How Much A Lobster Dinner Cost In The 1970s

Inflation is a reality we have to face. When it comes to our favorite indulgent-night-out foods — fancy Italian fare, a nice steakhouse, and, of course, a delicious seafood dinner — sometimes it's difficult to look at prices from years ago versus what we're paying now. Nothing says "seafood dinner" like lobster, and just like everything else, lobster has been hammered by inflation since the 1970s.

We found the typical price of a lobster dinner cooked at home, at a chain restaurant (such as Red Lobster), and at a more high-end restaurant. We're paying a lot more across the board, but let's start with what a home-cooked lobster dinner cost. In the 1970s, cooking a fresh lobster dinner might have included baked potatoes and a salad. During this period, lobster sold at retail for about $2.35 per pound on average (most lobsters are at least a little over 1 pound). A pound of potatoes (more than enough for a nicely baked potato) only cost 13 cents, and a head of iceberg lettuce cost about 51 cents. Altogether, this basic lobster dinner would price out around $3. 

Adjusted for inflation to today, that's $18.64, but that's also without accompaniments such as butter, salad dressing, sour cream, and so on. Still today, a typical grocery store, such as Publix, sells wild-caught lobsters for about $23 per pound, a single potato costs $1.06, and a prepared container of a green leaf salad sells for $5.53. Altogether, that's $29.59 for a home-cooked lobster dinner, but again, without accompaniments.

When you think of a casual setting for a lobster dinner, Red Lobster has to be the first chain that comes to mind. A broiled rock lobster tail dinner (which came with hush puppies, cole slaw, and a choice of potato) sold for $6.99 in the 1970s, or $43.58 in today's prices. It was also the priciest entree on Red Lobster's menu during this time. A similar dinner today includes a 1.25-pound Maine lobster plus two sides for $34.99, which is obviously much pricier but is actually a good deal considering both the 1970s price adjusted for inflation and the cost of a homemade lobster dinner. Based on which day you visit Red Lobster, you might even find a better deal.

On the fine dining side, we looked at Chez Jay, one of the more iconic restaurants in Los Angeles. In the '70s, customers could order a whole broiled lobster tail for $8.50. This came with a choice of soup or salad, potatoes, and garlic toast. Adjusted for inflation, that's $53. Chez Jay currently offers a wild caught lobster tail on its menu, which includes a baked potato, rice pilaf, or La Jolla potatoes. The website lists market price; when we called the restaurant, they told us it currently costs $67 — nearly eight times the cost of lobster tail in the 1970s.

Times do change, and with them, prices. It would be nice to eat a lobster dinner with prices from the 1970s, but we move on. Maybe it's not a once-a-week type of splurge, but the good news is that you can still go to Red Lobster, or local restaurants, to enjoy a nice lobster meal.