The Best Mail Order Lobster Tails and Dinners You Can Find Online

I was fortunate enough to grow up near water and have relatives who lived on the coast so fresh top quality seafood was always nearby. I have since had the pleasure of living in several beautiful states such as Arizona, Colorado, and a few others that aren't exactly known for their abundance of salt water delights.

Some of my fondest memories involve getting the entire family together for a lobster and clam bake and remembering how my mouth would water watching my mother brush melted butter across a giant Maine lobster tail before carefully placing it under the broiler. While distance does prevent me from enjoying amazing seafood on a regular basis, I have found a way to treat myself now and again.

I used to buy from my local grocery store often but ended up being disappointed in the quality on several occasions. After hearing a radio advertisement for a New England based company offering to ship live Maine lobster anywhere in the country, I decided to order lobster online for the first time and have it delivered. At this point, I wasn't really sure what to expect. I had ordered steaks by mail in the past and had a good experience but as you know, good seafood demands an entirely different level of care and freshness.

I must confess that I had some concerns about how quickly it would be delivered and in what condition. I was delighted to find that my order arrived the very next day via FedEx and inside the box were two live Maine lobsters along with a cracker, fork, and recipe card with suggested preparation ideas! Needless to say, I was pretty impressed. The ones I selected were live but you can choose to order them frozen as well. That night, my husband and I enjoyed one of the best seafood dinners we have ever prepared. The freshness and quality were second to none. We have since made it our own little tradition to get one every couple of months to enjoy an at-home shore dinner.

Several years ago when I ordered online for the first time, there were only a handful of companies that would ship fresh seafood. Now there are several different options you can choose from. You can even get chowder, bisque, shrimp, scallops, and casseroles to go along with them, depending on which company you decide to go with. Here are a few of my favorite mail order seafood companies:

1. Hancock Gourmet Lobster Company – This company started out as a restaurant in Maine in 1946 and has produced top quality seafood ever since. They deliver the finest lobster and prepared seafood dishes made in small batches with no preservatives whatsoever. Everything you get from them is truly fresh and ready to give you a delicious Maine experience from home. Hancock Gourmet is home to several of my all time favorites including the Maine Shore Dinner which is a mammoth family style feast consisting of lobster tails, shrimp, scallops, mussels, and corn seasoned to perfection and the Maine Clambake which offers a similar indulgence with a dozen clams. They also offer fresh ready to eat tails of various sizes as well.

2. Ocean State Lobsters – If your idea of a perfect seafood dinner involves a whole Live New England lobster of just about any size you could want, Ocean State is the way to go! Because they ship their lobsters live, you will want to order them the day before you want to cook as they are the most tender and taste the best when prepared right away. You need to bring your appetite for these as they quite easily have the biggest whole mail order lobsters online I've come across!

3. Giovanni's Fish – If giant claws or super sized Australian lobster tails are your thing, look no further! They will deliver some of the world's finest Australian tails up to a pound and a half each, right to your doorstep. If you are looking to throw a dinner party or entertain a group of friends, this is the perfect way to put on an amazing culinary show that is impressive on all levels. The visual "wow" effect you get from the gigantic size and presentation of their seafood is tough to beat! If "go big or go home" is your motto, this company could very well become your new favorite.

If you've never tried one of these companies, I recommend giving it a shot at least once. Most people just assume they are stuck with whatever the supermarket happens to carry and miss out on some really great food! Treat yourself to something unique for a change and enjoy the vacation like experience that comes along with it for a lot less than the cost of a trip. You will find that your taste buds and recipe books enjoy the change of pace.