World's Top 15 Best Online Lobster Stores & Suppliers

"Europe's the mayonnaise, but America supplies the good old lobster." - D. H. Lawrence.

"A woman should never be seen eating or drinking, unless it be lobster salad and Champagne, the only true feminine and becoming viands." - Lord Byron.

Clawed LOBSTERS comprise a family (Nephropidae, sometimes also Homaridae) of large marine crustaceans. They have long bodies with muscular tails, and live in crevices or burrows on the sea floor. Three of their five pairs of legs have claws, including the first pair, which are usually much larger than the others. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate. Commercially important species include two species of Homarus from the northern Atlantic Ocean, and scampi – the northern-hemisphere genus Nephrops and the southern-hemisphere genus Metanephrops. Although several other groups of crustaceans have the word "lobster" in their names, the unqualified term "lobster" generally refers to the clawed lobsters of the family Nephropidae. Clawed lobsters are not closely related to spiny lobsters or slipper lobsters, which have no claws (chelae), or to squat lobsters. The closest living relatives of clawed lobsters are the reef lobsters and the three families of freshwater crayfish.

The AMERICAN LOBSTER, Homarus americanus, is a species of lobster found on the Atlantic coast of North America, chiefly from Labrador to New Jersey. Within North America, it is also known as the northern lobster or Maine lobster. It can reach a body length of 64 cm (25 in), and a mass of over 20 kilograms (44 lb), making it the heaviest crustacean in the world. Its closest relative is the European lobster Homarus gammarus, which can be distinguished by its coloration and the lack of spines on the underside of the rostrum. American lobsters are usually bluish green to brown with red spines, but a number of color variations have been observed.

In North America, the American lobster did not achieve popularity until the mid-19th century, when New Yorkers and Bostonians developed a taste for it, and commercial lobster fisheries only flourished after the development of the lobster smack, a custom-made boat with open holding wells on the deck to keep the lobsters alive during transport. Prior to this time, lobster was considered a mark of poverty or as a food for indentured servants or lower members of society in Maine, Massachusetts, and the Canadian Maritimes, and servants specified in employment agreements that they would not eat lobster more than twice per week. Lobster was also commonly served in prisons, much to the displeasure of inmates. American lobster was initially deemed worthy only of being used as fertilizer or fish bait, and it was not until well into the twentieth century that it was viewed as more than a low-priced canned staple food.

Caught lobsters are graded as new-shell, hard-shell or old-shell, and because lobsters which have recently shed their shells are the most delicate, there is an inverse relationship between the price of American lobster and its flavour. New-shell lobsters have paper-thin shells and a worse meat-to-shell ratio, but the meat is very sweet. However, the lobsters are so delicate that even transport to Boston almost kills them, making the market for new-shell lobsters strictly local to the fishing towns where they are offloaded. Hard-shell lobsters with firm shells, but with less sweet meat, can survive shipping to Boston, New York and even Los Angeles, so they command a higher price than new-shell lobsters. Meanwhile, old-shell lobsters, which have not shed since the previous season and have a coarser flavour, can be air-shipped anywhere in the world and arrive alive, making them the most-expensive. One seafood guide notes that an eight-dollar lobster dinner at a restaurant overlooking fishing piers in Maine is consistently delicious, while "the eighty-dollar lobster in a three-star Paris restaurant is apt to be as much about presentation as flavor".

Lobster News, Reviews & Resources

• 6 of the best lobster rolls in Maine - "Here's where a fourth-generation lobsterman goes for lobster rolls in Maine. Heather Strout Thompson has been hauling lobster since traps were wooden. Here are her top lobster rolls in her home state of Maine, from Chipman's Wharf to Luke's Lobster."
• 10 best Alghero Lobster restaurants - Tripadvisor.
• 25 Tasty Lobster Recipes Anyone Can Make - since 1999. "Making lobster at home can seem like a lavish event. But we've put together a collection of lobster recipes that are so simple to make, you can enjoy this succulent seafood whenever you want."
• 100 Fun Facts About Lobsters - since 1914. Woodman’s of Essex.
• A Maine fisherman caught a rare cotton-candy-colored lobster - again - CNN travel.
• A Red Lobster employee found a rare blue lobster. Instead of cooking it, the restaurant sent it to an Ohio zoo - "About 1 of every 2 million lobsters is blue, according to the zoo. The blue shell is due to a genetic anomaly."
• AMERICAN LOBSTER - Wikipedia.
• Best Lobster Bisque recipe - "How To Make Lobster Bisque."
• Best Wine Pairing with Lobster Rolls - "Fact: lobster rolls are absolutely delicious with wine. In the same way that we squeeze lemon atop seafood, wine gives lobster fresh, palate-cleansing acidity. Lobster’s sweet, delicate, and faintly briny flavors partner easily with many wines, but there are still a few guidelines. Read on for our quick tips for effortless wine pairing with lobster rolls, along with a quick recipe."
• died for want of lobster sauce - a phrase meaning to die or be devastated due to a minor disappointment or mishap attributed to François Vatel. According to a letter by Madame de Sévigné, Vatel was so distraught about the lateness of the seafood delivery and about other mishaps that he committed suicide by running himself through with his sword, and his body was discovered when someone came to tell him of the arrival of the fish.
• Greed, Gluttony & the Crackup of Red Lobster - "How missed opportunities, a $1.5 billion real estate deal, all-you-can-eat shrimp and the global pandemic sank the country’s largest seafood chain."
• Here's Why People Are Using the Lobster Emoji to Rally for Transgender Representation - TIME Magazine.
• How a dead 'tree lobster' is taking over a campus college - TIME Magazine.
• How Maine's Lobster Industry Got Trapped in Trump's Trade Wars - "Maine’s world-famous lobster industry is sinking. For years, China had been the top buyer of U.S. lobster, 80% of which is caught off the state’s coast. But when Beijing retaliated for a second round of U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods, it slapped a 25% levy on the elite treat and reduced its tariff on Canadian catches. As the Trump Administration continues battling with the E.U., Europe, too, has been buying more from Canada; Ottawa and Belgium signed a trade deal three years ago that eliminated tariffs on Canadian lobster, while U.S. catches retain an 8% tax."
• How the lobster became an unlikely status symbol & a ‘cultural icon’ - "Despite its shiny red exoskeleton and reputation as a bug of the sea, the lobster - though far from the world’s strangest delicacy - has long reigned as an unlikely luxury staple. As well as a high-ticket menu item, the crustacean is also a longstanding symbol of opulence in art and fashion, reaching cultural status beyond other culinary indulgences like caviar or pricey cuts of steak."
• ‘I'm not a quitter’: lobstermen turn to kelp farming in the face of global crises - "Climate breakdown is causing the Gulf of Maine to heat up and that effect - in addition to the pandemic - is being felt across the lobster industry."
• In the Fierce Lobster Roll Rivalry, There Are Only Winners - "Whether you are a buttered Connecticut-style fan or a partisan of the Maine rolls with mayo, summer is your season."
• Is it wrong to boil lobsters alive? - The Guardian.
• Is Shellfish Healthy? Here's What the Experts Say - TIME Magazine.
• LOBSTER - Wikipedia.
• Lobster dinner for King Charles cost France €450,000 - "The extravagant banquet at the Palace of Versailles was part of King Charles' three-day state visit to France in September. President Emmanuel Macron pulled out all the stops for the monarch's visit in September - with guests being treated to blue lobster, crab and an assortment of cheeses."
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• LOBSTER Newberg - American seafood dish made from lobster, butter, cream, cognac, sherry, eggs, and Cayenne pepper.
• Lobster, the gastronomic queen of Alghero - "Alghero’s lobsters have been known since ancient times and were already present on the tables of Ancient Rome. According to an old recipe, these were seasoned with garum, a sauce based on fermented fish, salt and wine."
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• Lobster Thermidor - French dish consisting of a creamy mixture of cooked lobster meat, egg yolks, and cognac or brandy, stuffed into a lobster shell.
• Lobsters & crabs are sentient beings & shouldn't be boiled alive, UK report says - "Octopuses, crabs and lobsters are capable of experiencing pain or suffering, according to a review commissioned by the UK government, which has added the creatures to a list of sentient beings to be given protection under new animal welfare laws."
• LOBSTERS AT AMAZON.COM'S GROCERY & GOURMET FOOD - as of April 6, 2023: 178 results.
• Maine investigates restaurant that gave lobsters marijuana - "Restaurant owner says blowing smoke over lobsters is meant to lessen their suffering before they are dropped in boiling water."
• MAINE LOBSTER COUNCIL - "The World's Finest Lobster Comes from Maine."
• Maine Lobster Recipes - "From Lobster Benedict to Barbacoa De Langosta, there are endless ways to serve the sweetest, most tender lobster in the world. We’re pretty sure you’re going to want to try them all."
• Not for the pot: how ‘V-notching’ lobsters may help save them - "Cornishman Ned Bailey has caught and returned ‘notched’ lobsters for years as part of a broader effort to preserve stocks. But many fishers do not."
• Perfect Lobster Bisque Recipe - Allrecipes.com.
• RED LOBSTER RESTAURANTS - since 1968. More than 680 Red Lobster locations in the United States and Canada.
• Saltier than the ocean, this region's waters make its lobster some of the world's best - "Alghero is world famous for its lobster. It's so good Queen Elizabeth II herself requested it for her wedding reception."
• This is a 1-in-30 million lobster - "A calico lobster turned up at a Maryland fish market. The chances of finding one: 1 in 30 million."
• Trendy Hamptons Restaurant Duryea's Is Charging $97 For Its Lobster Salad - "There's a popular saying that any publicity is good publicity. That seems to be the case for Duryea's. Love it or hate, the longtime Montauk, New York, institution is getting all kinds of attention this summer for its lobster salad. However, it's not the dish itself that's creating the buzz, it's the price - a whopping $97."
• 'We have no market, but lots of lobsters': a Maine lobsterwoman fights for her livelihood - "The fishery is buffeted by the climate crisis and other problems but the coronavirus pandemic has opened a new front."
• 'We live in a lobstocracy': Maine town is feeling the effects of climate change - "When lobsters are life, environmental change affects livelihoods, and warming waters will ultimately bust the lobster industry. The American lobster is a symbol of Maine, central to the state’s ethos and economy."

