I love crab, and I love a good lobster roll over just eating it straight out with buuuuuttah and garlic, but you can also do live lobster, lobster meat, and for you types looking for a juicy piece of tail *wink *wink, they got that too.
Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission
If you were to work in the profession of content marketing, your employer would want you to have a “high time on page” (the time you spend reading this article), which I find moronic because my goal is the exact opposite. I want to see how fast I can provide you with the critical information to make the best decision on where to buy lobster online.
I am not some dude that is part of some large company, so I get to do things that I love to do, such as trying to find new ways to produce content. Because, unlike those companies, my goal is to CLEARLY CONVEY the information as accurately and efficiently as possible to you.
These sections with the red lobster icon will summarize the content so that you can scroll on through.
For you types that want me to do the thinking, I will also provide my suggestions at the very end, so time to stop my rambling and produce the findings.
This is the Information I Will Provide You
You ever wonder how some sites arrive at their “top 5 to 10 list?” I do which is why I disclose and provide every metric I would use to evaluate a business (some of the tactics I would use in a SWOT analysis).
This is my criteria at how I arrived at the best place to order lobster online from dock to doorstep (all the data below is to help you make the best informed decision such as knowing how much you pay PER OUNCE).
legit content is useful content.
- I list the top 16 lobster delivery companies (surprisingly that is the bulk of the companies).
- Which is the most popular lobster delivery website by web traffic (using SEO tools).
- How many ads do lobster delivery companies run (to get you to click/choose them).
- What sort of lobster do these companies offer: tails, live, and “meat” (knuckles & claws).
- How much is the lobster, pricing by weight, per ounce (in 3 sections: tails, live, and meat).
- The “elevator pitch,” why you should choose them (including my thoughts on each one).
- My self-serving links, along with who I think stands out from them all.
What You Need to Know About Ordering/Shipping
For an optimal value, expect to pay $149.95 (w/”free express delivery”) for a 4-pack of 6-7 oz. lobster tails (medium-sized) by LobsterAnywhere.
- Expect to receive your order on Tuesday to Saturday.
- Overnight and nationwide (Murica) delivery.
- A general rule of thumb is to order 2-3 days in advance if it is for a specific occasion.
- It is best to order by 3 pm, EST (many of the businesses are on the East Coast).
- Shipping can start and range around $29 to $79.
- Two examples of shipping rates are: 1). orders of $125 or more typically have a flat rate of $10 (under $125, $18). Whereas another vendor may charge 2). $29-$39 for $25+ orders to $62-$72 for orders upwards of $300. Orders $300 and more are 14-16% of the total order cost.
Every Lobster Delivery/Online Seller
The first thing I want to know when I am going to buy is “who are all the companies that sell lobster online.” Within that group/list, I want to know which specialize only in lobster versus selling everything (it is obvious from their domain name what their focus is). Although, if they sell everything, does that make their pricing/service (product range to turn around times) better?
The most popular lobster delivery specific sites by approximate site traffic are:
The biggest site of them all is GoldBelly, and they massively dwarf everybody although they do not specialize in only lobster delivery.
1). MaineLobsterNow
2). LobsterAnywhere
3). CousinsMaineLobster
4). LukesLobster
5). GetMaineLobster
round out the TOP 5.
- AllFreshSeafood.com, 6,141 / 220
- CapePorpoiseLobster.com, 6,388 / 358
- CBCrabCakes.com, 7,380 / 205
- CousinsMaineLobster.com, 46k / 143
- GoldBelly.com, 449,635 / 61,629
- GetMaineLobster.com, 19,854 / 1,575
- Great-Alaska-Seafood.com, 25k / 757
- KnowSeafood.com, 4,450 / 429
- LobsterAnywhere.com, 60,859 / 248
- LobsterGram.com, 12,064 / 577
- Lobsters-online.com, 2,333 / 937
- LobsterTrader.com, 2,288 / 0
- LukesLobster.com, 27,723 / 658
- MaineLobsterNow.com, 71,639 / 3,385
- TheLobsterGuy.com, 13,294 / 1,205
Lobster Product Roster
I expected tails, but I did not expect “lobster roll kits.” Also, the vast majority of lobster is from Maine/the Atlantic, along with some from Canada and one vendor with product from South Africa.
- Lobster roll kits
- Live/frozen lobster
- Lobster tail
- Lobster meat (claw, tail, knuckle)
Lobster Delivery Price Comparison
I know I love rolls (lobster meat), but the primary metric will be of lobster tails:
- Lobster tail sizes start at 4 oz (each).
- A massive 20-24 oz/colossal.
