4th of July inflation shocks shoppers as popular picnic food soars past $120 a pound

Two years ago, a Long Island deli shocked the country by selling a $120-per-pound lobster salad — and the price has only gone up since.The upscale Red Horse Market, located in the ultra-wealthy enclave of East Hampton, New York, is now charging even more for the luxury item.In 2024, a photo of the deli case showed a heaping tray of lobster salad nestled among other prepared foods — and the jaw-dropping $120-per-pound price tag.Today, that same lobster salad is listed at $129.99 per pound, photos reveal.This marks an increase of nearly 8% from the price that sparked national headlines.Lobster rolls, a summer favorite on the East Coast, are rarely cheap and often sell for $25 to $40 or more, depending on the location.At Red Horse Market’s current price, enough lobster salad to fill a generously stuffed roll — about 4 to 6 ounces — would cost about $32 to $49 before the bun and other fixings.In 2024, store manager Christian Pineda told the New York Post he had received complaints from only “some of our customers” over the price.“It’s because of the quality we’ve got to charge these prices,” Pineda said at the time.“For our customers, they’re primarily focused on quality.

The local quality is what they want, especially with our meats and seafoods.”At the time, Reddit users were quick to mock the eye-popping price tag.“For that price, they need to make it for you fresh!” one person said.“I’m gonna pay $120 a pound for something that’s sitting out like that??”“They need to go out and catch a fresh lobster for that price,” another Redditor chimed in.A third user wrote, “I wouldn’t pay $120/lb for lobster meat alone … no way am I paying $120 for the added mayo and whatever else gets tossed in.”Others were unsurprised by the price tag, especially for the area.“I don’t keep up on the price of lobster, but generally the Red Horse Market is one of the more reasonably priced places for lunch,” one Long Islander ...