How to Eat a Lobster

Ordering a whole lobster when you’re “from away” can be daunting. It arrives bright red, steaming hot, and looking like a prehistoric armored creature. Don’t panic. Eating a lobster is a messy, hands-on ritual—and the mess is part of the fun. Mainers have been doing this for generations, and with a little guidance, you’ll be cracking shells like a local by the end of your first lobster.

There’s no elegant way to eat a whole lobster. You’ll be wearing a bib, your hands will be covered in butter, and bits of shell will scatter across the table. Embrace it. This is how lobster is meant to be eaten—outside at a picnic table, overlooking the harbor where your dinner was hauled from the ocean just hours ago.

Understanding Your Lobster

The Anatomy

A lobster has three main sections of meat:

The Claws: The front pincers contain the most prized meat—tender, sweet, and substantial. The crusher claw (the bigger, duller one) and the pincer claw (sharper, more delicate) have slightly different textures.

The Tail: The largest single portion of meat. Firm and meaty, the tail is what most people think of as “lobster meat.” It’s the piece that ends up in fancy restaurants.

The Body and Legs: Often overlooked, these contain sweet, delicate meat that’s worth the extra effort to extract.

Hard-Shell vs. Soft-Shell

Hard-shell lobsters have thick, fully calcified shells. They’re meatier and easier to ship, which is why they dominate the winter catch and the export market. The meat is denser and requires more crackers-and-picks work.

Soft-shell lobsters (also called “shedders”) have recently molted and are growing into new shells. The shells are thin and easy to crack by hand. The meat is sweeter and more tender, but there’s less of it relative to shell size. Soft-shells are a summer delicacy that doesn’t travel well—you can only get them fresh in Maine.

Local preference: Many Mainers prefer shedders for their sweetness, despite the lower meat yield. Visitors expecting rock-hard shells are sometimes surprised by how easily soft-shells crack.

The Tools

You’ll be armed with:

Cracker: A metal nutcracker for breaking claw shells. Essential for hard-shells; often unnecessary for soft-shells.
Pick: A long, thin fork for extracting meat from crevices. The pointed end gets into joints and knuckles.
Bib: Yes, wear it. Lobster juice will fly. There is no dignified way around this.
Shell Bowl: For discarding shells as you work. Keeps your workspace manageable.
Butter Cup: Drawn butter for dipping. Keep it warm if possible.
Wet Wipes or Towels: You’ll need them. Repeatedly.

The Step-by-Step Method

Step 1: The Claws

Start with the claws—they’re the best part and stay warm longest.

Twist off both claws at the body. Grip the body in one hand and rotate the claw until it snaps free.
Separate the knuckles. The knuckle (the joint between claw and body) contains excellent meat. Crack it open and push the meat out with your pick.
Break off the thumb. The smaller pincer bends back; wiggle it until it snaps off. Sometimes a thin piece of meat comes with it.
Crack the main claw. Position your cracker at the widest part of the claw and squeeze firmly. For hard-shells, you may need several cracks around the circumference. For soft-shells, a firm squeeze with your hand often works.
Extract the claw meat. The goal is to pull out the entire claw meat in one piece. Work your pick around the edges to loosen it, then ease it out.

Step 2: The Tail

The tail has the largest single piece of meat.

Separate the tail from the body. Hold the body in one hand and the tail in the other. Arch the back until it cracks, then twist and pull the tail free.
Remove the flippers. Twist off the small fan-shaped fins at the end of the tail. There’s a tiny bit of meat in each—squeeze it out like a tube of toothpaste.
Push out the tail meat. Insert your fork or finger into the small end (where the flippers were) and push firmly. The tail meat should slide out the larger end in one piece.
De-vein the tail. You’ll see a dark vein running down the back—this is the digestive tract. It’s not harmful but most people remove it. Make a shallow cut along the back and pull it out.

Step 3: The Legs

The eight walking legs are often ignored, but they contain sweet meat worth pursuing.

Twist off the legs at the body.
Extract the meat. Two methods work:
- The straw method: Put the broken end of the leg in your mouth and suck/squeeze the meat out.
- The rolling pin method: Lay the leg flat and roll a rolling pin over it, pushing the meat out one end.

The leg meat is delicate and sweet—some say it’s the best part of the lobster.

Step 4: The Body

Don’t throw away the body—there’s hidden meat inside.

