Why You Should Think Twice Before Ordering Lobster At A Fancy Restaurant

Ah, lobster. The seafood dish has surprisingly evolved over the years. From being the staple dish for the underprivileged and poor members of the community to marking its status as a fancy dish that's rather expensive, the mighty lobster has undergone a massive transformation. According to Pacific Standard magazine, lobster is usually pricey because its cost is directly linked to the supply and the number of lobsters that are caught by fishermen. Fun fact: price surges can be intense when it comes to lobsters. In 2012, the price went up to 18 percent higher than usual — talk about an expensive meal.

Eating a lobster can be a task on its own. Several guides on the internet instruct readers on the best and most acceptable ways to feast on the animal. For example, Spoon University's guide takes its readers through the tools that they've have to use while eating such as a bib and a tiny fork coupled with a lobster cracker, and a towelette. If you're feasting at a fancy eatery, though, you may want to avoid eating the lobster. This is why.

As fancy as eating lobster is today, old rules for seafood across the board still apply. Basically, you want to ensure that you're eating close to the source and not subjecting yourself to a meal that's not fresh — this doesn't change just because you're eating at a fancy restaurant. 

The further away the restaurant is from the source, the more likely it is that you won't get your money's worth and will end up paying extra for no reason. Plus, if you're eating lobster, you want to ensure that the chefs prepare the dish well and are knowledgeable about it. Inside Edition investigated a little bit in 2016 and discovered that many restaurants don't end up serving lobster meat and stick to substitutes instead. Wait, what? That's right: a third of the tested samples were revealed to be lobster alternatives. A restaurant owner explained, saying that there was no malicious intent behind using frozen lobster that included traces of cheaper fish. 

So, the next time you're at a fancy place, if seafood isn't its main forte, opt for a meal that'll give you a better bang for your buck.