17 Seafood Menu Items To Think Twice About Before Ordering

Seafood menus can be a treasure trove of delicious delights, but not every dish is as fresh or sustainable as it seems.

Some options come with hidden surprises, from questionable sourcing to unexpected flavors that might leave you second-guessing your choice.

Before you dive fork-first into your next ocean feast, it’s smart to know which menu items deserve a little caution. Sometimes, the catch of the day isn’t quite what you hoped for.

1. Shark Steaks: Predators Becoming Prey

Chomping down on shark might seem adventurous, but these apex predators are in serious trouble worldwide.

Overfishing has decimated populations, with some species declining by over 70% in recent decades.

Sharks grow slowly, mature late, and produce few young, making them especially vulnerable to extinction. Plus, they often contain high levels of mercury due to their position at the top of the food chain.

2. Eel: Slippery Sustainability Issues

Those delicious unagi rolls at your favorite sushi spot hide a troubling secret. European and American eel populations have plummeted by over 90% since the 1970s, landing them on endangered species lists.

Wild eels can’t be bred in captivity—farmers must catch baby eels from the wild, further depleting natural populations.

Their complex life cycle makes conservation particularly challenging, as they migrate between freshwater and the mysterious Sargasso Sea.

3. Sashimi Roulette: Raw Risks

Raw fish requires impeccable handling from boat to plate. Even high-end restaurants sometimes fall short on proper freezing techniques required to destroy parasites like anisakis worms.

Pregnant women, children, elderly folks, and anyone with compromised immunity face elevated risks from foodborne illness when consuming raw fish.

The FDA actually recommends freezing all fish intended for raw consumption at specific temperatures to ensure safety.

4. Raw Oysters: Slurping Danger

Nothing says luxury quite like freshly shucked oysters—until you meet Vibrio bacteria. These naturally occurring microbes thrive in warm coastal waters and can cause serious illness, especially during summer months.

People with liver disease, diabetes, or weakened immune systems face particularly high risks.

The CDC estimates 80,000 people get vibriosis annually, with about 100 d**ths. That romantic aphrodisiac might just lead to a decidedly unromantic hospital visit!

5. Fried Calamari: Tentacles of Deception

That crispy calamari basket might not be what you think. Restaurants frequently substitute cheaper alternatives like pig rectum (yes, really) or Asian squid species for traditional calamari.

Seafood fraud studies have found up to 20% of squid dishes are mislabeled.

Even when it’s genuine, calamari is often heavily processed, frozen for months, and then deep-fried in questionable oils repeatedly used throughout the day.

6. Swordfish: Mercury Rising

Majestic swordfish steaks come with a hidden cost: mercury levels among the highest of any commercial seafood. These oceanic predators accumulate toxins over their long lifespans.

The FDA specifically advises pregnant women and children to avoid swordfish entirely. A single serving can exceed weekly mercury limits!

Beyond health concerns, many swordfish populations face intense fishing pressure from longline fishing, which also ruins the lives of thousands of sea turtles and sharks as bycatch.

7. Tilapia: The Aquatic Chicken

Marketed as budget-friendly and mild-tasting, farmed tilapia often comes from questionable operations in China and Southeast Asia. These fish are frequently raised in crowded ponds filled with antibiotics and pesticides.

Nutritionally, they’re surprisingly poor compared to other fish—containing few omega-3s but high levels of omega-6 fatty acids.

Some farming practices even feed tilapia chicken waste and pig feces! The environmental impact includes pollution, escaped fish disrupting native ecosystems, and habitat destruction.

8. Bluefin Tuna: Endangered Delicacy

Prized for sushi and commanding astronomical prices (one fish sold for $3.1 million in 2019!), bluefin tuna populations have crashed by over 97% in some regions.

These magnificent creatures can weigh 1,500 pounds and live 40 years. Despite international protection efforts, illegal fishing continues.

Each bite contributes to the possible extinction of one of the ocean’s most remarkable animals. Some restaurants now refuse to serve bluefin entirely, recognizing the ethical implications.

9. Red Snapper: Identity Crisis

Ordered red snapper lately? Chances are about 87% that you got something else entirely. Studies consistently find this fish among the most frequently mislabeled seafood in restaurants and markets.

