We headed back to the Amherst Oyster bar for a meal on Sunday night. Lately I've been leery of going to restaurants as typically I'm the person that gets the 'bad' meal. It didn't happen this time and for this I'm eternally grateful! There were several people in our party so we started with the seafood tower. It was very good and included 1 dozen oysters (pick 2 on the oyster list), 6 shrimp cocktail, tuna tartare, crab salad, and a small cup of seaweed salad. Along with came several lemon wedges, cocktail sauce, minionette, and some crispy flatbread. I didn't try the shrimp but had some of the rest and it was all excellent. For my main I opted for the Casarecce Vongole which was similar to linguini and clams (with casarecce). I'd typically think of the ridge on casarecce as holding a heavier sauce (this was olive oil based) but what the heck right? This was served with manila clams which are a little small but they were very good. The sauce was loaded with sliced garlic, some parsley, and a little red pepper flake. The meal was very good. One of the members of our party had some dietary restrictions and the staff was very good about working with her to assemble a meal that she could eat. She really enjoyed her meal as well. read more

First timer coming here. Not sure why I waited so long! We had a reservation for four at 7:15P on a Saturday night. Surprisingly, we wouldn't have actually needed the reservation; the place was pretty quiet for a Saturday night. Though, the college students are all gone for summer so that might play a part in it. Nonetheless. The food was DELICIOUS. The drinks were FABULOUS. We each had a few drinks and everyone seemed to enjoy what they had. I ordered the Don't Text Your Ex and that was so yummy. I loved the dragonfruit dusting on top. Our server, Scotty, kept us fed and hydrated all night. We started with 16 oysters, tried 4 different kinds, of all sizes. I wish I remembered which we did but they were all very good. Next came the calamari with hot honey. That was eaten up pretty quickly as well! Highly recommend. Entree wise, I ordered the Seared Scallops for myself, and the other party goers had the Lobster Roll (which comes hot, not cold), the Seared Tuna, and the Casarecce Vongole. Everyone was part of the clean plate club that night. All the dishes were so good I know I keep repeating myself! The bill can get pretty pricey if you're not paying attention. We will definitely be going back! read more

Amherst Oyster Bar - Seared Scallops - Seafood Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

See all

Great restaurant and bar. Ambience beautiful... excellent drinks, menu and choices. Amherst is a great place to stop for food drink and walking read more

See all

This was my first time visiting Amherst Oyster Bar, and while it's a super cute addition to the main street, I don't know if I'll be going back. I'm a vegetarian, and although a couple dishes had the option to swap the seafood for tofu, veggie options were lacking. The sesame cauliflower was very good as an app! I had wanted to try the burnt end mushrooms but they were no longer on the menu. Service was incredibly slow. I know the waitress was hustling and it's not her fault, but I'm not sure why it took 45 minutes for our entrees to come out. She kept apologizing and saying it would be out soon but we were there for a full 90 minutes before we got our entrees which was weird. I ordered the harvest bowl with tofu and it was fine. It was a big portion size, great variety of veggies, and the pesto was good. But there wasn't enough pesto for the whole dish and without the pesto, nothing else was seasoned at all. It was so bland. The tofu was just big chunks of lightly seared plain tofu. I saw on the menu you can order fish and chips with tofu instead, but it seems silly to come to a place known for seafood and swap their fish for tofu. Especially after eating the harvest dish, I don't know if they would even know how to properly prepare the tofu. Maybe this is a good spot for drinks and oysters but that's about it! read more

See all

Mixed review here for sure. The place is cute and the food good for the most part, but the service was excruciatingly slow. One person in our party had to get her meal to go because it took nearly 90 minutes for the entrees to come out, a good 45 minutes past when we finished our apps. The server stopped by at one point to apologize for the delay and said the food would be out in 5 minutes, but it took another 15. The food came out warm, but not hot. The seared scallops and the seared tuna were both very good. Weirdly, one person got 7 scallops on their plate, and the other had 6. Fish and chips were dry and bland. The crab cakes were good, but I didn't like the lobster bisque. The oysters were good, as one would expect. read more

