The Time of the Oyster

You know the rule: Only eat oysters in months that end in ‘R’. Of course, you can eat them any time you want but the best and safest time is in R months. Don’t be afraid of cheap oysters during this time either. Some are easier to harvest and become less expensive for restaurants to provide.  
  
So where is the best place to eat oysters in town? Living in Destin Florida on the Gulf Coast, we are lucky to have lots of great places for seafood. Here are a few of the places we have been that we know serve great oysters. 
  
Boathouse Oyster Bar – a charming restaurant over the water in Old Destin that serves raw, baked, and fried Apalachicola Bay oysters. This place is popular among locals and gets great reviews from tourists stopping in.  
  
Bayou Bill’s Crab House - located down the road in Santa Rosa Beach, this place always has a packed house and has seafood of all kinds. Get your oysters raw or char-grilled and check out the cool aquarium. 
  
AJ’s Seafood & Oyster Bar – a staple near the Harbor, AJ’s has everything: water view, live music, nightclub, you name it. They also have an oyster Happy Hour and serve them in a variety of different ways: Italiano, Wild Buffalo, steamed and Rockefeller. 
  
Pompano Joe’s – we talk about this place a lot because it’s REALLY good! Open air restaurant with Gulf views, beach volleyball, excellent bar, and Caribbean food. They serve raw oysters as well as “Rastafella” style with spinach and cheese.   
  
Buster’s Bar & Grill – this place tends to get overlooked as it is in the Winn Dixie plaza across from the Outlet Mall but it’s a great sports bar. It’s one of the most reasonably priced on our list, they serve their oysters several different ways and offer the “Sampler’s Dozen” so you get a few of each kind.  
  
Not everyone is into oysters and we get that. These restaurants also have amazing Seafood Gumbo so go for that if you want another option. In you are around 30A or the Seagrove Beach area, try Stinky’s Fish Camp or Hurricane Oyster Bar. The season is short-lived so take advantage of the peak time for fresh oysters and indulge. 

Published on Tuesday, October 28, 2014