Top 15 Best Online Lobster Stores & Suppliers

• Atlantic Canada Exports - "Select your region to display suppliers that will ship to you."
• Atlantic LOBSTER - since 2006. "We distribute over two million pounds of live lobster." Are you interested to know where your lobster came from and who caught it? All of our live Atlantic lobster comes banded with a Trace Me code. Use the form on the Trace Me site to find out all about your lobster. Direct Distribution from the Fishermen’s Boat.
• BUY FRESH MAINE LOBSTER - list of 45 suppliers.
• CLEARWATER - since 1976. "Dedicated to Sustainable Seafood Excellence." Premium Hardshell Fresh Lobster.
• COLCHESTER OYSTER FISHERY - since 1965. "Suppliers of the Finest Seafood." England.
• E. Goodwin & Sons Seafood - since 1969. "If it swims, we have it!" Live Maine lobsters of all sizes and specifications.
• HANCOCK GOURMET LOBSTER COMPANY - since 1946. "Each morning, our culinary team rises with the sun to make the day’s orders. A pure Maine experience inspired by generations of family recipes, made from scratch without compromise. And each order? Well, it arrives ready for you to heat, eat and enjoy when the time is right, no prep needed from you. All of our products are made in small batches to preserve quality."
• Live Lobsters - at Alibaba.com.
• LOBSTER OF THE MONTH CLUB - since 2003. "Each month we'll deliver a selection of 4 Maine lobster tails shipped ocean-fresh from the same waters that supply some of the most exclusive restaurants around the world."
• Lobster Place - since 1974. Wild Northern Lobsters, Atlantic Lobsters, Maine Lobsters.
• lobsteranywhere.com - "Maine Lobster Delivery Online Since 1999." LobsterAnywhere is your trusted source for the best Maine lobster delivery to your front door, overnight, guaranteed. And we do not just ship Maine’s iconic crustacean, we also deliver fresh cooked lobster meat, authentic lobster rolls, New England clam chowder, bisque and plenty of frozen tails for sale.
• lobstersuppliers.com - "A directory of the industry's leading and most trusted suppliers."
• LOBSTERS AT AMAZON.COM'S GROCERY & GOURMET FOOD - as of January 8, 2022: 881 results.
• Maine Lobster Direct - since 1995. "Your Maine Seafood Connection." Shipping Fresh Live Maine Lobsters.
• The Lobster Place - since 1974. "NYC's Best Lobster & Seafood Supplier." Lobster Place has provided NYC with the best lobster and seafood for more than 4 decades. Visit our market or have fresh seafood delivered to your door.
• Trade-Seafood Industry Directory - "Wholesale Seafood Suppliers & Distributors of Maine Lobster."
• W. Harvey & Sons - since 1955. "Cornish Lobsters." Lobsters are normally caught from spring through to late autumn and "rested" in our sea tanks for at least 24 hours before despatch. We only buy lobsters from The South Western Approaches. Some lobsters are net caught so we are able to supply "jumbo" lobsters for really hungry people or for display purposes. Live and cooked lobsters are currently available, lobster meat will be available soon.