St. Louis may be hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean, but oysters have long been a staple on local menus. From neighborhood taverns to seafood spots, happy hours, and local grocers, there’s no shortage of places to find a memorable dozen. Here are our top picks for where to get oysters in St. Louis. (Note: There’s an old rule about eating oysters: only eat them in months containing the letter “R,” i.e. the cooler months, September through April. The advice dates to a time when warmer temperatures made oysters more difficult to harvest, transport, and store safely, while summer spawning could affect their texture and flavor. Today, modern oyster farming, refrigeration, and improved handling mean high-quality oysters are available year-round. Still, the “R month” rule persists as a nod to oyster-eating tradition.)
Peacemaker Lobster & Crab: Best for the East Coast connoisseur
Peacemaker is the place to go for a strong selection of East Coast oysters, with four to six varieties typically available by the piece, ranging from $3.50 to $4.25 each. Its mignonette may be one of the city’s most distinctive, built on a sesame oil base and layered with umami-rich ingredients including sambal, shiro dashi, fish sauce, and chipotle Tabasco. The oysters, with their “little nuances,” vary in size and brininess, says owner Kevin Nashan. “Some are nutty, some are umami, and some are sweet.” They also make a classic cocktail sauce in-house and serve freshly grated horseradish root, which has a clean, floral heat.
The real draw, though, is the oysters’ journey to St. Louis. Nashan and his team have maintained relationships with their oyster distributors for the past 12 years, including Island Creek, Ipswich Shellfish Company and Rappahannock Oyster Co. During the summer, oysters are flown in via Southwest Cargo daily, meaning an oyster can be harvested, flown to St. Louis, shucked and served all in the same day. “When you can minimize the time out of the water, you’ll always have a better product,” Nashan says.
The restaurant’s namesake sandwich, the Peacemaker poorboy, offers a different way to enjoy oysters: fried and served on bread with lettuce, tomato, pickle and remoulade. Nashan has called it a “quintessential sandwich for peace offerings,” and says it’s a good choice for diners who prefer their oysters cooked.
If you’re lucky, you can occasionally find oysters at Nashan’s other restaurant, Sidney Street Café. His forthcoming Ballpark Village concept, The Clydesdale, which made it onto SLM‘s list of most anticipated restaurants, will also feature oysters on its seafood-forward appetizer menu when it opens August 27.
Wright’s Tavern: Best for oyster purists
As with most of its menu, Wright’s Tavern keeps its oyster offering simple and traditional, serving six East Coast oysters for $24.95 with house-made Old Bay saltines and the restaurant’s house tavern mignonette. It’s a straightforward option for oyster purists who want the focus to stay on the oysters themselves. For an at-home option, you can also pre-order oysters from Box Hill Grocer next door, so you can bring the oyster-bar experience home.
801 Fish: Best for the full seafood experience
For the diner who wants to go beyond a few oysters, 801 Fish is the place to splurge. The Clayton seafood restaurant specializes in fish and crustaceans alongside an extensive raw bar. Its iced shellfish platters are the main event: the Petite ($74) comes with shrimp, oysters, and king crab, while the Deluxe ($165) adds more of each plus Maine lobster. Go all the way with the 801 Grand ($290), which piles 12 shrimp, 12 oysters, a pound of king crab, and a whole Maine lobster onto one extravagant platter. The oyster selection changes daily, often with multiple varieties available. If a full platter feels like too much commitment, the restaurant’s happy hour offers oysters for $3 each, plus grilled oysters with garlic-Parmesan butter at three for $13.
Olive + Oak: Best for happy hour oysters
At Olive + Oak, oysters have been part of the menu since the Webster Groves restaurant opened in 2016. Owner Mark Hinkle knew he wanted to include them after working at Hugo’s Frog Bar & Fish House in Chicago. “It’s something we enjoy doing. There’s something about a cold martini or a glass of white wine and oysters at the bar. It’s just a perfect way to start a meal,” Hinkle says. Oysters are available by the piece for $4 during normal service and $2 during happy hour, making it easy to mix and match varieties or try them prepared several ways, including raw on the half shell, Rockefeller, roasted and fried. “Not everybody loves raw oysters on the half shell. So they’re good in three different ways for people that want to try them.”
