The Lobster Bisque Red Flag That's Right On The Menu

Lobster bisque is basically the dream dish for anyone who loves lobster. If you're a lobster fan and you spot lobster bisque on a restaurant menu, it may seem like an easy decision. However, before you go ahead and order it, there's one detail that you want to look out for: Whether or not the restaurant has lobster elsewhere on the menu.

If a restaurant serves lobster bisque, but not lobster, then we have a problem. The key to a high quality lobster bisque is lobster shells – essentially the shells are long-simmered to make lobster stock, which will serve as the base of the bisque. So, if the restaurant doesn't have any lobsters on the premises, then it's very likely that the lobster bisque came out of a can or was reheated from frozen. A canned version may suffice at home when you have a craving for lobster bisque but no time to make it from scratch, but it's certainly not worth the price that you're paying at a restaurant. So if you come across this predicament, you may want to check with your server before ordering the bisque.

If you're in the mood for lobster bisque, then it's best to research the restaurant first so that you know you're getting a fresh, made-that-day meal. All this means is looking at the menu online before you go, to make sure there are additional lobster dishes on the menu.

Another easy step to take? Go to a seafood restaurant, specifically, where it's much more likely that they have the fresh lobster (and the shells) that are needed for excellent lobster bisque. If you need a recommendation, you can check out the best seafood restaurant chains in the U.S. Many of the suggestions on the list — including McCormick & Schmick's and Hook & Reel — have lobster bisque listed online (and lobster tails).

And if you really want to make sure that your lobster bisque is made in-house, you can call any restaurant ahead of time and simply ask. Trust us, the difference between freshly-made lobster bisque and a canned version is worth the effort.