Does Red Lobster Boil Lobsters Alive Before Serving? Here's The Truth

Red Lobster has established a legacy with its legendary Cheddar Bay biscuits and menu of fresh seafood fare. However, the way this restaurant chain maintains the freshness of its food is the subject of some of Red Lobster's best-kept secrets, and naturally raises a few questions. One concern customers have is with the killing and preparation of lobsters, wondering whether Red Lobster boils them alive before serving them to customers. This practice can be seen as unethical, and in some parts of the world, restaurants have outlawed it in their commercial kitchens.

Red Lobster maintains that its chefs are trained to humanely end the lobster's life before placing it in the boiler. While dropping live crustaceans into the boiler was common in the past, marine science suggests that these creatures may experience pain, and many restaurants have updated their boiling protocols in response. However, the time frame of this stage is crucial in serving the highest quality of seafood possible, as lobster tends to spoil very quickly.

To clarify, Red Lobster hasn't elaborated on the exact technique its chefs use to break down lobsters — the restaurant only mention that it's done humanely on its FAQ page. In culinary school, many chefs are taught the quick and easy knife method, which involves inserting the blade tip into the shell base behind the lobster's head and splitting it down the middle. It's an instant, clean cut through the nervous system, and it's likely how Red Lobster prepares its lobsters for cooking.

The methods in which chefs prepare live lobster can vary, and they're the topic of some conversation and debate. This mainly relates to how humane cooking a lobster is and its ability to process pain. Regarding this, some science has shown that while lobsters have a central nervous system, which would allow them to feel pain, it's primitive and closer to that of a bug. However, other evidence indicates that lobsters can, in fact, process pain. Although they possess a different brain structure from vertebrates, lobsters have enough sentience to perceive pain, similar to fish. As this is an ongoing debate, chefs and restaurants such as Red Lobster have opted for less controversial alternatives than boiling lobsters alive.

Among the more humane options at a chef's disposal, some chefs choose to put their lobsters in a freezer before dispatching them via knife, as temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit tend to sedate — and potentially even dispatch — lobsters. Ultimately, the jury's still out on whether lobsters feel pain (as we understand it in mammals), and what exactly Red Lobster means when chefs "humanely end" their lives. In any case, fans can add this to the topics of lively discussion alongside how they can hack those infamous Cheddar Bay Biscuits and their favorite over-the-top Red Lobster promotions.