Buying seafood online is becoming more and more popular, especially as the popularity of online grocery delivery services increases. In fact, in many cases, it’s possible to get seafood that is fresher than what you would typically find in a grocery store. However, with so much competition out there when it comes to buying fish on the web, it can be hard to determine which retailers are truly providing quality goods online.
To make things easier for you, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best places online that will deliver frozen or fresh fish straight to your home using expedited shipping methods so they arrive as quickly as possible (if you’re not in a rush).
With many options available to choose from – ranging from specialty seafood shops to well-known grocery chains – it’s important to note that not all seafood purchased online will be able to taste as fresh as seafood that is brought home from the market.
The best way to ensure you are getting truly high-quality frozen or fresh fish is to take a look at the retailer’s reputation and see what others are saying about these businesses before making the decision of where to buy your next catch of the day.
Fulton Fish Market
Fulton Fish Market has a great reputation for everything seafood and is often ranked one of the best places to buy fresh fish, crab, lobster, and sushi-grade fish online. With more than 60 years in business as New York’s largest and most respected wholesale and retail seafood market, you know you’ll be getting a great product straight from the source.
Founded in 1922 by Max Brown, Fulton Fish Market started out as an open-air facility on Pier 17 until it was later moved indoors at its current location on South Street Seaport. Its first customer was none other than the esteemed Leopold Stokowski. Conductor of The New York Philharmonic Orchestra at the time – who wanted to purchase some gorgeous red snapper. Since that time, the market has grown to include over 50 merchants and now sells seafood from all over the world.
Salmon Sisters
Based in Western Alaska, Salmon Sisters is a family-owned business that works directly with local fishermen to ensure they always have the freshest catch possible. Offering fresh and frozen salmon, cod, halibut, shrimp, crabmeat, and more – orders are shipped via air from Anchorage to anywhere in the continental United States using dry ice for cold chain shipping and fishing fuel for packaging.
Freshness dates are provided on all products allowing you to determine how long you can enjoy your purchase. Orders are stored in their insulated cooler at -32 degrees Fahrenheit until they are placed inside of a box along with dry ice.
Salmon sisters are widely known for their top-quality salmon products and their customer service is truly second to none. They take great pride in ensuring that every order is high-quality and responsibly sourced – making them one of the best seafood retailers online today.
Related: 6 Best Salmon For Sushi
Taylor Shellfish Farms
Taylor Shellfish Farms is a large family-owned business based out of the Pacific Northwest and has been in operation for over 90 years. They specialize in offering a variety of shellfish products including oysters, mussels, clams, and geoduck – all of which are available to purchase online.
Taylor is one of the most trusted shellfish suppliers in America today and specializes in naturally farmed seafood that is grown using sustainable practices. All their products are certified by Food Alliance – a third-party sustainable agriculture certifier that ensures all fish is raised without antibiotics or added hormones.
Lobster Gram
Offering frozen lobster tails shipped straight from Maine – Lobster Gram has made it possible to enjoy deliciously fresh lobster tails year-round. Their products are flash-frozen to lock in the flavor and are shipped via expedited methods from Maine to make a quick delivery time.
With each order containing at least a pound of lobster meat, it’s easy to see why Lobster Gram is one of the best places to buy fresh seafood online. You can choose from different sized packages including 2, 4, 6, 8, and 16 pounds so you can feed your family or party guests no matter how big or small the gathering may be.
Simply Seafood
This father and son managed organization is the best place to purchase high-quality seafood online. In business since 1957 – they specialize in selling shellfish including fresh, smoked, and canned products. They also sell crab, scallops, squid, and other fish varieties as well.
They are one of the best places to buy fresh seafood online for those who live in Europe or visit there often because shipping is free when you spend over $75 (free over $150 for combos). You can order directly from their website or contact a sales representative to chat about how they can help meet your needs.
Wild Alaskan Company
Wild Alaskan Company offers a variety of seafood. You can choose from salmon, halibut, cod, scallops, and shrimp to get high-quality products shipped straight to your door. They are the best place to buy fresh seafood online because they source fresh fish directly from Alaskan waters. The company specializes in wholesome, high-quality seafood that’s flash-frozen and packed to maintain its flavor.
They are a great option if you’re interested in joining a monthly delivery club because as a member, you can choose between three different types of boxes: wild salmon, wild combo, and wild whitefish. Each box is filled with individually wrapped portions that are easy to prepare for meals or snacks at home or on the go. If your family loves getting together for dinner, choosing their family-sized box should be enough food for everyone.
They also guarantee 100 percent satisfaction on all orders – if you don’t like what you receive then they will refund your money. They offer two shipping options, frozen or chilled fish, depending on your preference as well as offer ground shipping in two days or overnight delivery for an additional charge.
Downeast Dayboat
They are wholesale online seafood suppliers. Specializing in Maine dayboat scallops, they offer nationwide delivery in the US, of fresh seafood. From delicious and sweet Maine lobster tails to all-natural salmon fillets, they deliver the freshest seafood straight to your front door.
Their product line includes sea scallops, clams, mussels, shrimp, squid, haddock, codfish, pollock, snapper bluefish, and even lobsters. But they’re mainly known for their dayboat scallops.
