Sea Fresh Express FAQ

Delivery Information

Seafood will be delivered next-day on all orders placed by 2 pm EST on Mon-Thurs.
All Friday orders will be shipped on Monday, as we do not currently offer weekend deliveries.
You do not need to be home for delivery.
You can track your delivery using the FedEx tracking code you receive with your order confirmation.
CAUTION: Orders will be packed with dry ice. Please take caution and do not touch dry ice.

Why the Shipping Charge?

FREE SHIPPING on 10 lb.+ orders | $15 Shipping Fee on orders between 5-9 lbs. | $25 Shipping Fee on orders under 5 lbs.

Our shipping charge is calculated to cover the cost of express next-day delivery on a nationwide scale. The reason shipping varies based on order weight is because the lower the weight of the delivery, the higher the cost of express shipping.
Express shipping ensures that our customers seafood is precisely temperature controlled in transit to maintain maximum freshness upon arrival.
We are proud to offer next-day delivery with no order minimum, and do everything we can to keep our shipping fees as fair and reasonable as possible for our valued customers. But ultimately, it is those shipping costs that make our delivery program possible.

Why do I want to buy my fish from North Coast Seafoods?

Since 1957, we have taken pride in sourcing, processing, and distributing the highest quality, sustainable fresh and frozen seafood for the finest restaurants, premium retailers, universities, and professional sports teams throughout New England and across the country.

We are a vertically integrated company. That means we control the process from the time the fish is harvested to when it is cut, portioned, packaged and delivered to your door. There is no middleman between North Coast and your seafood – we source directly from trusted boats and they understand the quality we demand.

Government inspection of seafood in the U.S. is voluntary. We volunteer to have the quality and freshness of all our seafood evaluated by an independent grading process. We operate two USDC Grade A compliant processing facilities in New Bedford and our HQ in the Boston Seaport District. Each facility undergoes inspections by the US Department of Commerce and the FDA.

What does "Flash Frozen" mean?

Traditional freezing is slow and happens over several hours, which causes large ice crystals to form that damage cell walls and can give frozen food a mushy texture.
State of the art Flash Freezing technology uses liquid nitrogen at temperatures as low as -160°F to freeze seafood instantaneously.
This preserves intrinsic freshness, texture, and flavor until the time it is thawed. We freeze all of our Naked Seafood at -160°F.
So when you taste that Naked Scallop that was frozen at sea within minutes of catch, you can be confident that what you are eating is the highest quality seafood, just minutes out of the sea.
This means that in many circumstances, North Coast flash frozen seafood is fresher than fresh!

What does "Certified Sustainable" mean & why does it matter to me?

We work closely with Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP), Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) to ensure that our seafood has been raised, caught, or harvested using methods that do not jeopardize long term ocean health and ensure continued availability of seafood for future generations.

Our sustainable seafood is closely monitored by each respective certification organization, contributing to overall product quality.

What does "Sushi Grade" mean?

Our Naked Norwegian Salmon and Naked Scallops are Sushi Grade, so you can feel free to eat it raw*.

*Please note, the FDA’s stance is that consuming undercooked meat, poultry, and seafood products may increase the risk of foodborne illness.

My order arrived partially or totally thawed, what do I do?

Your order is packed in plenty of dry ice to ensure it stays frozen during delivery. On the rare occasion that delivery is delayed because of weather or a FedEx mix-up, we do not recommend re-freezing seafood once it has begun to thaw. Any items that are no longer cold to the touch should not be eaten.

We want you to be 100% satisfied with your order. We will refund or replace any item that doesn’t arrive in perfect condition within 30 days of purchase. Please send us a message using the form on the Contact Us page or email us at Sales-dtc@northcoastseafoods.com with your order number and a description of your delivery.

How should I properly handle my seafood when it arrives?

All Seafood should be kept frozen until you are ready to defrost and prepare it. Once thawed, you should be cooking that same day or within 48 hours. Always keep the fish either refrigerated or frozen, and keep it separate from other foods you might be working with. Refrigerate leftovers immediately after your meal.

How should I defrost my frozen fish?

We recommend defrosting your fish under refrigeration. Most of our seafood will thaw completely within 12-24 hours. For quick thawing, place in a colander under cold running water for 3-5 minutes or until thawed.

Once your fish is thawed, drain any excess liquid, pat it dry with a paper towel, and cook right away.

How do I know my fish is done cooking?

Here’s a trick from our Chef: “All you need is a small wooden skewer. Simply push the flat end through the middle of the fish – it should go through to the bottom easily with no resistance. If there is resistance, this means it is still slightly raw on the inside, and you need to cook it a couple of minutes longer. No resistance means you are good to go!

And remember – your fish will keep cooking for a couple of minutes after you remove it from cooking, referred to as “carry over cooking”. Be mindful of this to get your seafood to exactly the right doneness you desire.

Check out our video on this, right here.

How do you package to ensure fish stays frozen during shipping?

Your order is packed in plenty of dry ice in insulated packaging to ensure it stays frozen during delivery.

How can I look at my previous orders?

Visit the My Account page. Click on "Orders" to view previous orders.

Can you recommend me a good recipe?

Sure thing! We consistently post Seafood recipes from our in-house chef. Check out our Recipes Page to browse all our seafood dishes.

Here are some of our favorites:

Want to learn more about your fish?

All of our Seafood is traceable back to the fishermen that caught or harvested it. Check out our "Story of the Seafood" videos: