Whatever your preference, oysters are in season in the Pacific Northwest. In the summer, however, there’s nothing better than a cold drink and a dozen oysters on the half shell to keep us entertained.
Best Place to Eat Oysters In Seattle?
Try all nine and decide for yourself. Here are some of the best places to eat oysters in Seattle this summer, both outside and indoors.
Westward (Fremont)
Renee Erickson, chef and restaurateur at Westward, specializes in seafood with a Mediterranean twist. As far as seating goes, it’s impossible to beat a seat outside, inches from the water.
However, tables inside are also available if you prefer. On arrival, you can choose from a list of raw oysters from the East and West Coasts.
Elliott’s Oyster House (Downtown)
This Waterfront mainstay is often overlooked as a tourist trap because of its proximity to the Great Wheel. Fresh oysters on the half-shell are $2 during happy hour, and pan-fried Pacific Oysters are served with a Bourbon sauce.
A seafood “celebration” is available for that table, which includes Dungeness crab, oysters, snow crab claws, and more.
Ray’s Cafe (Ballard)
As a result of a series of pylons jutting out of Shilshole Bay, the more casual (and relatively inexpensive) Cafe is literally located on the water.
To take advantage of this unique view of the Puget Sound and the Olympics, diners can enjoy a selection of local oysters served on ice with red wine mignonette on the restaurant’s front deck.
Taylor Shellfish (Lower Queen Anne & Pioneer Square)
An oyster bar run by a local shellfish farm is the closest you can get to the source.
As a result of this connection, the restaurants have been designed to provide the best oyster experience possible, from wine selections to color schemes, for example.
As a result, you’ll find the most knowledgeable staff in town at this location. In both locations, you won’t find a lot of outdoor seating, but you will find a few street-side tables that make for an enjoyable place to eat.
Rock Creek Seafood & Spirits (Wallingford)
Its large outdoor dining area offers a rotating selection of oysters, from classics (on the half-shell) to more creative raw bar options (a Mezcal oyster shooter with mango, pineapple, cilantro, and fresno chile, for instance).
The White Swan Public House (Eastlake)
The former Terrible Beauty and BluWater Bistro space, WS features an outdoor patio perfect for watching seaplanes land on Lake Union and enjoying buttermilk-soaked, cornmeal-crusted fried oysters or Shells and Champagne — which includes up to two dozen oysters and a “bottle of bubbly”
Emmett Watson’s Oyster Bar (Pike Place Market)
This venerable glass-enclosed oyster destination, hidden away from the bustling Post Alley above and the crowds of tourists outside lining up to see the “original” Starbucks next door, makes social distancing a little difficult unless you post up in the courtyard outside, where you can enjoy oysters that have been broiled and topped with bacon, cooked in a delicious stew Or, you know, freshly shucked and half-shelled.
Frank’s Oyster House (Ravenna)
Frank’s is more like a traditional East Coast oyster bar, with blacks, browns, and woods as the décor than a bright, white marble West Coast oyster bar, and it’s certainly trying for the cozy vibe.
Until you step outdoors, where their sidewalk seating, combined with the brewery patio across the street, may make you feel like you’ve fallen into a laid-back neighborhood block party.
Sunfish Cafe (Alki)
For decades, this little fish & chips shop with the big fish on the roof has been doing the same thing: serving up some of Seattle’s best-fried seafood, including a basket of oysters & fries for less than $10 that, like the rest of their menu, come delicately fried in a light crunchy batter and still taste of the seawater they were pulled from.