The 10 best places to order seafood online

It’s August now, and I’ve only used my grill three times. As a pescatarian, I usually opt for a veggie burger and some corn, but last weekend while staying with my boyfriend’s parents we had a dinner of homemade pita and delicious smoked salmon, I've been thinking about it ever since. It was smoked for more than eight hours—the patio smelled incredible all afternoon—and it got me in the mood to order some seafood.

If you've been missing your usual seaside trips or have been avoiding grocery stores and fish markets due to the coronavirus pandemic, don't worry. You can still have fresh seafood shipped directly to your door—without that fishy smell. Below, you'll find the 10 best places to order seafood online. Plus, some even feature meal plans and kits, making weeknight dinners even easier.

1. Crowd Cow

Crowd Cow has some of the best selection of affordable (and delicious) meats and seafood that you can order online. It's a trusted name in food delivery, and its website makes ordering easy. As a pescatarian, their Sustainable Seafood section had me scribbling down new things to try. The site also features a graphic for how to cook fish, which I bookmarked for later since I’m always cooking by guesswork.

Crowd Cow has a wide range of options from Wild Alaskan Golden King Crab and Icelandic Arctic Char, all for great prices. And if sustainability is important to you, Crowd Cow does a fantastic job of explaining what sustainably-caught fish really means and looks like within their process.

Shop for seafood at Crowd Cow

2. Thrive Market

You may have heard of Thrive Market, especially with the newfound appeal of food delivery services in the age of a pandemic. But, did you know Thrive Market also has a meat and seafood section?

It offers a "Build Your Own Seafood Box" that you can fill with salmon, cod, shrimp, scallops, and more. The bundle offers savings on seafood, which is great for those who love fish, pescatarians, and people with a lot of freezer space. For salmon particularly, there's a "Wild-Caught Sockeye Salmon Box" that features 20 to 25 pieces of salmon. Though they don’t have the widest selection, if you’re already placing orders from Thrive Market, ordering your meat and seafood there is a great addition without using another subscription.

Shop for seafood at Thrive Market

3. Omaha Steaks

Omaha Steaks has over a century of butcher experience and a reputation as “America’s Original Butcher.” Its site is so expansive, which is almost a guarantee that they’ll have what you need for your backyard barbeque or fancy fish entree—including the wine to pair with. Omaha offers 5-star shrimp dishes, split lobster tail skewers, and over a dozen types of fillets, including tilapia, swordfish, and grouper. There's truly a meal for any palette.

It ships anywhere in the United States from its Nebraska headquarters, and there's currently a deal where you get free shipping and eight free burgers on an order over $159.

Shop for seafood at Omaha Steaks

4. FreshDirect

FreshDirect is a food delivery service that puts quality above convenience. It has a wide range of groceries selected from food partners and suppliers who are part of a short supply chain, meaning the food is fresher when it gets to you. Among its offerings is seafood like lobster, salmon, clams, shrimp, and more. You can also select between fillets, steaks, and whole fish. To make cooker dinner even easier, you can choose from “Prepped Fish” and “Prepped Shellfish,” and you can also look through the “Pairings for Seafood” section to easily find a wine to go with your entree.

Shop for seafood at FreshDirect

5. Rastelli’s

Rastelli’s is a family business that began over 40 years ago as a one-room butcher shop. Even though it ships worldwide, the company sticks to strong values: responsibility, partnership, trust, and quality, bringing you some of the best meats and seafood. It's pretty transparent too and lists the sources for beef, seafood, poultry, pork, and even plant-based items. The seafood category is easy to shop and is broken down by the most popular items: salmon, flounder, cod, tuna, etc.

Rastelli's seafood options come in bulk, ranging from 4-10 filets or steaks. You can order some pre-made meals like a salmon roast stuffed with spinach and feta cheese that would make for a great turkey-alternative for Thanksgiving.

Shop for seafood at Rastelli’s

6. Vital Choice

Vital Choice has a monthly subscription box that it calls “a tasty subscription to good health.” You can also order meal kits, like the Sockeye Salmon Poke Kit, for a quick and easy dinner option. You can opt to place an order that’ll ship the same time each month, or you can choose from numerous preselected boxes at different price points you can choose from. The Wild Salmon Box is $129; the Wild Fish Box is $169; and the Wild Seafood Box is $199. Plus, you'll find more unique items not available at other sites like wild salmon jerky and calamari.

Shop for seafood at Vital Choice

7. Fulton Fish Market

If you’re looking for a site entirely dedicated to seafood, Fulton Fish Market is it. It offers subscription boxes that you can customize with your favorite offerings like tuna, scallops, shrimp, and halibut—and those are just the bestsellers. The selection is organized by type of fish or shellfish, other seafood entrees (like caviar, octopus, and eel), and even seafood bundles.

The bundles are particularly worth noting because it offers a variety of favorites. There is a Summertime Grilling Gift, Grilling Bundle, and a Seafood Lovers Box that make throwing a (safe and socially distanced) cookout easy. The bundles are also an easy way to stock your freezer with family favorites like tuna or cod portions.

Shop for seafood at Fulton Fish Market

8. Giovanni’s Fish Market & Galley

Giovanni’s Fish Market offers fresh seafood delivered anywhere in the country. Based in Morro Bay, California, and it has been operating for more than 25 years. It has a wide selection of seafood that varies from crab tp oysters to smoked fish to sushi. The website also offers sauces, soups, and spices you can order along with your seafood to make cooking dinner a one-stop-shop (Did I mention they also have an extensive Recipes page too?).

Once you place your order, everything will be immediately shipped overnight. If you need more confirmation to order from Giovanni’s, it has been voted “Best Place to Buy Seafood” by the New Time “Best of SLO” for the last decade. You can also find some of its selection on Amazon, too.

Shop for seafood at Giovanni’s Fish Market

9. Sea to Table

Sea to Table delivers healthy, delicious, and sustainable seafood straight to your door. It has premium selections that are wild-caught in the United States. Products are frozen at their peak freshness so when your order arrives you have the perfect portion for a delicious meal. The kits are gorgeous (see above photo) and range from a Grill Master’s Kit to a Sweet & Succulent Seafood Set. Plus, the kits serve a lot of people—or you can make it for yourself all week.

Shop for seafood at Sea to Table

10. Maine Lobster Now

Maine Lobster Now is exactly what it sounds like: fresh Maine seafood delivered to your door. And of course, it offers more than just lobster. The current selection also includes sea scallops, shellfish, fresh fish, and even soups and chowders. Unlike other sites, Maine Lobster Now allows you to purchase by the portion, the pound, or the case, which is great for those of us who cook for one or share freezer space with roommates. It’s also great for large families and anyone hoping to stock up as we begin to head into cooler months. If you aren’t already sold, they also offer gourmet lobster mac and cheese. You’re welcome.

You can even find some of its selection at Amazon, as well.

Shop for seafood at Maine Lobster Now