Best Oyster Bars in America

Fresh oysters are shipped in daily at this cozy Silver Lake date night spot. Have a few dozen with an assortment of small plates or end with a hearty pasta entrée, like crab linguine in lobster chablisienne or squid gemelli with lemon, chiles, cream, and white wine.

A casual seafood counter and fish market, Swan Oyster Depot serves oysters and other raw-bar fare, as well as smoked fish, stuffed crab backs, and seafood salads. Try the Sicilian sashimi, featuring slices of raw tuna, salmon, and scallops enhanced with olive oil, capers, lemon, and onion.

This chic East Hollywood gem is a popular destination for all things raw. Platters feature New England oysters, Sicilian crudo, and prawns, while decadent sea urchin and caviar plates are also available. For cooked fare, try the scallop tostadas or the Flannery Farms steak with butter.

This beachside shack with picnic table seating offers sustainably farmed Pacific shellfish along with local craft beers and wine. The scallop ceviche, steamed clams, and fried oysters are all seasoned with flair, and the grilled oysters with habanero butter are a surprise hit.

One of many outposts of the sustainable shellfish farm Hog Island Oyster Co., this outdoor café serves raw and grilled oysters from the adjoining bay, along with light seasonal fare, charcuterie, and beer and wine. It’s open for walk-ins only on Thursdays, and reservations only from Friday through Monday.

With a $2 oyster happy hour and a great beer list, this trendy raw bar is an ideal after-work or date night spot. The West Coast oysters, arctic char crudo, and assortment of tacos will please the palate; and if you’re up for a hot dish, the seafood chowder or whole branzino won’t disappoint.

Local is the keyword at this “boat to table” bar and restaurant. New England oysters and other shellfish, line-caught fish, and local veggies and steaks fill out the inventive dinner menu, which features items like smoked fish kielbasa, spicy squid salad, and ginger fried monkfish.

Enjoy a daily selection of East and West Coast oysters at this rustic-chic restaurant with a full bar, exquisite cocktails, and caviar service. Customers love the grilled Spanish octopus, the cioppino, and the clam linguine.

This stylish restaurant features local and organic fare, with a full raw bar menu plus grilled fish, seafood pastas, and flatbreads. Perhaps start with some oyster shooters and the snapper tartare, then move on to the gnocchi with jumbo lump crab and black truffle or the sea scallop a la plancha with lentil ragout.

Closed for the summer but open starting in September – just in time for oyster season – this compact, cash-only restaurant has been serving oysters since 1919. The menu features oyster stew, charbroiled oysters, and of course oysters on the half shell, along with gumbo and a huge selection of fried seafood sandwiches and dinners.

A true New England-style oyster bar, Eventide offers a rotating selection of local Maine oysters and crab claws and clams on ice with all the fixings, as well as lobster stew, clam chowder, New England clam bake, and a famous brown-butter lobster roll. Some Asian-fusion items including steamed bao buns and tuna tartare with nước chấm round out the menu.

This sprawling new-American restaurant offers indoor and patio seating with live music and a popular oyster happy hour. The menu features local oysters, a dozen ways to enjoy Maryland crab, Old Bay steamed shrimp, and sushi from Tuesday to Thursday.

This Fells Point restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating with water views. The full bar and dinner menus feature refreshing cocktails, seafood sandwiches and entrées, inventive appetizers and extensive raw bar fare, with oysters from both coasts and beyond. Don’t skip dessert, as guests rave about the bread pudding.

A popular South End eatery, B&G oysters has an extensive wine menu and a compact dinner menu featuring East Coast oysters and other shellfish, fried calamari, lobster rolls, and fish and scallop entrées. Go for the lobster bisque or clam chowder and end with a decadent jar of chocolate mousse.

This intimate high-end oyster bar in Boston’s North End offers New England shellfish, raw bar platters, and crudo, in addition to marine entrées. Choose between such offerings as spicy cioppino with shellfish saffron rice, whole mackerel with Basque pepper stew and fennel, or sea scallops with fava beans, pancetta, and kelp butter.

This casual waterfront patio eatery overlooks Duxbury Bay, where oysters are raised and harvested straight to the shuck shack. Come ready to feast on the freshest raw oysters around, have a shrimp cocktail or caviar hotdog, and throw back a few drinks while enjoying the scenic view.

A casual bistro in Boston’s South End, Select Oyster Bar serves Mediterranean-style fare with delicately curated flavors. Island Creek oysters are featured – and there’s nothing plain about the champagne-poached shrimp cocktail or the hamachi crudo with passion fruit and crispy ginger. Mains include hits like arctic char served over leek ragout with frisee salad, bacon lardons, and pistachio dressing.

This sleek boardwalk bistro in a historic convention hall serves a wide range of East Coast oysters and other raw bar selections, tasty cocktails, and inventive tapas-style plates with plenty of vegetarian and seafood options.