See all

The server certainly knew his oysters! Moved here from Cape Cod so I know oysters, I've caught many and am confident that oyster vendors know how to keep them fresh. We enjoyed the oysters then we had the fried oysters with chilli sauce fantastic! I had the crab cakes delicious although a little too much salt for my taste. The homemade pasta was spot on another person in our party had the fried clam roll, absolutely delicious, the portion size did defeat her, however she gets to enjoy the leftovers! The service and ambience was just great. I really appreciated the extensive mocktail menu! Job well done! I'll be back for sure! Just wish you were on DoorDash , I could have the chilli fried oysters anytime!!!!! read more

Food was good the first time I was here. The second time it was excellent as well. But even better, the attentive skillful and friendly bartender was spot on about obscure word history. I don't know her name, but she's worth the trip. read more

We tried the Oyster Bar for the first time last weekend and we really liked the decor and the atmosphere. Our waitress was great and attentive. The drinks were great! The food was just mediocre. They are a new place so they may just need to work out some kinks. Hopefully they improve but we will definitely try it again in the future to see if they up their game. read more

See all

Superb choice of fresh oysters, great price! OMG! Awesome calamari dish! Ok, summer time in a college town, so it is a slow time, but lovely ambiance great service. They describe oysters like you might expect from wine tasters. Really good menu well matched with nice wine. read more

Having been to Amherst Oyster many many times, the aspect that stands out to me the most is how consistent they are with food quality, attention to customer needs, and making you feel seen and celebrated. The atmosphere is upscale and inviting. The flavor pairings and food quality is great and honestly unexpected for the Amherst area. Anda is my favorite bartender, making the best drinks, and always creates an energetic visit. Highly recommend! read more

Amherst Oyster Bar - Seafood Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

Great service, fresh oysters, and the lobster roll was top notch! Definitely will be back.

Amherst oyster bar is such a pleasant new spot in the heart of town - great addition to the restaurant scene in Amherst. Delicious oysters and loved the scallops. The steak came out undercooked but the staff was accommodating and corrected the error and it ended up being good. The dessert was SO GOOD. Creative twists on the classics and were accommodating for dairy and gluten restrictions. The manager was great and you can tell he puts incredible care into everything about the restaurant. They are new and have to work out some logistics but think they will soon be a staple in town! read more

See all

Drove two hours for Whole Belly Clams. Waitperson informed me, and I knew what was coming, that a pint would be $65.00. They were point on delicious! A dozen oysters were going for $3.50 each, did that. But, 4 to 6 they were $1.00. It was 4 pm, and I wasn't informed that only one type was at that price. Overheard that from a different waitperson at the table next to me. My person wasn't the best from what I could see, and I wasn't informed able to observe three others quite close! Nice looking place. Payable street parking only!!! read more

Amherst Oyster Bar - The order slip for oysters. - Seafood Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

See all

Awesome! Beautiful remodel inside and out. Service was very good. Bread baked on the premises My sister had fried oysters. Done to perfection. I had grilled chicken. Best food in a long time. Beautiful presentation of the oysters, all labeled and expected flavors. I definitely will be back. read more

Visited the much talked about restaurant in Amherst, I heard the lobster rolls and belly clams were very good. I made a reservation for 7 of us , we got to the restaurant early so we were given the lunch menu and not the dinner menu. That was ok but the restaurant was completely empty. Not sure if reservation was needed . The server although friendly was not versed in her menu availability. We ordered drinks and asked if we could have some bread before appetizers, she replied " we don't do that here" . Ok, then move on we ordered 5 appetizers , the shrimp was tasty , the Calimari was a bit dry but passible , she gave us a dip with " toasted bread" , I was like huh, they have bread! I ordered more bread for the table , she said " oh that's an up charge " ok no problem I said , but you do have it and we could have had it in the beginning .. smh!! Now we go to order , lobster rolls, " no lobster " , she said it's too expensive this time of year .. huh! I'm from NY , we pay MKT price if it cost more , it's listed on the Menu " MKT PRICE ", nope. No lobster rolls How about an order of belly clams at MKT PRICE, nope we don't have that . So , now we chose the Oyster Bar and we are eating smash burgers and fish and chips ( long john silvers is better) I did order the Paella , I don't think they know what real Paiella is ? Very Sad experience. Lastly , the bill comes . Sorry folks , even in Manhattan we don't charge 23% service charge for 7 people , especially when the service rendered was a mere 15 % worthy , and when does 7 people constitute a large party in an empty restaurant. Thumbs down , need to get your game on. read more

Visited during UMass graduation and was pleasantly surprised by the speed of the service and arrival of the food. We had the salmon, fish and chips, and oysters and enjoyed everything. read more

I went for Valentines day and the experience was just okay. The service was very slow, which is not a huge deal to me, but the waitress was very kind. For appetizers we had oysters and the grilled octopus. Both of which were delicious, but the serving size on the appetizer was very small. Next was the arugula salad. Really nothing special here. Very basic salad and portion size again was small. Then our main courses. I got the monkfish. The flavor was good, but again, SUPER small portion size for a main dish. My husband got the duck and same story there. Great flavor, very small portion size. For dessert we got the cheesecake and the chocolate raspberry torte like bowl. I thought these were both pretty decent. In terms of the ambiance, my husband and I both noted they needed to dim the lights by about 50%. It was very bright in there. Otherwise, the building is beautiful and they've done a good job. Overall, food is good, I would just love to see larger portion sizes and faster service time. Im happy to see a new place in town, so this feedback is not meant to be harsh, just some suggestions on how to improve. read more

Went there today for their Valentine's Day prefix and I'd have to say it wasn't great. One plus was that the servers were great. Very nice and attentive. Only reason it's not a one star review. Food was very slow and it wasn't swamped. Looked like half the restaurant was full while only serving a third of their normal menu. We got an appetizer of the oysters which were good. No complaints there. The flavor was great, it wasn't gritty and just the perfect amount of horse radish. Next we got the amuse-bouche which was just an oyster covered in beet sauce. Not great and nothing amazing about it. The prefix appetizers for us were the Cajun crab bisque and the Spanish octopus. The bisque had no flavor and the Spanish octopus was a half a tentacle that was over cooked on the outside and almost raw on the inside with a undercooked fingerling potato drenched in a half decent sauce. Next was the "salad" that was pretty much bagged arugula and 2 little pomegranate seeds. The entrees were next.......overcooked and fatty duck for one and the tiniest sliver of monkfish for the other. The flavors for the measly bite of monkfish was good. Then they threw potato sticks on top like it was fancy. Last the desserts. The chocolate friands was good with the cream and truffles. The vanilla tart was probably the worst dessert I've ever had. Taste like chalk was barely mixed into a vanilla pudding and dropped on a broken graham cracker. Oh and not to mention......none of the food came out hot. It was lukewarm or on the colder side while served. read more

See all

My experience at Amherst Oyster bar was like an uplifting smooth mixtape. Anda, our bartender, mixed drinks like a true mixologist - from the 'shake shake shake' rhythms he'd create over the music playing, giving life to his spirit of vibrance and delectable taste to the art of pouring and artful presentation. I truly enjoyed my experience there. I felt very taken care of. I would recommend the bar experience at AOB with Anda any day! Thank you read more

See all

The food here is really fresh and quite beautiful. It's so nice to have a place like this in town. read more

Amherst Oyster Bar - Salmon - Seafood Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

See all

Went in at 2 pm on a Thurs, place almost completely empty. Bartender ignores then disappears. Manager and someone else (discussing menu items) ignore me too ,10 minutes, waiting to order a drink and some oysters. Nope. I left. Place won't (can't) last read more

Incompetent service and gloppy food. The roasted oyster appetizer was mostly breadcrumbs, so you could hardly detect that there was an oyster inside. The paella was awful, very soggy with overcooked peas. They just don't know what they are doing in this kitchen. Stick to the canned beer and good luck. Understaffed? Hire staff. read more

