Gulf coast, East coast, raw, broiled and fried: Where to get the best oysters in Austin.
The sun is beautiful and not oppressive. The air has a crispness to it (on the good days). The months still have the letter “R” in them. It’s oyster season.
Whether you’re looking for big monsters the size of an elephant’s ear from the Gulf of Mexico or tiny, briny ones flown in from thousands of miles away, Austin restaurants have you covered. Below are some of the best restaurants when you want to shuck around and find out. Asterisks represent critic's pick.
*Bill’s Oyster
The reverence for the bivalve is right there in the name of this marble-and-brass jewel box space. And they’ve got you covered whether you wanna go lux with toppings of uni and caviar or comforting with bacon and cheese. 205 W. Third St. 512-363-5769, billsoyster.com.
The Boat
New owners here have touched up the place, and intriguing fried oyster preparations include Buffalo style and Oysters Davíd, served on a tortilla chip and topped with pico and avocado-serrano sauce. 10931 Stonelake Blvd. 512-956-0040, theboatatx.com.
Capt. Benny's Seafood
In addition to the fried and raw preparations of Gulf oysters, this Houston-based chain also serves a trio of baked preparations topped with everything from Parmesan to garlic butter. 5700 N. I-35. 512-452-1417, captbennys.com.
Catfish Parlour
Though the original closed after 48 years, you can still get your fried Gulf oysters regular or spicy at the South Austin and Georgetown locations. 4705 E. Texas 71, 512-443-1698; 4159 Williams Drive. Georgetown. 512-931-2050, catfishparlour.com.
*Clark's
Selections from locales like Maine, Massachusetts and Canada help make up one of the best oyster rosters in town. 1200 W. Sixth St. 512-297-2525, clarksaustin.com.
Crawfish Shack & Oyster Bar
Get Gulf oysters on the half shell or have them fried and stuffed in a po'boy. 2013 Wells Branch Parkway, 512-252-7556; crawfishshackatx.com.
Cypress Grill
This New Orleans-inspired restaurant serves its oysters "crispy, just like we eat them down the bayou." 4404 W. William Cannon Drive. 512-358-7474, cypressgrill.net.
*Deckhand Oyster Bar
Taste the Asian influences here on oysters topped with a spicy masago sauce, while broiled oysters topped with chopped bacon and Monterey Jack cheese have a more Texas vibe. 500 Parker Drive. 512-368-3379; 4211 S. Lamar Blvd. 512-326-1963; deckhandoysterbar.com.
*Eddie V's
This Austin-born steak and seafood house offers a refined setting for oysters from the East Coast and the Gulf. 301 E. Fifth St., 512-472-1860; 9400 Arboretum Blvd., 512-342-2642; eddiev.com.
*Este
The raw bar selections at this excellent Mexican seafood restaurant are some of my favorite dishes in town, including the oysters, which may come with little pearls of roe and a mini slab of tuna belly. 2113 Major Road. 512-522-4047, esteatx.com.
*Evangeline Café
The Oysters Contraband at this Cajun restaurant are served on top of homemade potato chips and topped with spicy sausage remoulade sauce. 8106 Brodie Lane. 512-282-2586, evangelinecafe.com.
*Foreign & Domestic
Head to this North Loop restaurant on Tuesday nights for a nice selection of East Coast oysters for only $1. Bonus: chilled wines are half off. 306 E. 53rd St. 512-459-1010, fndaustin.com.
*Garbo's
The raw bar at this restaurant with a New England pedigree is packed with selections flown in from the Island Creek Oyster Company in Massachusetts. 12709 N. MoPac Blvd. 512-520-8004; 626 N. Lamar Blvd. 512-291-6541, garboslobsteratx.com.
*Lucy's Fried Chicken
Slurp 'em raw or load 'em up with tequila butter, Worcestershire, bacon and parmesan at the original, and only remaining, location of this Texafied joint. 2218 College Ave. 512-297-2423, lucysfriedchicken.com.
*Mongers Market + Kitchen
Pull a stool up to the long bar for a platter of raw East Coast oysters at chef Shane Stark’s restaurant located in the former Vino Vino home. 4119 Guadalupe St. 512-215-8972, mongersaustin.com.
Pacific Star Restaurant & Oyster Bar
You can order your oysters raw here or spice things up with bacon-wrapped broiled oysters with jalapeno. 13507 U.S. 183. 512-219-5373, austin.pacificstaratx.com.
*Perla's
The expansive deck offers excellent people watching and relaxed waterfront vibes complemented by a star-studded oyster menu featuring about a dozen varieties from New England and the mid-Atlantic. 1400 S. Congress Ave. 512-291-7300, perlasaustin.com.
*Quality Seafood Market
One of Austin's oldest homes of seafood features a huge oyster bar in the middle of the restaurant serving raw Gulf and East Coast varieties along with grilled oysters Rockefeller. You can also get them fried in a po’ boy. 5621 Airport Blvd. 512-452-3820, qualityseafoodmarket.com.
Salt Traders Coastal Cooking
Chef Jack Gilmore's Tex-centric seafood restaurant serves Gulf oysters raw and grilled, fried and wrapped in lettuce and in a bowl of gumbo. 2850 N. I-35, Round Rock. 512-351-9724; 1101 S. Loop 1. 737-484-0095; salttraderscc.com.
Shoal Creek Saloon
Enjoy Gulf oysters on the half-shell at this Louisiana-lovin' bar that offers a porch with a view of the restaurant’s namesake creek. 909 N. Lamar Blvd. 512-474-0805, shoalcreeksaloon.com.
Shore Raw Bar & Grill
This window-wrapped restaurant out west serves Gulf and East Coast oysters raw and also fries them up for a sweet and crunchy tostada. 8665 W. Texas 71. 512-618-6400, shoreatx.com.
Terry's Seafood and Chicken
Triple down on the carbs by ordering some hushpuppies and rolls to accompany your fried oysters at this East Austin restaurant that has been doing it for 50 years. 1805 Airport Blvd. 512-477-3237, facebook.com/terrys.seafood.
*Truluck's
Dine on oysters downtown in a classic steakhouse environment (and an updated one at that) with some very serious horseradish. 10225 Research Blvd. 512-794-8300; 300 Colorado St. 512-482-9000; trulucks.com.
*Uptown Sports Club
Aaron Franklin’s restaurant and bar celebrates New Orleans, though the oysters here are of the more complex East Coast variety, not the Gulf. 1200 E. Sixth St. 512-551-2013, uptownsports.club.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: It's oyster season! These restaurants have the best oysters in Austin