- One vendor has a monstrous 26-32 oz (don’t be a size queen tho).
Price per ounce, the most popular sites have the best pricing ($5-$6 per ounce) except for Cousins ($7-$9+) with the highest price per ounce.
Shipping prices are a significant cost although the leading companies have competitive rates.
PER OUNCE PRICING: how I arrived at per ounce estimates: I averaged out the size per tail, so a 4-5 ounce tail is now 4.5 ounce which I then multiplied by the amount which for this example is a quantity of 4. I then divided that to the price, plus shipping if any, and that is how I arrived at the final total.
| COMPANY | PRICE/SHIPPING | QTY/WEIGHT AVG. PRICE PER OZ |
|---|---|---|
| AllFresh Seafood | $99.96 +35 $110.97, FREE over $125 | x4 (4-5 oz), 18 oz/$5.55 x3 (6-7 oz), 19.5 oz/$5.69 |
| Cape Porpoise Lobster | $309.73, FREE $190.71, FREE | 5lb (4-5 oz), 69.75 oz/$4.44 x2 (10-12 oz), 22 oz/$8.66 |
| CB Crab Cakes | $79.95 +$24,95-$49.90 $139.95 +$33.95-$58.90 | x2 (8 oz), 16 oz/$4.99-$8.11 x4 (8 oz), 32 oz/$4.37-$6.21 “cold water lobster” |
| Cousins Maine Lobster | $50 +$35-$19.99 Each 2-pack $256.50, FREE over $250 | x2 (4-5 oz), 9 oz/$9.44-$7.77 contains 2 total tails x6 (4-5 oz), 27 oz/$9.50 |
| Get Maine Lobster | $164.99 +$4.75+$19.99 $164.99 +$4.75+$19.99 $184.99 +$4.75+FREE | x2 (14-16 oz), 30 oz/$6.32 x4 (6-7 oz), 26 oz/$7.29 x2 (16-20 oz), 36 oz/$5.27 |
| Great- Alaska- Seafood | $69.95 +$49.95 $399.95, FREE $109.95 +$49.95 | x1 (12-14 oz), 13 oz/$9.22 x6 (12-14 oz), 78 oz/$5.12 x1 (26-32 oz), 30 oz/$5.33 |
| Know Seafood | $120 free sablefish black cod promo $120, You have to spend over $100 | x4 (4 oz), 16 oz/$7.50 Maine Lobster x4 (4-5 oz), 18 oz/$6.66 S. African lobster |
| Lobster Anywhere | $29.95 +$36 $149.95, FREE Express $38.00 +$49-$56 $79.00 +$48-$52 $76.00 +$45.60 | x1 (6-7 oz), 6.5 oz/$10.14 x4 (6-7 oz), 26 oz/$5.76 x6 (8-10 oz), 54 oz/$4.90-$5.03 x2 (16-20 oz), 36 oz/$5.55-$5.66 x4 (16-20 oz), 72 oz/$4.85 |
| Lobster Gram | $75.00 +$35-$56 $177.00 +$47-$68 $300.00 +$45 | x2 (4-5 oz), 9 oz/$12.22-$14.55 x4 (8-10oz), 36 oz/$6.22-$6.80 x6 (10-12oz), 66 oz/$5.22 |
| Lobsters- online | $95.90 +$36.10 w/o opt. “travel charge” $49.00 +$18+$32.09 $57.50 +$18+$32.09 $168 +$18+$36.10 $340 +$18+$60.03 | x8 (4 oz), 36 oz/$3.66 not a shipping charge x1 (10-12 oz), 11 oz/$9.00 x1 (12-14 oz), 13 oz/$8.27 x2 (16-20 oz), 36 oz/$5.66 x4 (20-24 oz), 88 oz/$4.75 |
| Lobster Trader | $39.95 +$5.95+?? $94.99 +$5.95+?? $109.95 +$5.95+?? FREE over $300 | x4 (4-5 oz), 18 oz/?? x2 (12-14 oz), 26 oz/?? x2 (16-20 oz), 36 oz/?? Canadian lobster |
| Lukes Lobster | $105 +$18 $190 +$10 | x4 (5-6 oz), 22 oz/$5.59 x8 (6-7 oz), 52 oz/$3.84 |
| Maine Lobster Now | $103.96, FREE over $100 $247.92, 2 FREE tails $227.96, FREE over $100 | x4 (4-5 oz), 18 oz/$5.77 x8 (5-6 oz), 44-55 oz/$5.63-$4.50 x4 (8-10 oz), 36 oz/$6.33 |
| The Lobster Guy | $46.99 + $56.03 $149.99 +$57.02 $85.99 +$61.33 $204.99 +$57.94 | x2 (5-6 oz), 11 oz/$9.36 x4 (8-10 oz), 36 oz/$5.75 x2 (10-12oz), 22 oz/$6.69 x4 (12-14oz), 44 oz/$5.97 |
Live lobsters (there is some dude on YouTube that bought one from his local market and kept it as a pet. Now, the video has tens of millions of views). Homer Simpson was a pioneer.
