The 20 Best Oyster Bars In The US

Among the many foods that we consume regularly, oysters have one of the most unique and interesting histories. They're mostly regarded as a delicacy these days, but once upon a time, oysters were a working-class food. Prior to colonization, indigenous Americans had complex and long-standing oyster farming traditions, and after the Civil War, oyster shucking provided economic opportunity for African Americans. 

Eventually, demand outstripped our care of oyster reefs. Declining availability increased scarcity, catapulting oysters from everyday eat into something associated with the richest among us. Today, they're somewhere in between. Dishes like oysters Kilpatrick beckon newcomers to the world of these delicious bivalves, while raw oysters ignite the passions of our most introspective food minds. Love them or hate them, oysters are a mainstay across America.

With such a storied place in our culture, you might expect oyster bars to be far more common than they are. While not exactly a dying breed of restaurant, they aren't the most common type of establishment either. Fortunately, oyster populations in numerous regions, such as the Chesapeake Bar, are on an upward trajectory after decades of decline. As populations continue to recover, there's never been a better time to support the best oyster bars across the U.S. We relied on first-hand experience and reviews and considered the quality and variety of produce to find the best oyster bars in the country.

Oyster eating in the U.S. is a highly regional affair, with the northeast, mid-Atlantic, Pacific Northwest, and Gulf South each vying for acknowledgement as the best place to farm and eat oysters. In the high north, Portland, Maine, hosts some of the most exciting opportunities to slurp up bivalves. Eventide Oyster Co. shop is a cozy and well-lit spot, with a carved granite ice display topping the wood-lined oyster bar, exposing the day's fresh options to guests

The menu includes a wide range of local Maine oysters, from the historic Pemaquid oysters to year-round Winter Point Selects. There are a few oysters from abroad as well, like Prince Edward Island's Irish Points.  

eventideoysterco.com

86 Middle St, Portland, ME 04101

(207) 774-8538

Another Portland staple, the market atmosphere at SoPo Seafood harkens to the days of old, when oysters weren't so high brow. The interior of the market is light, spacious, and open, with grey wood and tile walls and a long, honey-colored bar for you to take your oysters at. They're pulled right from a glass seafood case that runs alongside it, as fresh as they come.

SoPo serves strictly Maine oysters, at a great price of $2.75 a shell. Keep your eye for seasonal options like petite and delicate Wet Smacks, which are some of the best-in-class. 

soposeafood.com

171 Ocean St, South Portland, ME 04106

(877) 282-7676

History is what makes the Grand Central Oyster Bar one of the best in the country, by and large. It's a century old. It has lived through the boom of our collective oyster pillaging, and the bust of our long distance train travel. It was revived by the MTA, has had a fire, and is employee-owned. Through it all, it has stood as an architectural darling.

Fulton Street Fish Market supplies Grand Central, so seafood rotates. Minus the local Blue Points, each half-shell on the current menu costs $3.50 and upwards, with a fair selection of PEI and New Englander farms repped.

oysterbarny.com

Grand Central Terminal, 89 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017

(212) 490-6650

Over in Chelsea Market, the cleverly named Cull & Pistol is a stewardship-focused oyster bar that feels classic. White subway tile backs a black and white letter board overlooking piles of ice, atop of which sit a fair selection of New York oysters. Briny bites from Block Island Sound, mineral Widow's Hole, and even oysters from Baja California make the list. However, you should expect rotations based on availability. 

Don't miss happy hour, when oysters are sold half-off from 4-6pm, Monday through Friday. Unspecified drinks specials will accompany.

cullandpistol.com

Chelsea Market, 75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011

(646) 568-1223

In Boston, the shuckers at Neptune Oyster Bar either have to feel like they have the best view in the house, or like they're also fish on display. The seafood display points out toward the street enticing a look from passing potential diners. And it's effective — anticipate having to wait. 

The interior is intimate and relaxed, refined with seafood towers. Neptune is serious about oysters and sometimes takes a wider lens, once introducing Dutch rock oysters to Boston. Of course, semi-locals from Cuttyhunk and Katama Bay also get some love.

neptuneoyster.com

63 Salem St # 1, Boston, MA 02113

(617) 742-3474

Not to be too Bourdain about it, but I have also had some experiences with oysters that have awakened something in me, and it happened when I was 19, at Walrus and the Carpenter. For that reason, it stays on lock as one of the best oyster bars in the U.S. It does everything right in terms of quality, care, and the respect that James Beard winning chef Renee Erickson shows towards seafood. 

Walrus and the Carpenter is a showcase of Washington oysters from all along the coast in a genuine pub atmosphere. The wine list is just as well cultivated and expertly paired to accentuate your meal, but a grapefruit-mint soda also hits.

thewalrusbar.com

4743 Ballard Ave NW #300, Seattle, WA 98107

(206) 395-9227

At this point in the lore of bivalve-lovers, the unchanging Swan Oyster Depot of San Francisco is a destination. Should you make a pilgrimage here, you'll sit on one of the same 18 stools that have been installed since 1912. Many faces have peered across that marble in wait for a slick and clean nosh.

