Ranked by TableJourney editorial score.
Charbroiled oysters are Gulf oysters basted in butter, garlic and Parmesan, flame-grilled in the shell until the edges curl and the liquor bubbles into the cheese crust. Smoky, briny, eaten with French bread.
Charbroiled oysters were invented in 1993 by Tommy Cvitanovich at Drago's in Metairie as a way to introduce nervous customers to raw-oyster country. The dish spread across New Orleans through the late 1990s and is now standard at every French Quarter oyster bar. The Gulf oyster is briny enough to stand up to the butter-garlic baste; Acme Oyster House started running a Drago's-style version in the 2000s and Felix's matched. Fine-dining rooms (GW Fins, Peche) plate refined versions, but the canonical Quarter form is the dozen in the shell over flame.
3 editor picks for Charbroiled oysters in New Orleans, ranked by editorial score. All New Orleans signature dishes · Charbroiled oysters across every city.
GW Fins in New Orleans is Tenney Flynn's Bienville Street fine-dining seafood room, with a daily-changing menu sourced from the Gulf and the docks.
OrderWhatever runs as the daily catch. Then the warm biscuits, which arrive without prompting.
TipReservations are easier on weeknights; bar dining serves the same menu with shorter waits.
Acme Oyster House in New Orleans is the 1910 Iberville Street oyster bar between Bourbon and Royal, with char-grilled oysters and a shucker counter rebuilt.
OrderA dozen char-grilled oysters with garlic butter and Parmesan.
TipWalk-in only and a queue is the norm; aim for 11:00 open or after 21:00 for shortest waits.
Felix's in New Orleans is the Iberville Street oyster bar opposite Acme, founded 1948, with a long shucker counter, oysters Bienville and a quieter room.
OrderHalf a dozen char-grilled and half a dozen raw on the half shell.
TipLess queue than Acme across the street; the kitchen is open until 23:00 most nights.
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