This Old School Appetizer Used To Be Iconic, But Today It's Way Overpriced

Food inflation is a thing, for sure. But there's a difference between hiking prices because of rising costs and simply hiking prices without much reason. Over the last several years, the cost of eggs and beef have steadily risen, while fish and seafood prices have dropped. In fact, the cost of shrimp per pound has dropped from a high of nearly $11 in 2014 to under $7 in 2025.

Still, that hasn't stopped most restaurants from charging an exorbitant price for a classic appetizer that has recently made a comeback on menus across the country. Shrimp cocktail is a simple enough dish. Usually, it's comprised of four to six lightly poached jumbo shrimp served in a cocktail glass with cocktail sauce — which is some mixture of ketchup, hot sauce, horseradish, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. You can even make a more simple three-ingredient version of cocktail sauce. 

But, as simple as it is to make, ordering a shrimp cocktail at a restaurant these days might leave you in more tears than even the best horseradish. At some more high-end spots, we're talking around $30 for this old school dish.

A scan across menus around the country starts to tell the story of how pricey a shrimp cocktail has become. One of the more famous versions of this dish – with a price tag of $19.99 — can be found at St. Elmo's Steak House in Indianapolis. That's fairly moderate when you compare some other shrimp cocktail appetizers around the country.

Empire Steakhouse in New York City offers one for $29.95. Staying in the Big Apple, you can get a five-piece shrimp cocktail for $25 at Lure Fishbar or go all out with 10 pieces of shrimp for $45. In Los Angeles, you'll pay $25 at The Arthur J restaurant in Manhattan Beach and $34 at BLVD steak. In Chicago, this appetizer will set you back $27 at RPM Seafood and $25.99 at Prime & Provisions.

Even some chain restaurants have gotten in on the inflated shrimp cocktail prices. Though not near as expensive as some of the more high-end restaurants, you can still expect to pay $15.99 for the Black Tiger Shrimp Cocktail at Red Lobster. The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.'s version cost $14.99, while the same dish costs $25 at The Capital Grille and $22 at Eddie V's. With prices like that, you might consider staying home and making Ina Garten's version of shrimp cocktail. But if you do choose to order one at a restaurant, you can expect to pay a pretty penny. Because, needless to say, it appears there's no turning back on the menu cost of a classic shrimp cocktail.