An oyster platter and cocktails from Taylor Shellfish. Photo source.
It’s no secret that the Pacific Northwest’s ice-cold saltwater yields outstanding native shellfish varieties. Here are our favorite must-hit spots to slurp Seattle’s best oysters and delight in some sweet, briny nectar.
Elliott's Oyster House | 1201 Alaskan Way Pier 56 | 206-623-4340
Fun fact: this waterfront watering hole, located on Pier 56, freshly shucks more than 7,000 oysters per week. The rotating oyster list is updated twice daily and cycles through more than 30 local, sustainably grown and harvested varieties, including ever-popular Pacific Oysters, west coast native Olympia oysters, Kumamotos, or a varietal sampler plate. In addition to fresh options, you’ll find a variety of specialty oyster dishes such as Oysters Rockefeller (baked with fresh spinach, Pernod, bacon and hollandaise sauce) and Pan Fried Oysters (served with Elliott’s special recipe tartar sauce and Jack Daniel’s dipping sauce).
Flying Fish | 300 Westlake Ave N | 206-728-8595
Happy hour at this South Lake Union joint means… drumroll, please… a tantalizing $1.25 oyster special. Rotating selections are served fresh on the half shell daily from 3-6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. And what’s better with a plate of fresh oysters than a cold draft beer or wine by the glass? Perhaps a classic cocktail? Whatever floats your boat, find it here every afternoon and evening.
Local 360 | 2234 1st Ave | 206-441-9360
If you make it into Local 360 for happy hour before 6 p.m., take advantage of oysters on the half shell served with pickled mustard seed mignonette (hint: they start at just 75 cents each right at 3 p.m. -- the best deal available). Otherwise, start with an oyster plate appetizer before dinner, or go for the fried oyster po' boy (with tequila lime slaw and blackened aioli) from the slider bar. No matter your order, you can be sure the seafood before you is local (true to the restaurant’s name), wild caught, and ultra-fresh.
Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar | Multiple locations
Sample the fresh bounty from local Taylor Shellfish Oyster Farms at any of the three Seattle oyster bar locations. Oysters are served on the half shell with lemon and champagne vinegar mignonette, plus housemade cocktail sauce or fresh grated horseradish optional on the side. Can’t decide on a varietal? Try the Shucker’s dozen -- a daily selection of Taylor Shellfish favorites. Additional oyster options include a signature shooter (with cocktail sauce and vodka or spicy jalapeno infused tequila), Xinh’s creamy Pacific oyster stew, and several decadent baked oyster dishes. Varieties rotate on a daily basis and highlight a mix of oysters grown in some of the purest Puget Sound and British Columbia waters.
