Those wanting to buy fresh lobster online should not settle for any old lobster delivery company. The lobster that you receive from an online provider will almost always be “fresh.”But that does not mean much in the world of live seafood delivery. Below, we have isolated several of our favorite lobster companies.
Contents
Our Top Maine Lobster Delivery Companies
| Category | Company | Most Popular Size | Average $/Lobster Dinner* | Customer Ratings | Go To |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest Customer Ratings | Lobster Anywhere | 2 lb. | $335 | 5.0 | |
| Best for Sustainability | Crab Place | 2 lb. | $280 | 4.5 | |
| Best for Lobster Tails | Cameron’s Seafood | 12 oz. | $350 | 4.7 | |
| Best Variety | Fulton Fish Market | 2 lb. | $270 | 4.6 | |
| Best for Lobster Meat | Wulf’s Fish | 1 lb. | N/A | 4.8 | |
| Most Frequent Discounts | Get Maine Lobster | 1.5 lb. | $275 | 4.9 | |
| Best Website Experience | Winter Harbor Lobster Co-Op | 1.5 lb. | $335 | 4.6 | |
| Best for Smaller Lobsters | Sanders Lobster Company | 1.5 lb. | $270 | 4.5 |
*Estimated cost for 4 lobsters (or tails), potential add-ons, and shipping.
We have vetted all of the lobster companies featured for quality and customer service. If you do not find what you are looking for in the above grid, you might have more luck in our lobster delivery directory. No matter where you look, rest assured that you will be able to find the best place to buy fresh lobster.
Where to Buy 1.25 Pound Lobster
The Fresh Lobster Company – You can order Live Main Fresh Lobsters shipped straight to your home. The Fresh Lobster Company ships everywhere in the United States. The fishers transfer the lobster directly from their boats and the company ships them via FedEx overnight delivery. When you order a 1- to 1.25-pound lobster, you will pay $18.25 per lobster. A lobster weighted at 1.25- to 1.5 pounds costs $24.75.
Fulton Fish Market – The long-standing New York City fish market sells “Lobster – Live, North American, Cold Water, Wild.” The lobster costs $34.99 per 1.25 pounds. The market sources their lobster from the cold and clean waters of Nova Scotia.
Lobster Anywhere – Lobster lovers can buy live Maine lobster from Lobster Anywhere. The company offers lobsters ranging from 1.25 pounds to 6-pound beasts that will not fit in your standard pot. Order a live 1.25-pound lobster for $38.95. Fishers sustainably source these Maine lobsters and catch the lobsters wild.
McLaughlin Seafood – The company’s Fresh Maine Lobster starts at $20 for a 1.25-pound lobster. Fishers catch the live Maine Lobster off of the New England Coast. McLaughlin then ships the orders via FedEx Priority Overnight to maintain freshness and flavor.
The Crab Place – Unlike the other companies, The Crab Place does not specifically offer a 1.25-pound lobster option. Still, you can order 1-pound or 1.5-pound lobsters. The minimum order is a 2-pack. The 2-packs for 1 to 1.5 pounds of lobster range from $82.30 to $107.36.
What Does it Mean to Buy Lobster Fresh Online?
If you choose to buy lobster fresh online, you should know exactly what the word “fresh” means. Any live lobster that you order from a website or vendor should be marked “fresh.” Fresh is the default term that many companies will use to indicate that their product is alive when they ship and deliver it to you.
However, if you are buying lobster online, you should have slightly higher standards. When people look to buy lobster fresh online, they often try to look for a shorter product processing chain. Most will try to avoid having a lobster sent from the wharf to a processing plant to a third-party provider to the delivery organization. Instead, they look for companies that will minimize the steps a lobster needs to take to get to your door. That means they will often process the lobster at the wharf and ship it the same day that they catch it.
Many smaller lobster operations have the ability to do that. You may be wondering if your lobster company has a similar type of short-chain delivery service. Take a look on their webpage under the sourcing or shipping tab. These tabs should provide all of the information that you need. If you have trouble finding answers to your questions, do not hesitate to contact their customer service arm for full transparency. When spending your money, you deserve the best place to buy fresh lobster.
How to Check for Signs of Freshness
The easiest way to tell if a lobster is fresh is to assess its liveliness. The more time that a lobster spends in captivity, or waiting for those involved to process and ship it, the more lethargic it will become. If you have the opportunity to buy a fresh lobster at a grocery store, that metric is how you should make your decision.
Unfortunately, liveliness is not often a factor when you buy lobster fresh online. By the time the crustacean reaches your doorstep, it will likely be lethargic due to the stress of shipping. It will also lose its liveliness due to the coldness of the shipping container. When that happens, you should ask several other questions.
Has moss developed on the lobster’s shell?
Moss can indicate that a lobster was held in a tank for a long period of time after it was caught. That is one of the easiest ways to tell whether your crustacean is fresh from the ocean.
How do the antennae look?
If they are not long and pointed, chances are, it has been in captivity for a while. Lobsters living in captivity will resort to eating their tank mates, and antennae are often the first parts to go.
From where did you buy the lobster?
Make sure to choose a market with a big turnover. In general, if you buy a Maine lobster online, you should not have a problem getting the freshest lobster possible. Still, you run certain risks if you buy lobster in the off-season. You might end up receiving a lobster that has been in captivity for several days before the company ships it.
Buying 1.25-pound lobsters can come with specific needs. That said, every customer deserves to have all of their needs met. Take your time as you search for the right company for your next order.
Take note of our Affiliate Relationships that may exist with this page and companies listed on it.