I hope very much that Amherst Oyster Bar is successful, as the town really needs an establishment like this one in the revitalized center. The ambience and decor is wonderful, the service excellent and the menu promising. However...the quality of the food, outside of the oyster bar, is not great. I've been there for dinner three times and was disappointed each time. The best entree was the NY strip steak. I've also tried the Po' Boy sandwich, crab cakes, lobster roll and oyster mushroom marsala. They were all rather bland. My companions at each meal (family members, friends) had the same thing to say about their dishes. On our most recent visit, the restaurant was, amazingly, out of three appetizers I tried to order: lobster arancini, fried calamari and crab cakes. This was about 7:30pm on a Sunday. It's really unforgivable that a fancy oyster bar be completely out of three appetizers - especially staples like calamari and crab cakes. Finally, I was put off by the fact that a Sunday night of a holiday weekend (Columbus Day) by 8:30pm the restaurant was already closing down, with chairs being put up on tables and lights turned off in parts of the dining area. Perhaps this is a critique of the entire town of Amherst, where the majority of restaurants close down at 8 or 8:30pm. read more

Delicious food!! A HUGE menu with lots of great selections. The oysters were amazing as well as the lobster bisque soup. This place brings a wonderful coastal atmosphere to the small town of amherst! We loved the vibes overall. Service was a little slow. We waited a long time to put in our order and our waitress seemed a little confused, but was very kind. The location is new, so it was understandable. read more

Amherst Oyster Bar - Oysters - Seafood Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

We had a great experience at Amherst Oyster Bar. Finally a place with a creative, affordable, and delicious wine list. Most glasses at $10 a glass- this is amazing! The service was top notch, and our server was super friendly and knowledgeable. The room is really nice as well. The oysters were fanastic and we also had fish and chips, a burger, scallops, and a shimp pasta. The only thing I would say is although the scallops were great, the sweet carmelized onion sauce wasn't necessary (kind of didn't work). Keep it simple since your ingredients are fresh! I think this place will do well as it's a fresh break from the norms of a college town. Bravo-I highly recommend. read more

Come for the oysters...leave after the oysters. The oysters were top-notch. They weren't cheap. But they were delicious. The rest of the menu was rough. The fried seafood options were just off. Like a strange flavor to the fish, or a spice in the batter that tasted odd. Some of it was very overcooked, practically black from the fryer. The scallops were not seared on the entrée and they were tender but bland and they had an odd sour flavor. My wife said she felt nauseous all the next day after eating them. Speaking of bland, the lobster roll? A good portion of stuff that looked like lobster but had very little flavor. I have never had flavorless lobster before. It must have had a rough ride in the freezer before they thawed it out and slapped it in the roll. Which was burnt on one side. The filet and lobster tail was dreadful. Gristly filet. Dried out lobster tail. Should have been embarrassed to put that on the plate. The fries were good but over salted. Like I said, it starts and ends with the oysters here. Everything else was pretty terrible. read more

Outstanding food and service. Oysters were perfectly prepared and fresh. Service was excellent, and ambiance was lively but not intrusive.

Food was delicious. Calamari was very crunchy, salmon was cooked perfect. Fries with fish and chips were delicious. Also got scallops and Tuna all food was good. We had fantastic service - our server was Scottie and he was awesome. So friendly and even offered a taste of his favorite wine to the person ordering wine with dinner to try. The vibe of the restaurant was very laid back and we felt very comfortable. Would go back for sure. read more

Drinks were fantastic, as was bar service by Anda. Food was less good. Loved the calamari appetizer and had great hopes for the red snapper entree, but though it looked gorgeous, it was pretty tasteless. Decor was beautiful though the servers were dressed in a manner that looked like they were at a breakfast place or a beachside luncheon stop. Not a cozy dinner place. read more

