Best place to gorge on raw oysters in LA?
Where can I find fresh, delicious, and relatively inexpensive raw oysters in the Los Angeles/San Fernando Valley area?
By MisterNomnom
on Jun 11, 2011 02:10 PM
Los Angeles Area
save boardTips for Dining, Eating, and Food Shopping in the Greater Los Angeles Area (including Orange & Ventura Counties and SW San Bernardino County)
Start New Thread
By MisterNomnom
on Jun 11, 2011 02:10 PM
47 Replies
« Back to the Los Angeles Area Board
View »
The Wednesday Santa Monica farmer's market has them from Oceanside. Lula's and blondes IIRC, $2 per. Superb!
Permalink | Reply
FYI - Enterprise Fish Co. - Santa Monica
Happy Hour - $1.00 apiece - Any Good ? Don't Know, I don't eat Oysters anymore.
http://santamonica.enterprisefishco.c...
-----
Enterprise Fish Co
174 Kinney St., Santa Monica, CA 90405
Permalink | Reply
At Ocean Ave Seafood in Santa Monica they have Oyster Hour from 4 pm-6 pm. Monday through Friday, featuring very good oysters at $1.50 each and an "Oyster Wine Sampler" that includes six oysters with three 2-oz glasses of the restaurant's wines.
-----
Ocean Avenue Seafood
1401 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Permalink | Reply
Hungry Cat in Hollywood is great. And the oyster bar at Water Grill downtown is superb. Great old wooden bar too. And I just found last week that the Hollywood Farmer's market on Sunday has them - I didn't try them but they looked fresh. Now I want some.
-----
Water Grill
544 South Grand, Los Angeles, CA 90071
The Hungry Cat
100 W Channel Rd, Santa Monica, CA 90402
Permalink | Reply
In my experience both Hungry Cat and Water Grill are pricier than 'relatively inexpensive.'
-----
Water Grill
544 South Grand, Los Angeles, CA 90071
The Hungry Cat
100 W Channel Rd, Santa Monica, CA 90402
Permalink | Reply
very true cls - missed that part of the initial post. I honestly haven't had a good & cheap oyster in LA. They have nickle oyster nights where I'm from and I always regale my hometown friends & family with stories of how much an oyster costs in LA. They just think it's nuts. But when you want one, you want one.
Permalink | Reply
Ocean Ave Seafood happy hour sounds like a good option. They are owned by Water Grill.
I used to go to happy hour at Mirabelle in West Hollywood where the oysters were fine to good, but cheap.
Sadly, there's no Acme here.
-----
Water Grill
544 South Grand, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Permalink | Reply
last thursday, when dining at the Mariscos Chente Inglewood location, the person at the next table was eating a HUGE platter of terrific-looking oysters.
i didn't ask the price, and i'd call before going to make sure that they are available when you go, but i'd bet the price there is very reasonable.
-----
Mariscos Chente
10020 Inglewood Ave, Lennox, CA 90304
Permalink | Reply
I've only had the oysters at MC in their ceviche mixto once, and wasn't impressed with them. But again, that was only one try in a form slightly different but critical when it comes to consuming oysters in a relatively pristine form. Considering how fresh their seafood is in general, I'd agree that it's worth a go...
Permalink | Reply
at which location did you have them?
who was cooking at the time?
Permalink | Reply
This was long ago (in Chow time) at the Centinela location when Maestro Sergio was at the helm. I don't know the variety of oyster, but it was pretty big. I am more used to the colder water specimens from up in NorCal, so I should have qualified my above statement with this info...
-----
Centinela Cafe
4800 S Centinela Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90066
Permalink | Reply
thank you for the alert.
if i ever should decide to order them i will be sure to ask before i order.
btw, at the inglewood location, he served us the marlin tacos last thursday. . . . .
Permalink | Reply
You know them well enough that I'm sure they'd let you sample before getting a platter.
Permalink | Reply
the thing is that, as much as i love oysters, i can get them at a number of restaurants in town, so they don't seem as rare or as special to me.
on the other hand, there are about ten other menu items at MC that simply aren't available (at that quality) anywhere else, so oysters are relatively low on the list when i'm dininig at MC.
Permalink | Reply
Boiling Crab has dozen oysters for something like 12 or 13 dollars.
http://www.theboilingcrab.com/
Permalink | Reply
had some super fresh oysters at Oyster House in Studio City the other night. $10/half dozen.
Can't recommend the rest of their food, though.
Permalink | Reply
I had a horrible oyster debacle at the Oyster House. Glad to hear you had a different experience but I will never eat them there again. It's a cool little place and I really wanted to like it but did not.
Permalink | Reply
Daphne's at the W Hotel has $1 and $2 oysters during their happy hour.
Permalink | Reply
Correction, Tailback. The restaaurant's name is "Delphine." This is my favorite inexpensive oyster gorge in town. Happy hour is 4-7 on weekdays, but on Monday it's Raw Bar Night, and they have $1 West Coast (usually Fanny Bay, but sometimes a Kumamoto slipped in) oysters or $2 East Coast (PEI) oysters all night long. During happy hour they also have a nice $5.00 glass of Pinot Grigio to wash 'em down with. Note that the bar menu is, IMHO better than the French bistro-style restaurant dinner menu (separate kitchens, I'm told). They also do a nice $6.00 cheeseburger on a brioche bun; and the macaroni au gratin from the restaurant menu, at $9.00, makes a nice finish to a meal if need something besides oysters to call it a meal.
