As seen on 'Shark Tank,' famous lobster truck franchise opens in Louisville

A food truck offering lobster rolls has rolled into town.

On a recent rainy afternoon in a Louisville parking lot, the promise of lobster drew shoppers over from Kroger and drivers to slow their cars to check the menu.

Some of those patrons stumbled upon the on-wheel eatery, while others had already heard about Cousins Maine Lobster, the food truck franchise famous for getting its start on "Shark Tank."

That group likely recognized Sabin Lomac, a co-founder of Cousins Maine Lobster, who 12 years ago stood on the “Shark Tank” stage with his cousin, Jim Tselikis.

Lomac, as he often does for openings of new trucks, traveled to Louisville to celebrate the opening of Cousins Maine Lobster’s first-ever food truck in early September.

“It feels very exciting and surreal to be launching in Kentucky,” Lomac told the Courier Journal. “We initially thought that we could only succeed in huge metropolitan cities like Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and as we've grown, we found more success and more appreciation for our product in cities like Louisville or Pittsburgh or Columbus.”

The grab-and-go menu features two types of lobster rolls served Connecticut or Maine style, along with lobster grilled cheese, lobster tater tots, lobster tacos, and a lobster quesadilla. There’s also the option to order an at-home lobster roll kit.

Now described as a leader in the fast-casual seafood industry on its site, the food truck operation began in 2012 with the two cousins teaming up to “bring the Maine Lobster shack vibe to your neighborhood.”

About two months after launching, Cousins Maine Lobster snagged a deal with Barbara Corcoran, the real estate mogul and “shark.”

“It was really important that we represent the state of Maine well,” Lomac said. “Ever since then, it's been non-stop.”

The franchise has more than 45 trucks across the country and several restaurants.

The Kentucky truck will roam around the state, Lomac said, setting up outside breweries and stores. A weekly schedule can be found on Facebook and Instagram.

Cousins Maine Lobster also has its own app to place orders in advance.

“I think we've been able to grow first and foremost because of our product,” Lomac said. “It's exceptional. It's the best in its class and we haven't cut corners. We really care about the quality, and we care about the service standard."

The lobsters come from the Gulf of Maine, near where Lomac and his family are from.

He also said the menu is full of stuff “you don’t get every day.”

“It's a treat,” he said. “And when you have it, we hope it puts a smile on your face.”

We featured Cousins Maine Lobster in the latest installment of our video series, called the “Best Thing I Ate This Week.” You can follow along each week by visiting Instagram.com/courierjournal.

Reach food and dining reporter Amanda Hancock at ahancock@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Cousins Maine Lobster food truck opens in Louisville