Surrounded by the sea on all sides, Galveston is a small Texan city that I think is often overlooked. As you may (or may not know), Galveston is known as a coastal resort city.
As such, there are dozens of beautiful restaurants, bars, and eateries dotted around the coastal areas.
To my utter pleasure, I have been lucky enough to eat at a number of their best seafood restaurants, all of which have impressed me with their delicious oyster dishes.
As you may know by now, oysters (well, any seafood for that matter) are my passion. I hunt out the best-rated oyster dishes in whichever city I visit, and have even been known to make whole trips to cities just to try an oyster dish!
Of course, when I found out I was visiting Galveston, I just had to get the lowdown on the best oysters. Of course, I found some and more!
In true Boss Oyster fashion, I have decided to give you a rundown of some of the best oysters I have eaten in Galveston, naming the top four restaurants in which oysters can be found.
If you’re a Galveston native and have never tried these eateries before, you need to head on down to each of them in turn.
Perhaps you are a holidaymaker about to arrive in Galveston and are looking for the best oysters money can buy. If so, this is the article for you!
Just try and get through this article without your mouth watering and belly rumbling. It really is pretty much impossible!
Black Pearl Oyster Bar Galveston
327 23rd St, Galveston, TX 77550
409-762-7299
https://www.facebook.com/BestRawOysters/
First up on my list of the Best Oysters in Galveston just has to be the Black Pearl oyster Bar. This is located on 23rd Street and is raved about by just about everyone who visits Galveston. I have to say, I was not disappointed.
As the name of the restaurant suggests, oysters are the main event, and you can get them in any way you can imagine, whether that be raw, smoked, baked, or broiled.
As per recommendations, you should dine after 5 pm to eat from their dinner menu. This gives you the greatest selection of oyster dishes (as well as other beautiful fresh seafood) and the freshest oysters possible.
You will be impressed with the very generous portions, and the options for oysters you have available. They can be served raw on the half shell and it is clear that they are always as fresh as can be - no jarred oysters around here!
The restaurant itself is comfortable, intimate, and has a friendly overall atmosphere. Service is always top notch and the prices are competitive.
There are even options for those who do not like seafood (although if you are dining with seafood haters you should question your taste in people….just joking!).
All in all, Black Pearl Oyster Bar is certainly an unmissable eatery in Galveston.
If you want the freshest seafood possible and an array of choices, this is the restaurant for you. You are sure to be impressed with the top quality food and great value prices.
Gaido's Seafood Restaurant – The Coastal Classic
3828 Seawall Blvd, Galveston, TX 77550
409-761-5500
http://www.gaidos.com/
As one of the top rated restaurants in the whole of Galveston (yep, a seafood restaurant got treated top, it’s a miracle) I understandably had to see what the fuss was all about. Safe to say I was not disappointed.
Gaido’s Seafood Restaurant is located right on the seashore, on the aptly named Seawall Blvd.
Of course, seafood is their specialty, and oysters feature heavily on the menu, as you might expect.
That being said, as it is not an oyster focussed bar or restaurant, there is a little bit less choice when it comes to oysters when compared to the likes of Black Pearl that I reviewed above.
However, do not be put off as the oysters they do have are delicious. You can get oysters as a main meal, side, or as part of a platter.
Fried oysters from Gaido’s are delicious. They are coated and fried in cornmeal and then cooked until golden brown.
This is accompanied by your choice of parmesan tomatoes, potato wedges, or asparagus. You can also get devilled eggs as a starter, and these come with fried oysters, too.
If you prefer your oysters raw on the half shell then you can get these from the Deluxe Shellfish Tower or the Premium Market Oysters starter. Or, if you prefer, you can ask for them to be charcoal grilled.
The overall atmosphere of Gaido’s is classy and intimate. It is certainly a bit more ‘upper class’, for want of a better phrase, when compared to other seafood restaurants.
That being said, to put your mind at ease, there is no dress code and you are made to feel comfortable by the staff.
Certainly, a must-have eating experience if you happen to be in the Galveston coastal area!
Fisherman's Wharf | Seafood American Restaurant
2200 Harborside Dr, Galveston, TX 77550
409-765-5708
http://www.fishermanswharfgalveston.com/
Fisherman’s Wharf is a seafood-focussed restaurant that is well known for its Shrimp Kisses (shrimp that has been wrapped in bacon and stuffed with jalapeno cheese).
However, it is the oysters that attracted me! The Fresh oysters from Fisherman’s Wharf are some of the best, and I have eaten a heck of a lot of oysters!
I am a fan of the Oysters on The Half Shell which are served raw and can be found on the Cold Appetizers section of the menu. They are available in half a dozen and a dozen and come fresh from the Gulf when in season.
If you prefer fried oysters, there is also the option to get a combo meal in which you can choose two different foods to be fried from oysters, shrimp, stuffed shrimp, and fish fillet.
If you are in a really oyster-y mood, you can choose the fresh oysters as an appetizer and the fried oysters as a main!
The overall atmosphere at Fisherman’s Wharf is comfortable and friendly. It is a casual dining experience and a great place to go for a quick lunch with friends or a delicious dinner.
They offer a lunch, brunch, and dinner menu, so whatever time of day you arrive you can enjoy good food.
The cuisine is fresh and local, and you can even enjoy your food whilst sat outside on their patio which offers unbeatable views over the bay area.
Waits for tables can often be long, but this is just a testament to how popular they are. You will certainly feel the wait was well worth it when you finally sit down and taste their fried oysters, that’s for sure.
A must-try seafood restaurant if you are ever in the Galveston area. You will certainly be glad you stopped by!
In summary
Overall, I have been mightily impressed by the seafood eatery options in Galveston. As I said at the beginning, this beautiful coastal city is often forgotten about, but I truly feel that this will not always be the case.
The independent restaurants that cater to seafood lovers alone are surely enough to boost the tourist influx there!
Thanks to Galveston’s location and being surrounded by the ocean, the seafood is as fresh as can be, and each of the restaurants I reviewed above has an impressive plethora of dishes to choose from.
All three of the restaurants I have reviewed - Black Pearl Oyster Bar Galveston, Gaido's Seafood Restaurant – The Coastal Classic, and Fisherman's Wharf | Seafood American Restaurants are excellent in their own right.
All of them have welcoming atmospheres, friendly staff, and excellent service. Of course, above all, they all share great food in common. Seafood is the main attraction for all three, and as you know, all of it is fresh and tasty.
In terms of oysters, your best choice is likely to be Black Pearl Oyster Bar Galveston thanks to the array of different oyster dishes it has on offer.
Of course, that is to be expected since it specializes in oysters. However, the other two restaurants are equally as wonderful, and whilst the choice of oyster dishes is smaller, the oysters they do sell are some of the best I’ve ever had.
One thing is for sure and that is that Galveston is positively bursting at its seams with high quality seafood restaurants.
These three that I have reviewed have barely scratched the service of what else is available for seafood fans, and oyster fans especially.
It’s just that, for me, these were the best three that I came across.
If you do happen to be planning a trip to Galveston sometime soon, you should definitely find room in your schedule to pay a visit to one if not all of these oyster joints. Your tastebuds and tummy will not regret it.
Happy oyster eating, my seafood-loving pals!