In the thick of the season for love and oysters, here are five spots where you can split the supposed aphrodisiacs with your Romeo or Juliet.
Eunice offers a full raw bar featuring oysters from the coasts of Louisiana and Texas.
Eunice
New Orleans chef Drake Leonards brings his version of upscale Cajun to H-Town in a chic setting. Highlights include blue crab and shrimp étouffée over pasta, fried oyster salad and Bandera quail with Tabasco honey. 3737 Buffalo Speedway, 832.491.1717
Brasserie 19
Attentive service, an ever-changing daily selection of oysters and hearty French fare, including charred Mediterranean octopus with romesco, piquillo peppers and fingerling potatoes, keep the River Oaks set faithful. The extensive wine list comes on an iPad, and the Champagne collection is vast. 1962 W. Gray St., 713.524.1919
One Fifth
Chris Shepherd’s yearly changing Montrose eatery has gone coastal. One Fifth Gulf Coast takes a deep dive into the waters and terrain of the Gulf Coast states. Think Texas stone crabs; hearth-charred okra and hush puppies; roasted flounder almondine and pineapple upside-down dessert. 1658 Westheimer Road, 713.955.1024
Liberty Kitchen & Oysterette’s grilled oysters
Liberty Kitchen & Oysterette
Besides the obvious seafood staples—the made-to-order oyster stew is a must-try—chef Lance Fegen, also of BRC Gastropub, infuses his menu with twists on comfort-food classics, like the BLT made with pork belly. Top almost anything here with fried oysters! 4224 San Felipe St., 713.622.1010
Loch Bar
This sidekick to Ouzo Bay from Baltimore’s Atlas Restaurant Group touts one of Houston’s largest raw bars. The upscale seafood tavern offers oyster varieties from coast to coast, genuine Maryland crabcakes and meatier entrees (pepper-encrusted ribeye, whole lobster) along with an impressive roster of whiskeys. 4444 Westheimer Road, Ste. G110, 832.430.6601
State of Grace
Sophistication and scene meet the Deep South at Atlanta-based celeb chef Ford Fry’s River Oaks place. The crawfish hush puppies with cane syrup butter, the twice-fried hot chicken and the charred Brussels sprouts can’t be missed. 3258 Westheimer Road, 832.942.5080
Photography by: From top: Duc Huong; Carla Gomez