History

Boston's oyster-bar tradition runs unbroken to 1826, when Union Oyster House opened on Union Street and became the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the United States. Daniel Webster, US Senator from Massachusetts, ate his oysters at the U-shaped bar with a tumbler of brandy from 1830 onward. Wellfleet oysters from the outer Cape Cod flats and Duxbury Bay row 34 oysters, named for the literal 34th cultivation row in the bay, became the defining house-bay varieties. The modern raw-bar revival traces to Island Creek Oysters (founded 1995 in Duxbury) and the Row 34 restaurant chain (2013).

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Common allergens: Shellfish

Make it at home

Yield 2Hands-on 15 minTotal 15 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 12 fresh East Coast oysters (Wellfleet or Duxbury preferred), tightly closed shells
  • For mignonette: 60ml red wine vinegar, 1 small shallot finely minced, 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper, half teaspoon caster sugar
  • Crushed ice, lemon wedges, hot sauce optional, to serve

Method

  1. Mix the mignonette: vinegar, shallot, pepper and sugar in a small bowl. Rest 30 minutes for the shallot to soften the vinegar.
  2. Scrub the oyster shells under cold running water with a stiff brush.
  3. Lay a folded tea towel on the counter. Place an oyster cup-side down, hinge facing you.
  4. Insert the tip of an oyster knife into the hinge and twist firmly until you hear a pop. Slide the knife along the top shell to cut the adductor muscle.
  5. Lift off the top shell. Slide the knife under the meat to release it from the bottom shell, keeping the liquor intact.
  6. Arrange the oysters on crushed ice in their bottom shells. Serve immediately with the mignonette, lemon wedges and hot sauce.

Tip from the editors. Buy oysters live, refrigerate cup-side down, and shuck within 24 hours of purchase. Discard any oyster with a cracked shell or that does not close when tapped.

Where to eat new england oysters

New England oysters in Boston

Neptune Oyster ★ 4.9

$$$ SeafoodNorth End

Neptune Oyster on Salem Street runs the city's defining raw bar in Boston's North End since 2004. 42 seats, no reservations, hot-buttered lobster roll.

OrderHot-buttered lobster roll on a butter-toasted split-top bun.

TipPut your name on the iPad at 16:30. The wait at 18:30 runs 90 minutes; weekday lunch is the easy seat.

Directions Book

Row 34 ★ 4.6

$$$ SeafoodSeaport Fort Point

Row 34 on Congress Street has run the Fort Point oyster room in Boston since 2013. Named for row 34 in Duxbury Bay, 20 East Coast oyster varieties daily.

OrderA mixed dozen of East Coast oysters and the crispy oysters with sriracha aioli.

TipThe bar runs the same menu without the reservation lead time. Tuesday nights walk in easily.

Directions Book

Union Oyster House ★ 4.2

$$$ SeafoodNorth End

Union Oyster House on Union Street has shucked oysters in Boston since 1826, the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the United States.

OrderA dozen Wellfleets at the U-shaped bar and a cup of clam chowder.

TipSkip the dining-room tables and sit at the historic raw bar. The bar is the original 1826 plank.

Directions Book

Saltie Girl ★ 4.4

$$ $22-$48BrunchSeafood brunchBack Bay

Kathy Sidell's Saltie Girl on Dartmouth Street runs a seafood brunch in Boston's Back Bay since 2016. Order the lobster benedict with hollandaise on the side.

OrderLobster benedict with hollandaise on the side.

TipBrunch books two weeks out on Resy. Saturday at 11:00 is the walk-in seat at the bar.

Directions Book

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