I rarely write reviews but am doing so now hoping management sees it and to forewarn others. The service, kitchen and oysters were the worst Ive experienced. I arrived about 5:50 and the bar tender didn't take my order until 6:04. I know this because he told me he couldn't do anything about because of the time he placed the order. I waited over a 1/2 hour for 4 oysters @ $3 each which were all hacked up by the kitchen. Bad shucking. They were pounding out oyster for a buck and didn't care. I cancelled my meal and learned because of the time it took just to get 4 oysters and the decietfulness of the bartender. When I brought it up he told me they had a $1 oyster deal until 6 backing up the shuckers and kitchen. The bartender didn't tell me about it when I arrived even though I could have ordered from dollar oysters Then I got hacked up dollar oysters when I ordered expensive ones that should have been handled with care. The bartender paid more attention to his friend at the bar slurping down her oysters than his customers. Clearly he didn't care enough to tell his customer about the deal or they'd have to wait because of it. It was hard to get his attention. This place needs to figure service out or it will bite the dust soon. I ended ordering sushi at the House of Teriyaki in N Amherst which was great as usual. Be forewarned dont ever go there around 6 and don't trust the bartender to treat you right. read more

The fried clam strips were awful- just the wrong coating which made them bitter and a horrible experience for any person who has ever been to a Cape clam shack. The service was fine. The ambiance was obviously the most well planned part of the operation. The plants give a seaside feel without the fake lobster traps. The chowder was very good and the fries were perfect. Folks say, be nice, they just opened, but I also say the restaurant has to learn how to cook and those strips just are not right. read more

I don't know if it's newby issues but we were not impressed. Even though there were plenty of tables, I was not able to reserve a table online telling me the time slot was full. There were lots of large groups there. We had to wait a while to get a hostess to seat us; at least come by and say "I'll be right with you" but waitresses and waiters passed us and said nothing. We ordered the lobster bisque and the fish and chips. The bisque was good but I didn't like the oily green added at the end- why more oil to such a rich dish? Anyway, it was tasty but I came across one piece of lobster in the whole thing. Would have loved a little bottle of sherry to add to it too but that's personal preference. The fish and were fine; average size portion; didn't like the no name catsup used. Why not Heinz? A name we all love? Dessert was the worst part- she recommended the marscapone pie and said it was like a cheesecake so, loving cheesecake, we ordered it and boy were we sorry! Basically they took a chunk of marscapone and put it on a graham cracker crust and then drizzled chocolate syrup and nuts over it. Did they forget any sugar in it? It was terrible and for me to leave a dessert is rare! Coffee was pretty tasteless. Cannot recommend,sorry! read more

This will be my third time eating at the Amherst Oyster bar. I usually go for buck-a-shuck and sit at the bar. My experiences thus far have been nothing short of amazing each time. Yesterday I brought a friend to the establishment for his first time and he was extremely pleased with the drinks, food and the service. Anda the bartender is knowledgeable, attentive and well versed in the crafting of cocktails. I'm a mezcal fan and I had my first mezcal margarita prepared by him a couple weeks ago and let me tell you it was phenomenal. Sadly, yesterday I had to cut my dining experience short cause of a disgruntled old man who was mumbling under his breath the entire time. It was as if there was nothing that the bartender could do correctly. He kept making comments referencing to the past establishment. He was searching for something to complain about the entire time. His entitled attitude was really ruining it for everyone else. Clearly if he looked around it's not the same place. Or the same food and definitely not the same service. The restaurant was very busy but it didn't stop the bartender from being on top of all the customers that sat at the bar. It's concerning that the older locals can't get past the history of the previous establishment. As a younger local we want to support the growth of the new places opening up in the area. Not tear them down cause of a slight delay in service due the busyness of the promotion. It's clear that the restaurant is really trying to establish them selves after what was a 40 year stint from the previous place. It was time for something new but more importantly time for the locals to embrace it. Let's be positive about what's to come. Instead of being frustrated and creating a toxic environment for everyone else perhaps offer words of constructive criticism. I'd recommend this place to any and everyone who wants to try something new in an area. The downtown Amherst restaurant scene has been lacking for many years now. The anticipation of the opening of the Amherst Oyster Bar has been refreshing and great addition from stale places that we've all been going to for many years now. 10 out of 10! I'll be back at the bar soon. read more