Pull off the top shell. The carapace lifts away to reveal the body cavity.
Find the tomalley. The green substance is the lobster’s liver (hepatopancreas). It’s considered a delicacy—rich, briny, intensely lobster-flavored. Spread it on bread or mix it with your butter. Some people love it; others don’t.
Look for roe. In female lobsters, you may find red or dark green roe (eggs). The red roe is cooked; the dark green is uncooked. Also considered a delicacy.
Pick the body meat. White meat hides in the chambers where the legs attached. It takes patience, but the body can yield a surprising amount of sweet meat.

The Butter

Drawn butter—melted, clarified butter—is the traditional accompaniment. The warm, rich butter complements the sweet lobster meat perfectly.

How to use it: Dip each piece of meat lightly. You want to taste the lobster, not drown it.

Alternative dips:

Lemon juice (alone or mixed with butter)
Mayo-based dip (for lobster roll style)
Nothing at all—some purists eat it plain

Where to Eat Lobster in Maine

Lobster Shacks

The quintessential Maine lobster experience. Lobster shacks are casual, often outdoor, establishments right on the water. You order at a counter, grab a number, and wait for your name to be called. Seating is typically picnic tables with views of working harbors. For detailed recommendations, see our guide to Maine’s best lobster shacks.

What to expect: Paper plates, plastic bibs, steamers on the side, and the freshest lobster you’ll ever eat.

Classic shacks: Red’s Eats (Wiscasset), The Clam Shack (Kennebunkport), Thurston’s (Bernard), Five Islands Lobster (Georgetown), McLoons (Spruce Head).

Lobster Pounds

Similar to shacks but often with the option to choose your lobster from a tank. Some pounds cook your lobster on-site; others are primarily wholesale operations with retail counters.

Restaurant Dining

Many Maine restaurants serve whole lobster, often with more refined accompaniments and table service. The experience is different—less sandy, more silverware—but the lobster is equally good.

Lobster Bakes

The ultimate Maine lobster experience. Traditional lobster bakes cook lobsters, clams, mussels, corn, and potatoes together in a pit of seaweed over hot rocks. Many restaurants and caterers offer “lobster bake” experiences that approximate the traditional method.

Ordering Tips

Sizing

Lobsters are sold by weight:

Chicks: 1-1.25 lbs. Good for light appetites or as part of a larger meal.
Quarters: 1.25-1.5 lbs. The sweet spot for most people—enough meat to satisfy without being overwhelming.
Selects: 1.5-2 lbs. Heartier portion.
Large: 2+ lbs. Impressive but harder to cook evenly; the claws may be overdone by the time the tail is cooked through.

Best value: Many locals prefer 1.25-1.5 lb lobsters as the best balance of meat to shell.

Pricing

Lobster prices fluctuate seasonally:

Summer (soft-shell season): Often lower prices due to abundant catch
Winter: Higher prices; harder shells, meatier lobsters
Tourist season: Some shacks charge premium prices; locals know the spots with fair pricing

What to Order With It

Steamers: Soft-shell clams, a classic pairing
Corn on the cob: Simple, perfect
Coleslaw: Cool contrast
Clam chowder: Start with a cup
Blueberry pie: End with Maine’s other iconic food

Common Mistakes

Skipping the body: The body contains significant meat. Don’t throw it away.

Forgetting the knuckles: The joints between claws and body hold some of the sweetest meat.

Overcooking: If you’re cooking at home, lobster needs only 7-8 minutes per pound in boiling water. Overcooked lobster is rubbery.

Using cold butter: Keep your butter warm for the best experience.

Being too neat: Lobster eating is inherently messy. If you’re worried about your clothes, you’re doing it wrong.

Lobster Etiquette

It’s okay to use your hands. In fact, it’s required.

The bib is not optional. Even if you think you’re above it, wear the bib.

Take your time. Extracting every bit of meat is part of the experience.

It’s not rude to slurp. Getting meat from the legs requires sucking. This is expected.

Share techniques. If you see a fellow visitor struggling, it’s neighborly to offer tips.

The Lobster Roll Alternative

If dismantling a whole lobster feels overwhelming, try a lobster roll first. The meat is already extracted and served in a buttered, toasted hot dog bun.

Maine style: Cold lobster salad with light mayo on a toasted roll.

Connecticut style: Warm lobster meat with drawn butter.

Both are available throughout Maine, and there’s heated debate about which is superior.

Eating a whole Maine lobster is a rite of passage. Once you’ve mastered the technique—cracking, picking, dipping—you’ll understand why this awkward, messy ritual has captivated visitors and fed coastal communities for centuries. The best lobster you’ll ever eat is the one you crack yourself, at a picnic table by the water, with butter running down your chin.