#RIP Pinchy (also somewhat funny that the American lobster is a “Homarus americanus”).
| COMPANY | PRICE | QTY/WEIGHT |
|---|---|---|
| Cousins Maine Lobster | $85.00 | x2 (1.25lbs) |
| Get Maine Lobster | $309.99 | x10 (1.1-1.2lb) “Culls” are missing a claw |
| Lobster Anywhere | $38.95 $68.95 $129 | x1 (1.25lbs) x1 (2lbs) x1 (5-6lbs) |
| Lukes Lobster | $115 | x2 (1.25-1.5lbs) |
| Maine Lobster Now | $54.99 $109.98 $287.94 | x1 (1.5-1.7lbs) x2 (1.5-1.7lbs) x6 (1.5-1.7lbs) |
If you can not decide what size lobster tail you should buy, this detailed article by LobsterAnywhere will help you to decide on the optimal size (I bet it probably has something to do with the motion of the ocean)
If you are not all about presentation, the most cost-effective, yet delicious route is with lobster meat. I have also narrowed it down a select few contenders that specialize or are the leaders online.
Lobster meat/lobster rolls (the seafood version of “hooves and snouts,” except it is claws, knuckles, and other bits) is a great way to experience lobster on a budget, and they all start at about 1lb for $80+.
It all tastes like lobster to me, especially if you close your eyes and can’t see what you’re eating.
| COMPANY | PRICE | SIZE/TYPE |
|---|---|---|
| Caputos | $18.99 | 3.1 oz / 90g *Canadian |
| Cousins Maine Lobster | $89.10-$99 $125.00 | 1lb Maine lobster frozen The at-home lobster roll kit (4-6 rolls). |
| Gold Belly | $145.00 | McLoons Maine lobster roll kit, 4-pack |
| Lobster Anywhere | $58-$62 $119-$129.95 | 1lb raw claw and knuckle 2lb cooked tail, knuckle and claw. |
| Lukes Lobster | $110-$320 | 1lb-4lbs knuckle & claw meat with seasoning. |
| Maine Lobster Now | $88.99 $254.97 $414.95 | 1lb meat 3lb (save 4%) 5lb (save 7%) |
FINALLY, it all comes down to whether or not you want to support a company with 30 years of family lobster history, or do you care that they are a socially responsible company with *B-Corp certification, to all the other fantastic companies below.
*B Lab is a global non-profit organization for for profit organizations.
- AllFreshSeafood.com, what an overcomplicated closterfock of a product listing. The site has a bunch of “Buy 4, get 4 FREE (BOGO),” but what idiot thinks they are getting it for free? So they play games, and it does not end there with their product listings and packages which try to upsell in to buying summer rolls, lobster salads, and baked clam and mini crab cake combo’s. Yea, I am not a fan of the site.
- CapePorpoiseLobster.com, this company is out of Kennebunkport, ME, and that brings back all the George W. Bush memories vacationing there/their summer retreat. Aside from that, the ordering system is overly complicated because they have you choosing by ounce and packing options (how many tails you want by ounce will confuse most Americans).
- Caputos.com, “purveyors of regional Italian and Southern European foods,” and they have a very visually nice looking site and storefront in SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH! WTF, who would have thought Utah of all places would have a spot this cool.
- CBCrabCakes.com, “CB” stands for Chesapeake Bay, and if you are a keen observer, you know they specialize in crab cakes although they are big on cake and Chesapeake cuisine from garlic shrimp, mussels, lemon-dill cod, to crab casserole, just to name a few items because the list goes on and on.
- CousinsMaineLobster.com, “we’re bringing Maine lobster to your neighborhood.” That they are, and like the movie the Breakup, where they take Chicago by air, land, and sea. CML has food trucks (a LOT of them around the country), restaurants (upwards of 8), and their online store to provide all your lobster needs. That massive growth came about starting in 2011 with a boost from an appearance on the show Shark Tank probably didn’t hurt either, wow. Both cousin Jimmy and Sabin are killing it (are they really cousins, or are they Greek where everybody is a “cousin”).
