Humanity has always had a close relationship with water. Although human beings are not actually an aquatic species, we have always innovated ways to make the open ocean and lakes useful. This certainly includes food, as many species of fish, crab, and more are regularly fished and caught every year. This, and whaling and hunting dolphins or even walruses, has been done around the world since long before the written word. Today, seafood restaurants can be found all around the world, and in the United States in particular, many of them may be found on both the east and west coasts. Along the expansive shores of California, an interested diner may find a family owned seafood restaurant and market, and on the east coast, such as along Florida or the eastern seaboard, a person may search “seafood restaurants near me” to find the best crawfish restaurant or all you can eat crab legs. The southern state of Louisiana is known for its seafood as well, and a fair amount of southern cuisine is rooted in aquatic species. Searching “seafood restaurants near me” along with the name of your town or city, or ZIP code, may yield all sorts of results. Guests in a coastal area or city may also like to search “seafood restaurants near me” to find something new.
American Consumption of Seafood
It could be argued that land-based meats are dominant in American cuisine, especially chicken (the #1 protein in the U.S.), along with cow and pig meat. But the United States has endless shore lines, and all sorts of seafood is caught and eaten every year. Fish and crab are not staples of American dinners like steak or chicken might be, but surveys and statistics show that Americans love seafood all the same.
What do the numbers show? Around the world, for a larger context, consumption of seafood as doubled in the last 50 years, and that certainly includes American diners, too. In the 21st century, it is estimated that the average American eats some 15.5 pounds of fish and shellfish per year, and they may consume 0.52 pounds of crab meat as well. The trends for Americans eating at seafood restaurants fit into the larger trends of eating out, too. Studies show that 20% of the American population visit a full-service restaurant once per week, and some 11% of Americans go out to eat with their friends at least on a weekly basis. Today, this is part of the much larger American food and drink industry, valued at an impressive $7.99 billion today.
Plenty of Americans are going to seafood restaurants along the Florida, New England, or Louisiana coasts, but seafood is also plentiful at today’s supermarkets and grocery stores. In a typical grocery store, a shopper may visit the meat and deli section and find plenty of seafood, and some display stands in fact specialize in seafood only. There, a shopper may find a variety of fish, crab legs, and more for sale, often sold by the pound. Some seafood meat is in packaging, while other meat is on display and can be cut and packaged according to the shopper’s specifications. Americans love to buy fish in particular, and fish may be baked or fried at home with seasoning ranging from lemon juice to black pepper and more, perhaps served with rice.
Meanwhile, someone from the Midwest or the Southwest, for example, may visit coastal areas such as along California’s sunny beaches or the historical New England area and try local seafood there. In New England, such as Massachusetts, seafood is dominant, and fish and crabs have been harvested there for centuries. Someone visiting this area may find the finest seafood eateries with a PC or mobile phone search, such as “best seafood restaurants near me” and even specify the sort of seafood they like or the star-rating of a restaurant. Some diners may even have the budget or interest in a three, four, or five-star restaurant for seafood. Other diners aren’t necessarily being cheated out of good seafood, though, and many seafood diners can be found to fit nearly any price range or taste in seafood.