Best Oyster Bars in America

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.