve cooked thousands of lobsters. The explanation I get is that it is air coming out of the lobster. But I’ve never heard ‘the scream.’

Downtown Condo Guys: In terms of taste and texture, what are the differences between lobsters from the cold waters of Maine and those from warmer waters along the Baja peninsula?

DeCoste: Lobsters from Maine and [eastern] Canada have tail, claw and knuckle meat. The Baja lobsters don’t have claws and knuckles. Maine lobsters are sweeter without a doubt, and their claws and knuckles offer the most tender meat, which is what we use in our rolls. We don’t bring in any tails.

Downtown Condo Guys: What are some of the other dishes on your menu that capture the New England spirit?

DeCoste: Even though people generally come here for our lobster rolls, they discover in repeat visits our fish and chips made from Atlantic cod that’s flown in three times a week. Our Parmesan chicken sandwiches are also very popular. We use a pound of cutlets tenderized by hand on each sandwich. And people love our authentic Boston-style Italian sub sandwich, which is authentic because of cubed dill pickles and cherry pepper relish—or ‘hots’ as the relish is known throughout Boston.

Downtown Condo Guys: Any special twists or secrets to your New England-style clam chowder or lobster bisque?

DeCoste: For the chowder, we don’t use any water. We use all clam juice, even to cook the potatoes that go in it. For the bisque, we make the stock straight from the juice that our lobster meat comes in.

Downtown Condo Guys: How often do you go back home to visit? And what are your go-to munchies during your visits?

DeCoste: Before I opened the restaurant, I’d go back every year. But I haven’t been back once in 10 years. I plan on going this Christmas. When I’m back there, my guilty pleasure is eating Chinese food. The New England style of Mandarin-Cantonese cuisine is somehow different than in any other parts of the country.

Downtown Condo Guys: How many days a week do you work at the restaurant? And do you feel that your presence helps generate repeat business?

DeCoste: I’m here seven days a week. I think people like to see the owners of restaurants. It gives them comfort. I have a great staff and I can take a day off if I wanted to. But I enjoy being here with the people.

Downtown Condo Guys: What plans are in store for your 10-year anniversary this October?

DeCoste: We don’t have any firm plans yet, but we will do something. Stay tuned to our website and social media pages on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.

Downtown Condo Guys: Given your success, have you considered opening other locations?

DeCoste: There’s nothing in the works, but it’s been under discussion. If we do, it would be in San Diego.