Amherst Oyster Bar - Seafood Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

The food was delicious. The Wait staff were terrific. When there was a delay in one of our appetizers, the manager came out, apologized, and comped us the appetizer. He came out several times to check on us. Great atmosphere, really fun, light, and inviting. We will definitely go back! The Wait staff and management were all really engaging. And the drinks were terrific! read more

This is the second time I dined there. The first time, I was underwhelmed and considered not going back. I'm glad we went back. The oysters were fresh and served in timely manner. The pan seared scallops and the accompaniments were perfect. The waitstaff were very friendly and professional and the ambience was extremely pleasant. All 4 of us had an enjoyable evening. read more

I really enjoyed this restaurant. I went in hunting for the Ichabod Flat Oyster from Plymouth. They did not have it but I really enjoyed my meal. I ordered the crab cake app and beat salad. The food tasted very fresh. My Moscow mule was delicious. Maybe a bit too much ice but they have the best crunchy ice. YUM. read more

What is with the corn starch fried clams. Not good! Cool spot. Bad food. Ok service. I wanted more. I'll try again because I know they are fairly new but their menu needs more authentic New England seafood flavor. Skip the weird stuff like cornstarch. read more

I really wanted to like this place. I have gone three time since they opened this past spring. The first time, the food was great....but they couldn't seem to get the food service timing from the kitchen to sync with the two of us at the table...so kinda lopsided in trying to eat together. But the servers were so nice, I chalked it up adjustment time needed to a new business. The second time, many weeks later....exactly same thing. They couldn't serve the table together and so I waited while everyone else ate. When I got my food, everyone had to wait for me to finish- the food was not that great.... marginal; like fried clams from a fast food place. The third time was this Sunday- 6 weeks later from the second time. When the table was served the server told me the cook had burned my fried clams so would make a new batch. It took FOREVER. The table was basically finished eating when I got my food.....AND the fried clams were dark brown, a shade away from being burnt, and TOUGH. I asked for a box as everyone else was done. What a disappointment. I guess don't order fried clams. The servers were very nice though. read more

We visited Amherst Oyster Bar for the first time last evening looking for a special meal for my friend's birthday. Our experience was mixed. The staff was very eager to please, We were greeted and were seated immediately. (Of course we made a reservation well in advance.) Our service all evening was attentive and gracious. The hostess was very accommodating, allowing us to choose a nice table on the side where we would have the best chance of being able to hear each other. Although the decor is lovely, this is a lively spot. The space is large and open and pretty loud. No intimacy here. We were urged to order a bottle of wine and went with our server's suggestion, which turned out to be a sparkling variety. None of us remember hearing that this would be true, and none of us drinks sparkling wine. Given the price of the bottle, we sent it back. The replacement was very nice and the server gets credit for not hesitating for a minute. Our food was a mixed bag. The salads were fresh and very nice; the Caesar was delicious, with crumbled croutons; a nice touch. I asked for romaine for my house salad and that's exactly what I was served, with dressing on the side. The oysters were delicious. Sadly, most of the main dishes were a disappointment. Although the seafood was very fresh and the shrimp big and perfectly cooked, generally our dishes were over salted (I could barely eat my fries, or the fried pickles), the sauce for the Shrimp Mozambique was thin, very watery and not very flavorful. The smash burger and crab cake were unremarkable; the burger dry and crab cake floppy; no flavor. The snapper was a nice piece of fish, but over cooked. None of us ordered deep fried dishes, so maybe that was our mistake. My friend did enjoy his scallop dish, so that was a win. In conclusion, we are delighted that the Amherst Oyster Bar is up and running and we really appreciated the effort of the vast staff to make our evening enjoyable. However, the food just didn't hit the mark for us. Maybe we will try again, but generally, for a high end meal like this we will return to our tried and true establishments. read more

this place is awesome! the servers are so nice and the food came out so quickly. the interior design is sleek and modern, and the oyster display is a cute touch. anda and warren are great bartenders with perfect recommendations. my favorite dish was the fish sandwich and tuna tartar. definitely coming back soon. read more