The hype is sometimes too impossible to ignore. Earlier this year, after years of pop ups and private events, Austin Oyster Co. opened their brick-and-mortar storefront off East Cesar Chavez. I've heard their name mentioned numerous times as providing some of the best oysters in Austin, and with my oyster expert (my girlfriend) visiting me for a week, I figured this was a better time than any to give it a shot. Alongside us was her oyster-suspicious best friend.
On a random Tuesday, they still had a reservation available the morning of for outdoor seating, and we took that opportunity without second guessing it. Once we arrived, I had to park on the street since their small lot was completely filled. That's usually the case with most downtown shops. We were sat in their beautifully shaded patio. Taking a quick peek inside, they have a classic beach-side Cape Cod feeling to their establishment, like it was opened by a former member of Vampire Weekend. We were handed a regular menu plus their raw bar menu, which seems to rotate more frequently because, well, they're consistently importing oysters and that's the luck of the draw.
I started with a Garden Party to drink while my girlfriend got the Barefoot Contessa. Our friend grabbed the Fairweather Cider they offered.
We locked in on the menu. We ordered nine oysters from Prince Edward Island in Canada mostly for my girlfriend, who paired them with a side of fries, our friend nabbed their Clams Casino (banger name btw for those who know ball), and I greedily ordered their cheeseburger and a Scallop Tostada.
They served us our drinks expeditiously, and not long after we received the Scallop Tostada from the raw bar. Everyone had a bite and was impressed. The tostada itself was crispy and taken directly from known and MICHELIN-winning taco shop, Nixta Taqueria. The touch of chili oil on top added the slightest amount of heat to the item that gave it a little more depth. It was impressive how well the concept worked together.
Next up was the oysters. Some of the oysters were a lot larger than your typical affair. I'm not an oyster expert, but they were some of the best oysters I've ever had. My girlfriend is more of an oyster expert, and she also thought they were some of the best oysters she has ever had. She was impressed that a place in Austin is focused on importing quality oysters all the way up the map from Maine, Massachusetts, and even PEI in Canada. For how far those oysters must have traveled, it's extremely impressive how fresh they tasted and how much flavor they packed. They serve the oysters with all the fixings: hot sauce, mignonette, and horseradish plus lemon slices.
After making the oysters disappear like we were David Copperfield, it wasn't long until the cheeseburger and the clams came out. The cheeseburger is made from Texas wagyu plus aged white cheddar, a dijon-infused mayonnaise, tarragon pickles, and onion. The burger was also served with an exorbitant amount of fries and their peppered ketchup. Glorious. The burger was super flavorful and had a lot going for it. I know it's atypical to grab a burger at an oyster bar, but it just sounded way too good. I'm glad I got it.
I want to come back here for a date night and really indulge deeper in their oysters and their overall raw bar menu. The entire experience was not only made by the food, but also by our consistent and attentive service from our waiter Jorge, who made sure we were full on water and having a great experience.
Austin Oyster Co. might be hard to get into on a regular weekend, but fear not, they're gonna be around for a while in Austin with service and experience like this, so you can afford to be patient.
RIYL: The best taste of the East Coast you can get in Austin. read more