Lobster rolls are new on the menu at Paul’s Daughter. June 7, 2014. Photo © Tricia Vita via flickr
Lobster roll aficionados are advised to run right over to Paul’s Daughter in Coney Island to try the newest addition to their menu — and currently available weekends only– delectable chunks of Maine lobster packed into a toasted bun. ATZ tasted one of the Boardwalk eatery’s much-anticipated lobster rolls on Saturday, having been given a heads up by store owner Tina Georgoulakos. Tina and her family have been working on the recipe for months. The delicate sauce has a secret ingredient that enhances the naturally sweet and succulent taste of the lobster. If the store’s beloved Mama Burger figure doesn’t get her lost burger back, maybe she could hold a lobster roll instead?
Bartender and counterman at the lobster bar at Paul’s Daughter on the Coney Island Boardwalk. June 7, 2014. Photo © Tricia Vita via flickr
Tina’s father Paul Georgoulakos aka “The Chief” co-founded the restaurant formerly known as Gregory & Paul’s in 1962 and still supervises its clam bar. The renovated building, which was originally one of hot dog inventor Charles Feltman‘s restaurants, remains a masterpiece of vernacular signage. Among our favorites signs are the counterman’s cry “Hey! Get It Get It!” and the dapper Mr. Shrimp.
While Papa Burger, an A & W Root Beer figure from the 1960s, still anchors the Luna Park side of the building’s rooftop, Mama Burger remains flat on her back since Superstorm Sandy. The eight-foot-tall fiberglass figure got knocked over — at first she was thought to be missing— and her hamburger and Brooklyn Brewery mug blew away.
Behind the Bar at Paul’s Daughter: Poster of Paul in His Store in 1954 and Mama Burger T-Shirt by Brooklyn Brewery. June 7, 2014. Photo © Tricia Vita via flickr
The Brewery has come up with a T-shirt to pay tribute to Mama Burger and raise funds toward her restoration. “They have a real love for Mama Burger,” says Tina, who recalls how one day her father took a Brooklyn Brewery sign and stuck it on the figure’s beer mug. “I have to find people who can restore her.” Back in 2011, when Paul’s Daughter lost their lease –the store has since signed an 8-year deal to stay put–ATZ wrote about Mama and Papa Burger, which have been part of Coney’s skyline since the 1970s and are considered rare examples of roadside Americana.
What else is new this season at Paul’s Daughter? In the next couple of weeks, LEDs will outline the top part of the building, says Tina. “We’re getting blue LEDs that look like neon.”
Paul’s Daughter on the Coney Island Boardwalk. June 7, 2014. Photo © Tricia Vita via flickr
Related posts on ATZ...
April 12, 2013: Photo of the Day: Clams on the Half Shell in Coney Island
October 31, 2012: Missing in Storm: Have You Seen Coney’s Mama Burger?
July 17, 2012: 50 Years on Coney Island Boardwalk for Paul & His Daughter
May 22, 2012: Photo Album: Welcome Back, Paul’s Daughter & Ruby’s Bar!
Amusing the Zillion 
Is the Lobster Roll now going to be the Maine attraction at Paul’s Daughter?
Ha –that’s a good one, Jim! Maybe their sign painter can make a new sign that says “The Maine Attraction”