Cheaper substitutes like tilapia, rockfish, or even completely unrelated species often masquerade as premium snapper.

The real deal faces serious overfishing in the Gulf of Mexico. Even if you’re getting authentic red snapper, it might come from illegal fishing operations that disregard quotas.

10. Ceviche: Raw Deal

Contrary to popular belief, lime juice doesn’t actually “cook” fish in ceviche—it merely denatures proteins. This means parasites and bacteria may still survive the citrus bath.

Quality restaurants freeze fish first to destroy parasites, but many establishments skip this crucial safety step.

Travelers frequently report intestinal distress after consuming roadside or beachfront ceviche in tropical destinations. Without proper refrigeration and handling, this refreshing dish quickly becomes a petri dish.

11. Shark Fin Soup: Cruel Cuisine

Behind this status symbol lurks a gruesome practice: sharks caught solely for their fins, then thrown back alive to suffer slow d**ths. Up to 73 million sharks annually meet this fate.

The fins themselves contain no flavor—they merely provide texture—and testing reveals dangerous levels of mercury and neurotoxins.

Many countries have banned shark finning, but loopholes and black markets persist. Several high-profile restaurants and hotel chains have removed this controversial dish from their menus.

12. Fugu (Pufferfish): Deadly Delicacy

One chef’s slip can be your last meal! Fugu contains tetrodotoxin—a poison 1,200 times deadlier than cyanide with no known antidote. Japanese chefs train for years and need special licenses to prepare it.

Every year, several people pass away from improperly prepared fugu, usually from amateur preparation. The toxin causes paralysis while leaving victims fully conscious, eventually stopping breathing.

Even properly prepared, some diners report tingling sensations from trace amounts—part of the thrill for adventurous eaters.

13. Live Octopus (San-nakji): Tentacle Tussle

Korean san-nakji involves eating still-wriggling octopus pieces. Beyond the ethical questions of consuming a highly intelligent creature while it’s still moving, there’s a genuine choking hazard.

The suction cups remain active and can stick to your throat—several d**ths occur annually from this dish.

Octopuses display problem-solving abilities, use tools, recognize individual humans, and show playful behaviors. Many scientists now advocate for stronger protections for these remarkable animals.

14. Dancing Shrimp: Still Kicking

This Thai specialty features live shrimp doused in lime juice, causing them to “dance” as they’re eaten. The creatures desperately jump and twitch in pain from the acidic bath.

Beyond obvious ethical concerns, raw shrimp carry bacteria and parasites that can cause serious illness.

Health authorities consistently warn against consuming any uncooked shrimp. The dish represents a perfect storm of food safety risks and questionable treatment of living creatures.

15. Farmed Salmon: Pink Deception

That vibrant pink color? Often artificial dyes added to their feed—wild salmon get their color naturally from eating krill. Farmed salmon live in crowded pens where parasites and diseases spread rapidly.

These operations frequently use antibiotics and pesticides that harm surrounding ecosystems. Studies show farmed salmon contain higher levels of PCBs and other contaminants than wild-caught.

The industry has improved, but many operations still cause significant environmental damage through waste, escaped fish, and resource-intensive feed production.

16. Mussels: Microplastic Magnets

Filter feeders like mussels efficiently concentrate microplastics from surrounding waters. Recent studies found the average mussel contains about 90 microplastic particles—essentially tiny pollution sponges.

While generally considered sustainable, mussels harvested from polluted waters can accumulate toxins, heavy metals, and harmful bacteria.

Red tide events produce saxitoxin, which causes paralytic shellfish poisoning. Always check local advisories before collecting wild mussels, as they can become dangerous with no visible signs.

17. Clam Chowder: Cream of Concerns

Restaurant clam chowder often contains more potato, thickener, and artificial flavoring than actual clams. Many establishments use canned clams that may come from questionable sources with minimal traceability.

The creamy base creates perfect conditions for bacterial growth if temperature controls slip. Chain restaurants frequently pre-make large batches that sit for hours.

A truly fresh, properly-made clam chowder is delightful—but that’s rarely what you’re getting when ordering this comfort food classic.