Here's How To Spot Fake Lobster At A Restaurant - Tasting Table

"These days, if you want lobster, you pay a premium price for it. Even at a chain like Red Lobster, a Maine lobster tail and a rock lobster tail can cost around $45. At other restaurants, a single rock lobster tail may set you back almost $50. Considering the cost involved, you want to make sure you're getting what you pay for."

"Tasting Table spoke to Franklin Becker, chef and owner of Point Seven restaurant in Manhattan. We asked how a diner might be able to spot fake lobster, and his advice came down to taste and texture. "Fake lobster has a milder, more uniform flavor and has a slightly rubbery texture," Becker says. "It is definitely different from the real thing.""

Lobster commands premium prices, with individual tails commonly costing $45–$50. Some restaurants substitute cheaper seafood for lobster meat in dishes such as lobster rolls, mac and cheese, and bisque. Fake lobster typically has a milder, more uniform flavor and a slightly rubbery texture compared with genuine lobster. Investigations have found as much as 35% of labeled lobster was actually other species, often white fish like whiting or pollock, or langostino. Langostino is more crablike in texture and milder in flavor. Menus should specify rock or Maine lobster and claw or tail meat, and servers or chefs should confirm the type.

Read at Tasting Table