If you want a slurp of history, can stand the line, and eventually score a spot, the reward is meticulously selected oysters. They come from places like Steamboat Slough in Washington, where they grow em' chubby, right down to Baja, where the Kumiai are sweet. 

instagram.com/swan.oyster.official

1517 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109

(415) 673-1101

Chic white and blue tile (plus a back to the entrance), makes the oyster bar of The Ordinary feel a world away, separated from the cavernous atmosphere of the seafood hall that expands behind the doors of a historic bank building.  

The raw bar keys in on coastal Carolina oysters. At $4 each, these often ring more to the tune of a luxury experience, (read: sampling) than the kind of eating where you're putting down multiple trays at once. However you have them, though, something from the rhum menu will go along great.   

eattheordinary.com

544 King St, Charleston, SC 29403

(843) 414-7060

If you're interested in an oyster bar where you can easily delete dozens at a time, the Oyster Club of Mystic, Connecticut has a ripping happy hour where half-shells go for a buck-50, and they barely have to travel, bringing in oyster from across Connecticut and Rhode Island. It's safe to say that the oyster bar, helmed by double James Beard-nom'd Renee Touponce, has had the formula figured out since 2011.

Inexpensive and succulent oysters on-the-half are enough of a draw on their own, but the menu offers more: oysters Rockefeller, or roasted oysters with tomato ghee, bacon, and chive are drool-worthy. Still, when the weather's nice, nothing better than a cleansing mignonette and a gentle breeze.

oysterclubct.com

13 Water St, Mystic, CT 06355

(860) 415-9266

The glowing neon sign above Pascal's Manale is a portal. Pass beside it, and you're spit into a different time and place when things had a little more character, and randomness, and there were fewer standardized and sterilized places to eat at. 

There are no expensive piles of ice on display. The marble-topped oyster bar is standing-room only. But, it's an experience you don't want to miss if you're in New Orleans. Pascale's slings Gulf oysters with pride. You'll find yourself singing their praises just as well.

pascalsmanale.com

1838 Napoleon Ave, New Orleans, LA 70115

(504) 895-4877

Between its centurion, mid-century, and early aught candidates, there are enough styles and types of oyster bars in New Orleans to make your head feel like it's being shucked open from all the choices. We'll make it a little bit easier for you by saying that Donald Link's Pêche is one of the spots to visit. A commitment to the best of Gulf seafood has kept the restaurant relevant for two-plus decades.

Oysters options from Pêche come from all around the region, including those from Grand Isle, Louisiana, high salinity oysters from Admiral, Alabama, and buttery, cupped Little Honies, from Florida. Funny enough, there is a shocking lack of chargrilled oyster, a NOLA staple, for a restaurant that prioritizes live fire cooking.

pecherestaurant.com

800 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130

(504) 522-1744

The tiny state of Rhode Island is an absolute powerhouse of an oyster producer with a lot of community investment in the practice. Because of this, the state is one of the most enjoyable to get your mouth around some fresh bivalves. Consider Matunuk Oyster Bar. The core business is actually the oyster farm, where an eponymous oyster variety is raised and sold.

Matunuck oysters are tender, cupped, and tiny. Because the bar is a front for the farm, the cost is also right about where you'd like it to be to really put in work. At the time of writing, a dozen brings each shell down to $2.50, while a la carte oysters are only $2.75 per half.

rhodyoysters.com

629 Succotash Rd, Wakefield, RI 02879

(401) 783-4202

Found Oyster is a West Coast oyster bar inspired by those in the northeast, but it holds it down in a city that isn't especially known for being a bivalve capital. Thin black fans spin beneath a vaulted ceiling. The high back bar behind the seafood counter feels like it was cut out of a seaside cottage. There's just 26 seats overtop the tile floor, and each one gives you a good view of the shucking happening beyond, despite there being no display counter on the wooden bar.

The daily raw oyster selection is a rotating affair, often from the Cape Cod family farm of general manager Joe Laraja. Unsurprisingly, the kitchen at Found Oyster sells a mean fried oyster bite as well, while several platter options give you a taste of more of what the shop has to offer.

foundoyster.com

4880 Fountain Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90029

(213) 377-2726

Atop a marble counter, ensconced in brick walls, the ice display at Pearl Dive Oyster Palace is one of my favorite things to see when I'm craving the sweet oceanic taste of high-quality oysters and don't want to spend a mint. Plop down on the old-school stools for happy hour, and a chef's choice of one dozen oysters will cost you just $2 per shell. Raw bar options stay shifting but generally encompass northeast choices.

As a New Orleans-coded shop, Pearl Dive also puts emphasis on cooked oysters, from blue crab-topped oyster Tchoupitoulas to angels on horseback. A garlic and red chili butter dresses up otherwise simple plate of wood grilled oysters, a welcome entryway to the hot plates.  

pearldivedc.com

1612 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009

(202) 319-1612

In a past life, Little's Oyster Bar in Montrose was called Little Pappas Seafood House. While that restaurant has up and moved, the building's historic bones were renovated to make way for one of Houston's most exciting new eateries. The refreshed restaurant urges upscale associations, and the market seafood menus abides that ambiance.

