McDonalds Lobster Roll

A look at the new McDonald's lobster roll.

(Ellanje Ferguson, MassLive.com)

McDonalds is bringing the lobster roll back to New England after a 10 year absence -- and it'll run you $7.99.

Depending on how you feel about the price point vs. the quality of ingredients you'll be getting at that rate, the price is either a good or bad thing. Regardless, the company made the official announcement on Friday that they will once again be selling lobster rolls at stores throughout New England starting Friday, July 3 (excluding Vermont and Fairfield County, Conn.).

As part of a first-taste event, we got to take an early look at the sandwich at the Elm Street McDonald's in Enfield, Conn. -- featuring store and staff decked out in lobster-themed gear to mark the occasion.

At the event, store managers and franchise owners assured us that -- yes -- they do use actual lobster in the rolls from local sources. We also got a look behind the counter and in the freezer section to take a look at how a local McDonalds functions.

As for the actual sandwich, here are the takeaways from the sample sandwiches we got on Friday:

Pros:

- Actual lobster, with a big ol' lobster claw thrown on there

- Nice toasted roll with some butter action on that

- I'm a fan of the lettuce, adds some nice crunch

- It's served cold. Apparently some places in Connecticut serve it warm. But they do weird stuff like steam cheeseburgers, so that's OK.

Cons:

- Liberal use of lettuce on the roll might rub purists the wrong way

- Very light on the mayonnaise

- Claw kind of comes as a separate piece on top of the rest of the lobster-mayo mix

- It does involve dropping eight bucks at McDonalds

Stay tuned for a full I ate it so you don't have to review next week, when the lobster rolls become publicly available.