This iconic eatery in bustling Grand Central Station has a huge rotating menu of oysters, fish, and shellfish from all over the world, as well as an extensive wine list. Stews, pastas, smoked fish, fried platters, and old-school daily specials guarantee that there’s something on the menu for everyone.

A cozy bar and grill with numerous seating areas and a wide selection of oysters and raw bar platters, Off the Hook offers classic seafood house fare as well as a few Caribbean- and Central American-styled dishes like shrimp mofongo with saffron aïoli, and whole fried red snapper with tostones, pickled red onions, and cilantro sauce.

This Williamsburg restaurant is a popular brunch spot with a New Orleans vibe and a beautifully styled garden seating area. A large absinthe menu, cocktails, and wine accent the judicious food menu, which features dozens of oyster varieties, caviar, crudo, and small plates that are perfect for sharing.

Experience brunch, happy hour, live music, and a full dinner menu at this Park Slope oyster bar. Raw offerings besides oysters include shrimp or coho salmon ceviche, cider-poached octopus, and blue crab claws with aji amarillo dijonnaise. Customers rave about the paella and grilled octopus.

An Italian wine and seafood bar, Virgola is a great place to bring a date or to share an exquisite meal with a friend. Choose between a wide range of crudo platters, bruschettas, East and West Coast oysters, and flatbreads; or design an epic salumi, cheese, and insalata platter from a plethora of options.

A down-home neighborhood feel permeates this seafood restaurant and bar. Shucker’s offers raw, deep-fried, and pan-fried oysters, as well as burgers, clams, prawns, and seafood platters. Bar regulars love the oyster shooters and the bloody mary.

Located in Center City, this raw bar has a daily rotating menu of East Coast oysters and clams, crudo, and small and large plates like grilled broccoli caesar with anchovies, black garlic glazed halibut, and whole char-grilled lobsters. A large gin selection and a happy hour keep customers coming back.

This waterfront farm-to-table restaurant features a huge open-air patio and oysters and other raw-bar fare sourced from an on-site shellfish pond. Traditional New England style seafood is served alongside jambalaya and po’boys, and some novel twists like passion fruit oysters with cucumber and salmon roe.

A brasserie featuring wood-fired French fare with an ample raw bar selection, Nico Oysters + Seafood provides the service, ambiance, and flavor that create an unforgettable dining experience. Try the seafood quenelle in Nantua sauce with crawfish and mushrooms or the Parisian gnocchi with wood-fired bay scallops and shrimp.

Highlighting coastal flavors by supporting local fisherman, this upscale seafood house in a historic building offers a mouthwatering array of raw bar fare including stone crab claws, pickled little neck clams, pink porgy, and South Carolina oysters. Dinner plates include crispy oyster sliders, smoked fish pâté, blue crab curry rice.

Clark’s is a bustling, upscale restaurant with a large selection of oysters, clams, and inventive raw bar fare. The menu also features caviar, an array of whole grilled fish, and entrées ranging from lobster rolls to clam linguine with kale and hazelnut pesto to crispy fried snapper with grits, sofrito, and lemon zest.

This casual cash-only bar and restaurant with a beach vibe has a large menu of classic seafood appetizers, raw and grilled oysters, and fried seafood dinners, plus sandwiches, po’boys, gumbo, and Tex-Mex quesadillas. Patrons must be 18 or older, so leave the kids at home.

A craft cocktail bar and raw bar, the Atlantic offers tapas-style hot and cold plates, decked-out baked oysters, and of course an extensive raw bar menu. Customers love the salmon pastrami deviled eggs, oysters Rockefeller, shrimp and kimchi dumplings, and shellfish pot pie.

This casual Union Market hangout serves a quality selection of raw Virginia oysters, small plates, and drinks. Grab a few dozen of Rappahannock Oyster Co.’s famous oysters and chat with a friend, or enjoy a bowl of red pepper and crab soup accompanied by the fried oyster tacos with celery root slaw.

A popular seafood destination, Pearl Dive offers a full bar, brunch, and a happy hour, plus a large dinner menu of chilled and hot oysters, gumbos and stews, and Southern style entrées like cornmeal crusted oysters, blackened catfish with oyster dirty rice, and shrimp and grits with bacon-braised greens.

This Pier 56 mainstay has bay views and the largest local oyster selection around, with dozens of varieties from Washington and British Columbia. Crowd favorites include the roasted king salmon, spicy crab and corn chowder, and the seafood risotto. Be aware of the 20% surcharge on bills.

With a wide selection of local oysters and house cocktails, this new American fishing-pub restaurant is a popular spot in Ballard for post-work meet-ups. Customer favorites include fried oysters with cilantro aïoli and grilled sardines. The no-reservation policy means that it can be hard to get a table, so show up on the early side or be ready to wait.