By Lindsay Garbacik By Lindsay Garbacik | June 14, 2023 | Food & Drink, Community,
Oysters are a tasty bivalve, natural aphrodisiac, and refreshingly salty seafood. We’ve rounded up the six very best restaurants for fresh, quality oysters in Houston. The world is truly your oyster, try something unexpected today!
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1201 Westheimer Road / Website
Oysters any way you can imagine fill the menu at this seafood joint. Enjoy raw oysters served on the half shell with spicy cocktail sauce and lemon, or cheesy chargrilled oysters, both available by the half dozen or full dozen. The oyster dishes don’t cease at the raw bar, try a fried oyster salad, oyster Rockefeller soup, fried oyster tacos, or a fried “peace maker” po-boy crafted with fried oysters and shrimp. Reservations can be made here.
6029 Westheimer Road / Website
A Houston staple for over 100 years this restaurant serves oysters fried, raw, and even in soup. On the menu, find oysters Rockefeller, crafted with spinach, bacon, crab, cream, and parmesan cheese. Other oyster hits include raw Gulf oysters, Texas fried oysters salad, and an oyster stew that was reportedly a favorite of former president George H. W. Bush. The menu also features a rarer dish, the Oysters Thermidor, made with baked oysters, wine cheese sauce, crab, and decadent melted cheese. Reservations can be made here.
409 Travis Street, Suite A / Website
Head to this coastal oyster bar for a truly large and varied selection of the tasty bi-valve. The menu features fresh raw oysters from the Gulf Coast and the East Coast, served on the half shell with dill mignonette sauce, fresh horseradish, and cocktail sauce. For a warm plate, check out the chargrilled oysters and choose from a selection of four unique kinds of butter, or try the deviled eggs with fried oysters for something different. Oysters are $1 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday during happy hour.
113 6th Street, San Leon / Website
Venture outside the city for delectable oysters at Pier 6. The restaurant is owned by second-generation oyster fisherman, Raz Halili, who is also the vice president of the world-renowned Prestige Oysters company. This joint knows its oysters quite well and its menu is simply an oyster lover's dream. Try the blue crab oysters, filled with real crab gratin, the hot-blooded oysters, filled with garlic, sriracha, and habanero butter, or the fried oyster sandwich. Exclusively, try the Prestige oysters, served with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and herb shallot butter, as well as the Prestige oyster chowder. Stop by from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for 50-cent oysters during happy hour. Reservations can be made here.
4302 Richmond Avenue / Website
Known as the “first Cajun seafood restaurant in Houston,” this spot is well-loved among locals and has a loaded menu of flavorful signature dishes. Oyster lovers must try the char-grilled oysters, served with herbs, Italian cheeses, and lemon-garlic butter. The menu also includes Gulf Coast oysters on the half shell and a fried Gulf Coast oyster po-boy. Swing by from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday for stellar oyster specials during happy hour.
3258 Westheimer Road / Website
Head to State of Grace for a classy, high-end seafood experience. The seasonal menu is ever-changing with locally harvested goods. The Oyster Room, dedicated solely to oysters, is open Monday through Friday from open to 6 p.m. and serves up its own menu of fresh, raw oysters. Find varieties from Alabama, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Connecticut, and more. Snag $1.50 oysters from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays during happy hour, and $1.50 oysters from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays. Reservations can be made here.
So whether you prefer your oysters cooked, fried, raw, or somewhere in between, Houston has a top-tier array of restaurants serving up tasty, fresh oysters.
Photography by: Lisovskaya /Getty Images