The restaurant typically offers three varieties, with both East and West Coast oysters available, plus Blue Points from Long Island during happy hour. Hinkle has maintained relationships with oyster suppliers since Olive + Oak opened, including Washington’s Hama Hama Oyster Company. “You pay a little bit extra to get the best,” Hinkle says, “but you know you’re getting super high quality, and it’s worth it.”
Extra Wavy + Yellowbelly: Best for creative oyster preparations
Extra Wavy takes its oyster program seriously, sourcing exclusively from the Pacific Northwest. Executive Chef Ben Tulin picks up the oysters himself at the airport. The selection changes regularly based on availability, with varieties including the small, round Oishii, larger Ichibaan and Hama Hama’s Summer Stones and Hammersley Inlet oysters. They’re served raw with a cucumber, pink peppercorn, Champagne and shallot mignonette or baked with Calabrian hot honey butter, lemon and chili powder. “We’re trying to make an experience that’s appealing to people who have never tried an oyster, or people who have been eating them their whole lives,” Tulin says.
Yellowbelly offers two raw varieties dressed with kimchi water, pickled daikon, tepache and Aleppo pepper, while larger oysters are used for a deep-fried preparation. The fried oysters come Nashville-hot with a Cajun-Creole-style remoulade and a drizzle of hot honey butter. Oysters are typically $4 to $4.25 each at both spots.
Broadway Oyster Bar: Best for a New Orleans-style oyster experience
Oysters come with a side of live music, Cajun cocktails, and a New Orleans-style atmosphere at Broadway Oyster Bar. The longtime South Broadway institution offers Blue Point and Rappahannock oysters on the half shell by the half dozen or dozen, served with horseradish and house-made spicy gin cocktail sauce. If oysters and alcohol sound like your kind of party, you can try the Oyster Shooters, which are fresh-shucked Rappahannock oysters in a vodka-spiked spicy tomato mix served in a shot cup for $5.25 each, or a half dozen for $26.99.
The menu also includes char-grilled oysters with garlic butter, Creole spices and Parmesan; Oysters Bienville baked with shrimp, Parmesan and mushroom cream sauce; and Oysters Rockefeller with spinach, bacon cream sauce and Parmesan. The Oyster Medley, featuring two each of the Bienville, Rockefeller and Cardinale preparations, is an easy way to sample several at once.
For the full BOB experience, grab a dozen oysters and a Creole Mary, then stick around for live music. The restaurant hosts local and touring bands throughout the week, making it a great choice when you want your oyster fix alongside some tunes.
Grafton Oyster Bar: Best for making a day trip out of it
If you’re willing to venture outside St. Louis, Grafton Oyster Bar is worth the drive. The restaurant sits along the water in Grafton, Illinois, with views of the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers and an oyster menu that complements the scenery. Blue Point and Gulf oysters are served raw by the half dozen or dozen, while fried, char-grilled, Rockefeller, Cardinale, and other preparations give diners plenty of ways to get their fix. The oyster medley ($19.99), which includes three cooked preparations, is a particularly good way to sample the menu. You can also try the oyster po’boy ($21.99).
Fox’s Finest: Best for taking the oyster bar home
Want to skip the restaurant and shuck your own? Fox’s Finest, the recently opened gourmet market, offers oysters for at-home enjoyment each week, with additional varieties available by advance request. Fox’s typically sources their oysters from Prince Edward Island, with East and West Coast varieties available depending on the week. Call ahead to find out what’s in stock and place an order.
Fox’s Finest doesn’t shuck oysters in-house, but you can pick up an oyster knife there and get a demonstration on how to use it. It’s a good option for an oyster night at home, whether you’re hosting friends or just want to build your own raw bar without leaving the house.
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