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A Beginner’s Guide on How to Eat a Whole Lobster

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at USC chapter.

Learning how to eat a whole lobster can seem pretty intimidating, but it’s pretty simple if you’re willing to get a little messy. A lot of times, the whole lobster will be cheaper than the lobster tail if you have to put in the labor to crack it open yourself, so follow along and you’ll be a lobster eating pro in no time. 

Preparation

how to eat a whole lobster
Kate Cook

When you first order your lobster, you’ll probably be brought a selection of tools similar to this. You have a bib, and you should definitely put it on if it’s your first time eating a lobster. You also have a tiny fork—that’s to help scrape the meat out. You also have a nut/lobster cracker, and finally, you have a little towelette for when you’re finished. 

how to eat a whole lobster shrimp shellfish
Kate Cook

Soon, your lobster will arrive. Take a deep breath, and try not to look into its eyes. 

The Tail 

red lobster lobster crab
Kate Cook

We’ll start with the easiest part. Separate the tail from the body, you might need to pull or twist, and it should come right off. After you have it, you can either pull off the fins at the bottom and pull the meat out of the hole it creates, or pull the tail apart from where it was attached to the body to split it into two halves. 

how to eat a whole lobster seafood shrimp
Kate Cook

Whether it’s whole or in halves, use the tiny fork to pull the meat out of the shell, and try to do it in one piece. 

This is the easiest part and gives you the most meat, but knowing how to eat a whole lobster involves getting all of the morsels from the various nooks and crannies. 

Claws

how to eat a whole lobster lobster crab
Kate Cook

After your tail is done, it’s time to crack open the claws. Twist them off right where they’re attached to the body so that you have the lobsters whole… arm. 

how to eat a whole lobster crab lobster
Kate Cook

Twist off the bottom part of the arm, 

how to eat a whole lobster lobster
Kate Cook

Then crack the claw in the center, between the grabby parts. 

how to eat a whole lobster fish crab
Kate Cook

This should create an opening, where you can pull the meat out with your little fork. If you do it properly, it will come out in a whole claw shaped piece, which is both cute and disturbing.

Tiny Bits  

how to eat a whole lobster chocolate
Kate Cook

The tail and claws are where the majority of the meat are located, but you can also find tiny bits of meat all throughout the lobster. You can suck the meat out of the end of the tail fins, for instance. You can also get meat out of the knuckle, but I’ve never been able to get much from there. 

how to eat a whole lobster lobster
Kate Cook

Make sure to pull off the end of the legs and suck the meat out of them.

how to eat a whole lobster crab lobster
Kate Cook

Most people split the lobster down the middle and eat the parts inside there, but… There’s also some good reasons to avoid that section, so I left mine whole. Also, that part is kind of gross to me. 

how to eat a whole lobster crab lobster
Kate Cook

This is a great beginner’s method on how to eat a whole lobster, but there are also different techniques, some of which are more thorough and give you access to every tiny edible bit. You don’t have to be a lobster expert to delve into the whole lobster, and you can explore further if you like, but for your first lobster, this is a solid guide.   

I was born and raised in the DFW area! I moved to LA this January, and I'm so excited to explore this city and experience all it has to offer!