Permalink | Reply
ha sorry...totally meant Delphine, not Daphnes. duh, i knew that.
Permalink | Reply
Parker's Lighthouse in Long Beach. Happy hour, 1 doz for $14. Service is poor, but the oysters are delicious.
Permalink | Reply
I dont think you can beat the Carlsbad Aquafarm oysters available at some of the local farmers markets (sat & sun in Santa Monica). They are $10/dozen and the oysters come out of the water the night before.
Permalink | Reply
The one and only time in LA I've had oysters both good and cheap was at Redondo Live Seafood (the Korean place on the 'dondo pier that apparently A-Frame is modeled after). Since it was just once I can't speak to consistent quality but they were huge tasty oysters and if memory serves were in the $1-$1.5/oyster range.
It would be helpful if someone could chime in with the actual Korean name of the place because there is a copycat resto on the 2nd floor above the pier with a similar name. Be warned, the place I'm talking about is ON the pier and has a crab sign out front.
Permalink | Reply
I went on Yelp and it seems the place is now named Pacific Fish Center and Restaurant. I swear that wasn't the name a year ago though....
-----
Pacific Fish Center & Restaurant
131 Fishermans Wharf, Redondo Beach, CA 90277
Permalink | Reply
Been that name (Pacific Fish Center...) for a loooong time now.
Permalink | Reply
They are also at the farmers market in the City of Orange on Saturday mornings - great oysters and mussels and nice people!
Permalink | Reply
I might hit up the City of Orange farmers market this weekend in that case. Do you remember any additional details- price, type, quality?
Permalink | Reply
Usually they have two varieties of oysters, Lunas and ..., it's $5 for three shucked in front of you. A whole bag of either oysters or mussels, about a dozen, I believe, is $10. Everything's really fresh, harvested in the early morning before the market. And nice people who will talk about the 'farm'!
Permalink | Reply
Dang! They weren't there today!
Permalink | Reply
I know! I made my way out there and didn't see them. One of the other vendors said the dudes were prob out fishing. I might try again next week.
Permalink | Reply
I know the guy who is usually there, Patrick, had knee surgery and a young woman was manning the booth the week before - but keep trying, it's worth it!
Permalink | Reply
Stopped by the Orange Farmers Market again this week, finally, had a chance to sample the oyster stand. Great recommendation. Patrick is back from his knee surgery. Ended up going home with two dozen oysters.
A side note, I had trouble opening some of the lunas once back at home. Some of the oysters didn't have much of a groove for me to get my knife into. And because the shells are so thin I ended up cracking a few shells. I guess I need to practice opening a few more dozen oysters. Sweet assignment to myself.
Permalink | Reply
So glad you persisted and liked! I had some this morning and bought a bag of mussels to have for dinner!
I've never tried shucking but those shells are a bit thin.
Permalink | Reply
Chaya Downtown has some good ones for $1 each during happy hour.
-----
Chaya Downtown
525 S. Flower Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Permalink | Reply
Chaya Downtown no longer has oysters available during happy hour.
Permalink | Reply
Had really good oysters (and mussels) at Hungry Cat Santa Monica.
Permalink | Reply
Fantastic oysters at Hungry Cat. In celebration of their 1st anniversary in Santa Monica, the Santa Monica location will be offering 1/2 price oysters next week. I think it is on the 25th. Reservations essential..1/2 price cocktails, too. Check their website for more info. I have a reservation.
Permalink | Reply
thanks for the heads up!
Permalink | Reply
Enjoy! I know I will.
Permalink | Reply
There's also an oyster bar reviewed by Sherry V. In the times but the name of which now escapes me.
Supposedly it's pretty darn good and located in Silver Lake.
Permalink | Reply
Here's the review that Kevin's referring to:
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/apr/...
(Alas, he provides less information than he's always asking us to provide!)
Permalink | Reply
Has anyone eaten at the L&E Oyster Bar? I'd like to check it out. Like the review says, it sounds like oyster nirvana.
Permalink | Reply
King's Fish House in Calabasa if you're in the Valley.
Permalink | Reply
Blue Plate Oysterette is another place to check out in Santa Monica.
i agree with going to either the Saturday or Sunday SM Farmers' Market and getting them from Carlsbad Aquafarms/Aquaculture. They are freshly shucked right in front out you.
Permalink | Reply
Kings Harbor in Redondo Beach has a stand which sells many many different kinds of oysters. We go for the crab feast eating outside with butcher paper, hammers and lots of lemon water to wipe fingers but always the starter is an oyster plate - most recently we had 17 different kinds of oysters - stunning and extremely inexpensive. Favorite time is saturday morning before the crowds are out so its an early lunch.
Permalink | Reply
Had a dozen oysters @$22 a dozen from LA Ports of Call on Saturday. Very fresh and tasty along with stone crab claws, deep fried calamari and oysters plus buttered baby octopi and a loaf of garlic bread. Not cheap but dang good especially with a large pitcher of cold Mexican beer!
Permalink | Reply
I love those loafs of garlic bread at the San Pedro market. Also, they got some swell fish that they will deep-fry for you.
Permalink | Reply