Ask to sit in front of the raw bar counter if you want to watch your oysters under the knife. Little's program focuses on cold water shells from northeast and Canadian waters and can be dressed up with a bit of caviar if you're feeling fine and fancy. The house mignonette is perfectly tart and clarifying, as are any of the choices from the European-dominated wine list.

littlesoysterbar.com

3001 S Shepherd Dr, Houston, TX 77098

(713) 522-4595

Hog Island finds itself among those must-visit oyster bars in America, which is the reputation that 40 years of serving deliciously pure and plump oysters garners. Raws on the half-shell are given a premium price, of course, but few places give you a better idea of what the program is like, coming from aquaculture farmers in California. Specifically, those of Hog Island's own farms.

Whether from Humboldt or Tomales Bay, Hog Island oysters are breezy and clean, including the ultra-petite Sweetwater variety. You may find oysters from farther abroad, too; past menus have listed Alaskan Glacier Points from Kachemak Bay, a medium-firm seafood fished from one of the world's northernmost aquaculture farms. 

hogislandoysters.com

Ferry Building, #11, San Francisco, CA 94111

(415) 391-7117

Any oyster lover knows that Wellfleet, Massachusetts, is a near-mythical destination for local oysters. The Wampanoag nation has been fishing these coastlines for a remarkable amount of time, and in more recent history, over 100 various shellfishing farms engage in commercial operations around Cape Cod's hook. Any one of the oyster houses around this town could probably wipe the floor in a national competition. Mac's Seafood being a hotspot among them.

The raw bar at Mac's Shack has been exposing travels and locals alike to the underwater delights of the area since 2006. There's no need to go beyond the region, and the counter expertly shells out Wellfleets by the half- and full dozen. For the already initiated, slurp your oysters down with a house favorite: There are oyster flutes options that go heavy on the pepper, some that smack of bloody mary, and others that put citrus pairings on the front end. 

macsseafood.com

91 Commercial St, Wellfleet, MA 02667

(508) 349-6333

Dock's Oyster House has been sustained by four generations of hard work and a commitment to serving some of the best seafood on the Eastern seaboard. Despite being a historic outpost for oyster faithfuls, the restaurant feels massive and modern, once you've made it past the time capsule of a facade out front. There is an intense dedication to regional, mid-Atlantic seafood, with oysters from New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and the Chesapeake Bay.

In fact, Dock's offers some of my favorite and most cherished raw oysters. It sources Barren Island oysters from Hooper's Island in southern Maryland, which are known for being ugly yet astoundingly clean of flavor. Similarly, the more petite yet puckeringly briny Old Salt from Chesapeake are what oyster slurping is all about. The menu is fairly priced at an average of $2.75 per shell, but don't miss happy hour, when the cost drops to just $1.50 for a daily selection of oysters on the half shell.

docksoysterhouse.com

2405 Atlantic Ave, Atlantic City, NJ 08401

(609) 345-0092

High up in Tillamook, Oregon, there is a small intake of water called Netarts Bay, which is where you'll find the gently tumbled oysters raised by the JAndy Oyster Co. The biz makes its mark as one of the best oyster bars in the U.S. because of its dual-focus on the importance of agriculture and aquaculture. The restaurant has a massive garden for dining, where the top water raised wild oysters await anyone with a craving for their sweet and meaty feel.

Dining at JAndy feels almost like a miracle, given that in the 2000s, hatcheries around the Whiskey Creek and Netarts Bay region almost experienced complete collapse of their local fisheries. Things have slowly rebounded across the decade, but you can still consider each order you place a vote of confidence and support in the local industry. 

jandyoyster.com

6760 S Prairie Rd, Tillamook, OR 97141

(503) 842-1197

Chef Sunny Gerhart's origin is as New Orleans as they come, which is why his North Carolina shop is named after a famous market from the Crescent City. His Raleigh-based shop is gentle with the archetype; flame roasted oysters adorn the dinner menu and come off as a tasteful homage entirely of their own design.

The raw game at St Roch's is wicked and priced for the every day eater. Tuesdays earn you an all-day happy hour for raws on the half-shell (which are half-off shuckers choice); Wednesdays feature 50 percent off the West Coast shells. The fried saltines are a fresh yet familiar vessel with which to do your work. 

strochraleigh.com

223 S Wilmington St, Raleigh, NC 27601

(919) 322-0359

Seafood is a love language, and I will travel for a satisfying oyster. So, when compiling a list of the best oyster bars in the U.S., I was, fortunately, able to rely on a great deal of first-hand experience. I have personally dined at the bulk of the oyster bars included in this round-up. As for the restaurants I have not visited, such as Found Oyster in Los Angeles or St. Roch's in Raleigh, I relied heavily on an aggregate of consumer review sites (Google, Yelp, TripAdvisor) as well the opinions of industry and local connections. 

The best oyster bars were defined by a few things, such as the quality and variety of oysters sold, and the ability to actually sit (or stand) in a classic oyster bar setting. If a prominent bar made it onto the radar, only to find out that guests can watch oysters being shucked, then that restaurant was chucked (from the list) so to speak.