Beautiful, Buttery Lobster Rolls, Made With Love in Greenpoint

By Scott Lynch

Sailor & Siren is located at 817A Manhattan Avenue, at the corner of Calyer Street, and is currently open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 12:00 noon or until they sell out of lobster or 8:00 p.m.—whichever comes first 

The first and most important thing you need to know about Natalie Borowski’s cute little butter-yellow shop, Sailor & Siren, which she opened a couple of weeks ago in Greenpoint after spending last summer doing pop-ups around the neighborhood, is that every one of her magnificent lobster rolls contains an entire 1.25-pound lobster. Two beautiful claws, the whole tail, all the knuckle meat, everything given a brush or three of butter and spilling out over the top of a soft, slightly mayo-ed, lightly toasted bun.

The “Simple Sailor” lobster roll, $30. Photo by Scott Lynch

And the crustaceans are screamingly fresh, too, thanks to the fact that Borowski, who grew up around this part of Brooklyn, married a guy whose family owns a decades-old lobster operation in Maine called Douty Bros. Sometimes, here in the big city, a lobster roll doesn’t quite hit like you want it to, like when it’s too bready, or the meat is buried in mayo or unnecessary seasoning. Not so at Sailor & Siren. These sea beasts are given the spotlight, and they are sweet, briny, luscious, delicious. Real Maine-marina-vibing stuff.  

Seafood prices can fluctuate, but when I went on July 4, the baseline lobster roll was a reasonable $30, with two upgrades available: a generous slathering of uni for an additional $10, or a topping of caviar for an additional $20. Both look and probably taste terrific, but the “regular” sandwich was so luxe and satisfying that I felt no FOMO around my more free-spending tablemates. Thanks for letting me take a photo of your sandwich, though!

The “Salty Siren” lobster roll topped with caviar, $50. Photo by Scott Lynch

In addition to Borowski’s lobster rolls, Sailor & Siren serves some nicely charred hot-dogs, the dense and funky franks sourced from Prospect Butcher Co. and adorned simply with mustard or done up “wild”-style with some very Maine-coded blueberry mustard and a scattering of chips. You can also ball out with a tub of lobster dip, or get a $20 caviar bump spooned out directly onto your hand (or anywhere else).

Wild dog with blueberry mustard, $9. Photo by Scott Lynch

For dessert, there are Maine’s famous Cape Whoopies whoopie pies in various fun flavors (blueberry, red velvet), or get Borowski’s own chocolate cream “pocket pie”—it’s pie in a cup, really, with an Oreo cookie crust on the bottom—which is rich and sugary. Day drinking is encouraged, with cans of both Maine- and Brooklyn-brewed beer and glasses or white, rosé, or bubbly wine.

Chocolate cream pocket pie, $9. Scott Lynch

The space is charming and cheerful, with a few seats inside and a few more out on the sidewalk. It does get a little cramped due to the constant line, but the team does a good job of keeping the mood light and lively, thanks in part to the playlist of bangers played at an impressively loud volume for the early afternoon. 

“I’ve lived in Greenpoint for the past six years, literally a few blocks away,” Borowski tells BKMAG, “and I feel really supported by this neighborhood. Sailor & Siren is a true family business, and there’s no other place I’d want to open it. This is my home. It’s my community, and I love it.”