Food and Recipes Side Dishes The Best Side Dishes to Serve with Lobster—Just Don't Forget the Butter By Marissa Wu Marissa Wu Marissa Wu is an Editorial Fellow and Southern transplant by way of San Francisco, Boston, and Paris, France. She writes about anything and everything as it pertains to the South, but mostly home, food, and the occasional garden stories. Recipe reviews are a particular pleasure, as well as discovering the latest home trends.When not editing and producing articles or updating the homepage, she's trying new Southern Living recipes, jolting along in her manual transmission car, Fitz; hammering out a manuscript on her 1930s Royal Aristocrat typewriter, Georgie; and making film photographs with her Rolleiflex, Cecil.Marissa graduated from Boston University with a degree in journalism and a minor in French Studies. She still can't follow a football conversation but hopes her cheese straws make up for it. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on October 21, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Caitlin Bensel When lobster season rolls around, there's really only one thing to do: host a boil. While many down South will choose crawfish, we're here to pay homage to the lobster. Lobster often isn't an everyday main, so it can be a challenge to decide what to serve alongside this special meal. While we love a succulent, juicy lobster tail (dripping in butter, please), the meal is not quite complete without the right side. So, if you're looking for sides to go with lobster, you're not in want of options. Our side dishes to serve with lobster are so good, we'd wager they might outshine the crustacean himself. From Foil-Pack Clams with White Wine and Herbs to the humble (but beloved) macaroni and cheese, potato salad, and corn on the cob, these are the best side dishes for lobster—tail and all. Just please, please don't forget the butter. Extra points if it's herbed. 01 of 18 Red Potato Salad Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Red Potato Salad Classic potato salad gets a makeover with this red potato rendition with plenty of herbs. 02 of 18 Oven-Roasted Corn on the Cob Caitlin Bensel Recipe: Oven-Roasted Corn on the Cob This is the ultimate (and maybe best) lobster side dish. Do not, we repeat, do not skimp on the herb butter. 03 of 18 Penne with Green Beans and Tomatoes Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Penne with Green Beans and Tomatoes A light pasta salad is a great side dish for lobster tail. This one packs in colorful tomatoes, green beans, and fresh dill. 04 of 18 Creamy Broccoli Slaw Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Creamy Broccoli Slaw Give the traditional coleslaw a fresh spin with the addition of broccoli. The extra crunch will provide a nice contrast to the juicy lobster tails. 05 of 18 Clam Chowder Fritters Southern Living Recipe: Clam Chowder Fritters The classic soup gets the Southern treatment as fritter. Serve alongside a fresh lobster tail with a little butter. 06 of 18 Kale-and-Chicken Salad with Jalapeño-Lime Dressing Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Kale-and-Chicken Salad with Jalapeño-Lime Dressing Swap the chicken for chunks of lobster meat and you've got yourself a delicious salad. Serve as a side dish or main. 07 of 18 Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Food Styling: Angella Sellers and Vanessa McNiel Rocchio; Prop Styling: Melanie J. Clarke and Sissy Lamerton Recipe: Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe Let's face it: Macaroni and cheese goes with everything, so why not serve it as a lobster side? This recipe is only three steps and you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry. 08 of 18 Lemon Vinaigrette Pasta Salad with Field Peas Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Lemon Vinaigrette Pasta Salad with Field Peas This bright pasta salad will add a little zing to your lobster dinner. Serve chilled as a refreshing side dish. 09 of 18 Grilled Clambake Foil Packets with Herb Butter Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Anna Hampton Recipe: Grilled Clambake Foil Packets with Herb Butter Clams need little introduction, so all we'll say is you need this Herb Butter on top—make a little extra for your lobster, too. 10 of 18 Broccoli, Grape, and Pasta Salad Jennifer Davick Recipe: Broccoli, Grape, and Pasta Salad A little crunchy, a little sweet, and definitely creamy, this pasta salad gives you fruits and veggies in one dish. 11 of 18 Southern-Style Potato Salad Southern Living Recipe: Southern-Style Potato Salad This Southern staple is also an excellent lobster side dish. Potatoes, celery, onions, and bacon get the creamy treatment thanks to the mayo and sour cream. Add eggs at your discretion. 12 of 18 Permanent Slaw Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Toni Brogan Recipe: Permanent Slaw A cross between coleslaw and chowchow, this slaw is a refreshing lobster side dish that everyone can pile on their plates. 13 of 18 Slow-Cooker Corn Chowder Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Slow-Cooker Corn Chowder Clam chowder might be a choice lobster side dish, but in our opinion, you can't go wrong with a corn chowder, either. 14 of 18 Potato Salad with Dijon and Scallions Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Potato Salad with Dijon and Scallions Looking for a fun side dish for lobster tail? Try this multi-colored potato salad flavored with plenty of Dijon whole-grain mustard, red onions, and a squeeze of lemon juice. 15 of 18 Crunchy Okra-and-Corn Salad with Ranch Dressing Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Crunchy Okra-and-Corn Salad with Ranch Dressing Lighten up that lobster dinner with a side salad. Crunchy okra and sweet corn provide a nice contrast to the seafood. 16 of 18 Cheddar Biscuits Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Cheddar Biscuits It doesn't get much more irresistible than this ultimate cheese and bread combination. 17 of 18 Caesar Salad with Garlicky Croutons Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Caesar Salad with Garlicky Croutons A boring Caesar salad will not do. Try this simple recipe as the side dish for your lobster dinner and watch it impress the whole table. 18 of 18 Spicy Pepper Jelly Coleslaw Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Spicy Pepper Jelly Coleslaw Have a cookout without coleslaw *might* be illegal. Be sure to have this pepper jelly version on hand to add a little heat. 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