Does cooking lobster out of the shell adversely affect taste?
 

Many restaurants cook lobster out of the shell--making it easier to eat. I recently ate in two restaurants that did this; I found the lobster did not taste too great. Have other FTer's had this problem?

Did they cook it out of the shell, or just SERVE it out of the shell? It's almost impossible to get lobster meat out of the shell without at least some par-cooking. If it's served out of the shell, it may have been a pre-cooked and frozen product, which may account for the loss of flavor. A fresh cooked lobster should taste good in or out of the shell.

The term for this is Lazy Lobster. It is cooked normally then removed from the shell for plating.

I have eaten loads of lobster that was served sans shell. But I include every loibster roll I've ever been served. The only non-lobster roll I've had served that way was sauteed chunks of tail and claw meat served within view of the rocky coast of Maine. It was delicious.

Where was your lobster prepared/served? Im leaning towards precooked and frozen. I've never tried to de-shell an uncooked lobster, but it sounds like a pain in the rump. I've done it with shrimp and it's soooo much easier after they've been boiled.

The two restaurants I referred to, in post #1, were in Las Vegas. The final (ready for eating) lobster was in the shell, but slid out with NO effort. The claw "meat" was separate (no shell).
I'm re-reading my title and #1 post...I'm not sure 100% sure how it was cooked--but I can attest to the final product.

I have not cooked lobster out of the shell, however with the multitude of shrimp dishes I've prepared, the shrimp always have far more flavor when cooked in the shell. I only purchase shrimp w/shell on.