- GoldBelly.com, they are big, and they ship popular food from restaurants and producers from around the country (it’s a bougie service that many celebrities and the well to do with disposable incomes can partake in). One example, is if you want a lobster roll, GoldBelly will have Mcloons Lobster Shack from Spruce Head Island, Maine which has accolades and recognition from Yankee Magazine to the Maine Travel Maven (all publications I have never heard of, so I guess it is local acclaim).
- GetMaineLobster.com, this company prominently touts that they are the “#1 rated Maine lobster delivery company, over 300k happy customers served.” Unfortunately, they do not substantiate that with anything other than that statement because they do not cite where they are getting all these five-star customer reviews from (are they saying their own website?). Traffic wise, I would rank them about 6th place, so I can bet you that their larger competitors probably have more 5-star reviews.
- Great-Alaska-Seafood.com, another old school website that looks like it was optimized for Netscape browsers with the cheesy pic of a chick and her headset with the caption “need help, call us in Alaska!” It is also a company that may be more focused on Alaskan king crab.
- KnowSeafood.com, this is one of the those “build your own box” sort of companies, but they really do not make it a point to focus on a message. What you are privy to is “from the source, quality guaranteed, and ‘you’re in charge.'” This is an easy company to pass on by unless you want a one stop shop of a variety of seafood in one place.
- LobsterAnywhere.com, right off underneath their logo, it appears they have been at it for a while, since 1999 (for you youngsters, that was the early age of the internet where AOL reigned supreme and 56k was the best you were going to get). Now about their service, I know I went on a rant that other businesses may have more 5-star ratings, and Lobster Anywhere claims 100,000+ orders and 4,100+ five star reviews.
- LobsterGram.com, *ding dong,* whose there? Lobstergram. Lobstergram who? Lobster on your front porch foo, come get it! The name may sound remind you of strip’o’gram, and it might have you thinking of a person dressed as a lobster when they deliver your lobster but that is not happening. What will happen is that you will get lobster, like many others have done because they are not the smallest of the lobster specific sites and plenty of people have ordered from them.
- Lobsters-online.com, you can easily see how a company like Lobsters-online.com aka the Lobster Trap company dominates its competition from their website. Not only is it visually appealing, but they do what I do, except they compiled it all for me: Est. 1972 and online in 1997, headquartered in Bourne, MA with facilities spread out the state, the facilities itself consist of 6k crates (600k lbs) and three tidal lobster ponds that can sore 225k pounds of live lobster. To finish it all off, they are HACCP approved and a TSA-approved certified cargo screening facility.
- LobsterTrader.com, this site has. cheesy feel to it, and it may be due to having been designed and developed by somebody named “Eggheads.io,” which seems to be a small operation. Overall, they have 3 purchasing options for tails, so they do not over complicate things. They are also the only ones that sell Canadian lobster tails.
- LukesLobster.com, this company really likess to tout that they are a B-Corp, and that they have become the highest scoring B-corp certified restaurant group in the country. So I had to figure out what the hell that meant and why it matters, and it turns out that means through a rigorous assessment, they have proved that the company has achieved social and environmental goals.
- MaineLobsterNow.com, the Klenda family has dedicated more than 30 years to providing some of the best seafood which is probably why they are the most popular of the dedicated lobster sites (Google recognized them in their Economic Impact Report for 2018 as a top online business in the state of Maine). Aside from just lobster, they do lobster ravioli, lobster rolls, crab, scallops, and more (like Maine wild blueberry pie). Also, the biggest “tell” on why this is good business, they have a pic of their entire staff on their “About Us.”
- TheLobsterGuy.com, Tim Handrigan, this dudes claim to fame is from the Discovery Channel’s, Deadliest Catch, Lobsterman (he is the owner and captain of the F/V Courtney Elizabeth). Besides that, dude needs to update his website because it is Web 1.0. and it may be the original site from 18 years ago.
The most impressive company in terms of outwards appearance out of them all is 1). CousinsMaineLobster because they are taking Murica by food truck, with restaurants, and the world online (they even have an app). The others are 2). MaineLobsterNow, the leader on a number of levels, and they were recognized for it and 3). lobsters-online for how they market their operations (they back it up with one of the best price per ounce).
Lukes also deserves some love although that is based on the credibility of B Lab.
And finally, if you can not decide, you can support my need for lobster and crab by purchasing from either LobsterAnywhere.com or LukesLobster.com (they are the two affiliates out of 16 vendors because I do not stack the odds in my favor).
(I also have lists for Alaskan king crab, caviar, sea urchin, and sashimi).
