This American classic consists of lobster tail chunks, clarified butter, cream, egg yolks, Madeira wine, and cayenne pepper. It was invented in 1876 by Charles Ranhofer, a chef at Delmonico's in New York City, although some claim that the dish was invented by Ben Wenberg, Ranhofer's friend, but there is still not any actual proof for those claims.

The dish was quite popular in the 1880s, when it was the favorite lobster specialty on Coney Island. Today, lobster Newburg is traditionally served warm on a plate, while the creamy, flavorful sauce is poured on top.