Oyster restaurants are having a moment in the Boston area. Bivalves have always been a favorite among locals, but a spate of openings in the last six months means it’s a particularly exciting time to check out new oyster dishes. A local legend is expanding to Cambridge with some showstopping oyster presentations, a wildly popular neighborhood restaurant now has an oyster spot next door, and a Fenway Park pop-up serving New England-style po’ boys has expanded to bigger digs. Here are five exciting oyster restaurants to try in the Boston area right now.
Little Whale Oyster Bar (Back Bay)
Great oysters are no tall order at Little Whale unless you’re talking about the seafood plateaux. Three options feature local bivalves as the pièce de résistance atop towers replete with shrimp cocktail, dressed lobster, ceviche, and crudo. The whopping Big Whale platter includes two dozen oysters and caviar service, making it a feast fit for a fancy night out. Diners can take it one step further by pairing it with chef-owner Michael Serpa’s family-style lobster clambakes. Or add on the raw bar option for a feast that includes corn, potatoes, clams, linguica, and Boston’s favorite crustacean. “We have come to realize that the Back Bay neighborhood and visitors alike have a huge appetite, literally and figuratively, for classic New England seafood,” Serpa, who opened Little Whale late last year, says. Serpa has cooked seafood in Boston for the past 15 years. The classic New England dishes complement his two other seafood restaurants, Select Oyster Bar and Atlántico.
The Banks Fish House (Back Bay)
Although restaurateur Chris Himmel is renowned for steakhouse Grill 23 & Bar, the passionate fisherman is far from a landlubber. At The Banks Fish House, he teams up with fellow angler and executive chef Robert Sisca for a concept the duo has dubbed “the intersection of a swank Back Bay restaurant and the New England seafood shack.” Among the highlights are unicorn oysters from Maine. “I love the name and flavor profile of the oysters and knew I wanted to make them the star of a dish as soon as I tried them for the first time,” Sisca says. He likes to vary the presentation frequently. Diners will find oysters topped with vibrant pomegranate granita, pickled Persian cucumbers, and mint. Other recent preparations included compositions with uni, wasabi tobiko, and spicy pepper relish featuring sundried tomatoes, sherry vinegar, herbs, garlic, and shallots. Sisca and his team make all of the accouterments. “Oysters and uni is a combination I have been doing for years, and I love it,” Sisca says. “It just has such an umami flavor that is amazing.”
Row 34 (Kendall Square, Cambridge)
This spring, oyster titan Row 34 expands to the Innovation Distract in Cambridge, an apropos location given the creativity of chef Jeremey Sewall’s menus at the Seaport and two suburban spots (Burlington and Portsmouth, N.H.). Popular dishes include whole branzino with cashew rice pilaf and miso-tahini vinaigrette, and crab cakes with blood orange, pine nuts, and basil aïoli. But the showstoppers here are oysters, served as sliders, po’ boys with fresh slaw and potato chips, and fried, either by themselves or on lettuce cups with pickled vegetables. Prefer the best of what Row 34 has to offer? Add the fried oysters to the bacon cheddar burger with caramelized onions. (This location opens mid-April, but Row 34’s Boston, Burlington, and New Hampshire locations are all currently open and serving the same menu).
Puritan Oyster Bar (Inman Square, Cambridge)
Chef Will Gilson brought a little bit of summer to Inman Square this winter when he opened Puritan Oyster Bar adjacent to his wildly popular neighborhood fixture, Puritan & Company. The space previously served as a sandwich shop, a holiday market, and a place to pick up takeout from Puritan & Company. Today, it is a “super fun, casual space,” Gilson says, with an emphasis on serving local catch—the type of restaurant this part of Cambridge was lacking, according to Gilson. Varieties of oysters on the half shell rotate daily, with options from Farmer Pete’s in Wellfleet (plump and mildly sweet), South Bay Blondes out of Buzzards Bay (slightly sweet, medium brine, and rich texture), Island Creeks from Duxbury (complex with a toothy bite), and Pemaquid from Damariscotta, Maine (big and briny flavor). All are available individually or as part of a seafood tower. The cocktail menu, featuring an oyster-infused vodka, grapefruit, and elderflower cocktail, pairs well with bivalves and shellfish. “Glug jugs” are large-format options, including tiki-style rum punch in a fish-shaped vessel (with multiple straws) that complement each week’s oyster selection.
Eventide (The Fenway)
Longtime Bostonians will likely associate the Sausage Guy with Fenway Park eats, but there’s a new game in town thanks to Eventide. The Portland, Maine favorite first hit it out of the park with a small storefront and limited menu a few seasons ago. As of this spring, the menu is longer and the space bigger, but it is still right next to America’s oldest baseball stadium. Eventide’s signature steamed bun is split down the middle, creating room for fried oysters whose crunchiness and saltiness are complemented by vinegary pickles, creamy tartar sauce, and bright tomatoes. This New England-style po’ boy, along with crispy chile chicken wings, and hearty clam chowder, are unlikely to leave room for peanuts and Cracker Jack.
Carley Thornell-Wade is a Boston-based food, travel, and technology writer who’s been to more than 70 countries and delighted in tasting the regional delicacies of each.