Related: 7 Health Benefits Of Eating Dry Shrimp You Didn’t Know About
Dayboat scallops are harvested in the hours immediately after they are caught. They’re then flash-frozen and packaged to preserve their flavor. They’re very low in saturated fat and cholesterol, with high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids and iron, making them a great choice for health-conscious seafood lovers who want good quality food at an affordable price.
Dayboat scallops have a mild, sweet flavor that simply melts in your mouth. If you’ve ever tried other scallops before, you know how rubbery they can be and how much chewing it takes to enjoy them. Dayboats deliver that same soft texture without costing too much more than regular scallops.
In fact, the only difference between dayboats and regular scallops is that they’re harvested in hours instead of days, which means they spoil faster than your ordinary supermarket variety. If your order isn’t fresh when you receive it then simply notify them immediately for a prompt refund or exchange.
As soon as your order hits their warehouse, they begin working with local fishermen to prepare your box of sea treasures just how you want it. They’ve been awarded the Angler’s Choice Award for three years straight, making them one of the best seafood suppliers online.
They have two varieties: seven-day orders and twenty-one-day orders – choose whichever suits your schedule and budget better depending on when you can use what you buy most.
Blue Crab Trading Company
This is a wholesale online seafood supplier located in Middle River, Maryland. They have been operating since 2000 and are known for the quality, freshness, and affordability of their seafood.
They guarantee that you will receive your order within 2 days or it’s free! Their prices are also very affordable – they source products from both domestic and foreign fisheries to drive down costs while maintaining the highest quality.
Their product line includes shrimp, salmon, catfish, tuna, tilapia, squid, oysters, crabmeat (both lump and backfin), scallops, codfish, and even lobsters. If you want to get hands-on with ordering your own seafood, you can even pick and choose what seafood you want. You can order in bulk, or they may be able to meet your needs for smaller orders as well.
They also sell homemade sauces, dips, salads, and spices that go with seafood – hot garlic sauce, curry powders, Cajun spice blends, and more.
Browne Trading Co.
Another great option for online seafood shopping is Browne Trading Co. which offers nationwide next-day delivery in the US.
It is a leading supplier of sashimi-grade fish, raw oysters, and clams, live lobster, crabmeat, smoked salmon and trout, caviar, smoked mussels and clams, fresh seafood (like haddock or cod), shellfish (scallops or mussels) but also gourmet gift baskets with lots of options to choose from as well as assorted products like Dungeness crabs & king crab legs online.
They ensure that you’ll get your seafood sent right to your door two times per week for express shipping – on Wednesdays and Saturdays. You can request a specific day if you’d like for Mondays & Fridays but your shipping prices will be adjusted accordingly.
With regards to sourcing, all their seafood is wild-caught with no antibiotics or added hormones.
For their smoked seafood, they use all natural ingredients (smoked salmon is prepared without nitrates) with the exception of liquid smoke and saltpeter. If you’d like gluten-free smoked trout, they have that too. They also offer a smoked lobster but I’m not sure if it’s gluten-free.
Honolulu Fish
Cravins for a good sushi roll? Honolulu Fish Company is a direct distributor of sashimi-grade fish, offering online shopping with nationwide shipping options in the US.
They recently upgraded their website and have come up with a very user-friendly platform offering detailed descriptions of the fresh seafood available for sale. All their seafood is sustainably caught, never frozen, and is shipped in dry ice.
The same company that serves all the top chefs in the country now has a website for online customers to enjoy the best fine-dine seafood at home.
Their website also features an ordering system loaded with easy-to-follow instructions on how to choose your seafood. Customers can order whatever they need for their next gourmet meal or special party and have it delivered directly to their home in as little as two days depending on where you live.
They’ve been in business since the mid-1990s and are known by everyone in the industry as a source for the finest seafood. The company is family run and they pride themselves on their customer service, professionalism, fast delivery, and quality of their products.
Neptune Seafoods
Neptune Seafoods are the kings of crab legs. It was started in 1977 and is very well-known for its live shellfish, Dungeness crabs, opilio (common) crab, and king crab legs, as well as fresh fish like cod filets or wild salmon.
They’re headquartered in Seattle and have a processing facility on the Eastside of Lake Washington to handle all their seafood processing operations. They also ship nationwide with no shipping charges in Washington State.
Their services include e-mail notification when your order ships so you know exactly when it’ll arrive at your door; UPS tracking number email notification so you can track your package, and even an option to take out insurance for $5 per lobster (in case it’s a little off and not up to quality).
Neptune Seafoods does all their packaging, processing, shipping, etc. in house. This allows them to provide quality control over each order from start to finish. They feel that by doing everything in-house the freshest seafood can be provided to customers nationwide with top-notch service.
They pride themselves on being able to handle any size order with multiple shipping options including; UPS Ground/Home Delivery, 2nd Day Air, Next Day Air, and International Shipping (to Canada and overseas). Their website provides an easy ordering process for customers with instant pricing as well as easy reordering options. Plus there are no minimum order quantity or shipping charges within Washington State. They also have a very good rating on Trust Pilot.