Forget Red Lobster — here are 15 of the best places for lobster in the Charlotte area

Heidi Finley, Melissa Oyler
·4 min read

Red Lobster recently announced that it was closing nearly 100 restaurants across the United States. And while the locations in Concord, Gastonia, Matthews and Pineville aren’t among those affected, it got us thinking about the best places to find lobster in the Charlotte area.

Lobster costs have soared in the past year, leading many restaurants to revamp their menus or drop the luxury seafood staple altogether.

In the past few years, several local restaurants have switched up their lobster offerings, with delectable seafood dishes including fried lobster tails, lobster pasta and, of course, lobster rolls. So we’ve set out on a search to find the best.

Here are 15 of our favorites:

Boujee Soul Food

Location: City Kitch, 2200 Thrift Rd, Charlotte, NC 28208

What to order: Boujee Soul Food’s Collard Green & Lobster Wontons ($15) includes lobster tail meat, savory collard greens, spices and cheese; fried in a crispy wonton. You get five pieces, served with sweet and sour dipping sauce.

Cafe Monte

Location: 6700 Fairview Road, Charlotte, NC 28210

What to order: Lobster and crab crepes ($25 at lunch or $28 at dinner). On Friday nights, you’ll also have the option of ordering a full lobster dinner ($52).

[OOH LA LA: This French cafe in Charlotte was just named one of the best neighborhood gems in America.]

Catalina Kitchen + Bar

Location: 1942 E 7th St #106, Charlotte, NC 28204

What to order: Catalina Kitchen’s Lobster and Shrimp Roll is made with poached lobster, herb-boiled shrimp, celery, lemon aioli and lettuce on a New England-style roll ($20 at lunch or brunch; $22 at dinner).

Catalina Kitchen + Bar’s Lobster and Shrimp Roll.
Catalina Kitchen + Bar’s Lobster and Shrimp Roll.

Cuzzo’s Cuisine

Location: 9601 N Tryon St Suite F, Charlotte, NC 28262

Location: Charlotte Premium Outlets, 5428 New Fashion Way, Charlotte, NC 28278

What to order: Pair six wings with creamy lobster mac and cheese ($17.95).

Creamy lobster mac and cheese is a signature dish at Cuzzo’s Cuisine.
Creamy lobster mac and cheese is a signature dish at Cuzzo’s Cuisine.

Drift on Lake Wylie

Location: 315-M Lanyard Ln, Belmont, NC 28012

What to order: Lobster tail fettuccine, with house-made saffron pasta, spring peas, crispy pancetta, sambuca cream and herbed breadcrumbs ($48).

Drift’s lobster tail fettuccine
Drift’s lobster tail fettuccine

Eddie’s on Lake Norman

Location: 643 Williamson Rd, Mooresville, NC 28117

What to order: The lobster entree is fresh live Maine lobster, steamed and served with roasted potatoes, corn on the cob, house-made coleslaw and drawn butter (market price).

Fin & Fino

Location: 135 Levine Avenue of the Arts #100, Charlotte, NC 28202

What to order: The Penthouse option off the raw bar, which comes with 14 oysters, 14 shrimp, crab cocktail fingers, seafood salad, tuna crudo and two poached lobster tails ($150). A lobster dinner ($65) with three lobster dishes and a amuse buche or dessert course is also now available on Sunday nights. (The menu will vary each week.)

The Penthouse at Fin & Fino.
The Penthouse at Fin & Fino.

Krustacean’s

Location: 2908 Oak Lake Blvd 102 Charlotte, NC 28208

What to order: Red Velvet Waffle with Fried Lobster Tail ($21.99).

Krustaceans’ Red Velvet Waffle with Lobster Tail is a favorite among the restaurant’s staff.
Krustaceans’ Red Velvet Waffle with Lobster Tail is a favorite among the restaurant’s staff.

Link & Pin

Location: 155 New Bern St, Charlotte, NC 28203

Location: 8128 Providence Rd #1200, Charlotte, NC 28277

Location: 9723 Sam Furr Rd, Huntersville, NC 28078

What to order: Link & Pin’s new fried Maine lobster tails, which are 5-6 ounces of simply seasoned lobster served with charred lemon and clarified butter (single tail $24; twin tails $48).

Link & Pin’s twin fried lobster tails.
Link & Pin’s twin fried lobster tails.

Lobster Dogs

Location: 1219 NC-16 Business, Denver, NC 28037

What to order: Lobster Crisp Tacos, with Maine lobster and shrimp in a flour tortilla with cheese crisp, bacon bits and pico de gallo, drizzled with chipotle ranch and chimichurri ($14).

Moon Thai

Location: 4425 Sharon Rd, Charlotte, NC 28211

What to order:

  • Get the Lobster Bomb Roll — Lobster Katsu, Avocado, Cucumber & Spicy Mayo topped with Lobster, Masago & Cream Cheese. $34

  • Add on a Surf and Turf Roll — Grilled lobster, NY Strip, shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, baby arugula. $30

Moon Thai’s surf and turf roll.
Moon Thai’s surf and turf roll.

The Porter’s House

Location: 7417 Waverly Walk Ave, Charlotte, NC 28277

What to order: The Porter’s House’s Shareable Sea Board has shrimp cocktail, crab cakes, sesame seared tuna, and two lobster tails ($100). You can also add 3 ounces lobster to your mac n’ cheese ($12) or add 6 ounces of lobster to your steak ($29).

The Shareable Sea Board at The Porter’s House comes with two lobster tails.
The Shareable Sea Board at The Porter’s House comes with two lobster tails.

Steak 48

Location: Apex SouthPark, 4425 Sharon Rd, Charlotte, NC 28211

What to order: Go for the restaurant’s Lobster Rolls, with Maine lobster, butter poached on a grilled New England roll ($38).

Steak 48 has multiple lobster offerings, including lobster rolls with Maine lobster, butter poached, served on a grilled New England roll.
Steak 48 has multiple lobster offerings, including lobster rolls with Maine lobster, butter poached, served on a grilled New England roll.

[LET’S MEET UP: Charlotte restaurant named one of 100 ‘Best Restaurants for a Business Meeting in America.’]

Supperland

Location: 1212 The Plaza, Charlotte, NC 28205

What to order: Poached lobster tail, a 10 ounce, miso-butter based lobster tail ($64).

The Waterman Fish Bar

Location: 2729 South Blvd Suite D, Charlotte, NC 28209

Location: 9615 Bailey Rd, Cornelius, NC 28031

What to order: Drop by for brunch and order the Lobster Bene, with butter-poached Maine lobster on a buttermilk biscuit with two poached eggs and Waterman Hollandaise ($19).

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