Served with a tiny mountain of caviar or just a squeeze of lemon, oysters always feel celebratory. And all along Southern waterways, there are plenty of reasons to cheer. Oyster populations are on the rise in the Chesapeake Bay, where farmers, conservationists, and businesses joined together to restore reefs. And both Southern coasts—the Atlantic and the Gulf—are experiencing a surge in oyster farming, which takes pressure off wild harvests. Joining the party, these new Southern oyster bars bring all that gustatory abundance straight to the people.
The Syren
Naples, Florida
The week the Syren planned to welcome its first diners in 2022, Hurricane Ian slammed into Naples, flooding the waterfront space. After a total rebuild debuted in January 2024, guests have poured in for lemon-and-caper-enlivened triggerfish schnitzel, rock shrimp tempura, and a seat at Sea Bar, where they gaze at the shimmering Great Wave–tiled artwork, sip rosé from the restaurant group’s own Argentinean winery, and down shucked-before-their-eyes oysters splashed with preserved-lemon mignonette. Co-owner Peter Tierney, though, prefers a condiment that brings both heat and warm fuzzies: “We serve hot sauces made by an amazing local student-operated program teaching kids entrepreneurship and business skills.”
The Walrus at Holy City Brewing
North Charleston, South Carolina
Front and center in Holy City Brewing’s large industrial taproom, the chalkboard oyster menu overlooking the Walrus, an L-shaped raw bar that opened there in early 2024, gets rewritten daily but usually includes South Carolina options like the salty, meaty Lowcountry Cups grown in the fertile ACE Basin. “We are a locals’ spot,” explains chef and general manager Connor White. “Supporting area farmers, oyster and otherwise, just fits.” Along with knowledgeable staff, cards outlining location, salinity, and flavor notes, plus suggested beer pairings, help demystify the shellfish. White’s go-to duo? “Some South Carolina–grown Perky Sea Cups with a crisp Holy City Pilsner.”
Little’s Oyster Bar
Houston, Texas
The ongoing Texas oyster-farming boom thrills executive chef Jason Ryczek, who prioritizes sustainability at Little’s Oyster Bar: “More oyster farms here is good for the water, good for communities, and great for our diners.” He keeps Lone Star Stateraised Matagorda Pearls and Mermaid Tears in the rotation, dressing them in the likes of orange-blossom-mimosa foam and a house-made white sturgeon caviar. “Gold starburst-like lights and other accents feel Hollywood glam,” Ryczek says of the atmosphere, “but it’s not stuffy.” And despite the deep wine list (more than five hundred bottles) and two sommeliers on staff, Ryczek himself keeps it classic. “There are few better ways to eat and drink in Houston than oysters here with a martini.”
Alici
Atlanta, Georgia
While alici is Italian for anchovy, oysters are the sea creatures that float owner and chef Pat Pascarella’s boat. That’s evident in the prime placement of the Amalfi Coast-inspired spot’s curved raw bar and gleaming glass case showcasing the day’s five to twelve oyster selections. Inventive accompaniments like taralli, tiny doughnut-shaped, fennel-laced crackers, add Italian flair. Pascarella hopes the salty bites, combined with the restaurant’s deep-sea blues, natural wood, and colorful tilework, transport guests from bustling Midtown to the Mediterranean: “I want them to feel like they’re mountainside,” he says, “overlooking the water.”
Ramone’s Oyster Bar and Citrus Club
Nashville, Tennessee
To boost the appeal of the bar crowning Mercado, the Nashville restaurant that Terrell Raley’s Amaranth Hospitality group opened in 2023 in the Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood, the restaurateur added oysters, dubbing the rooftop Ramone’s Oyster Bar and Citrus Club. “It’s the highest point in the area with panoramic views, but the oyster program really elevates it,” Raley says. Complementing the Baja-influenced menu, spicy aguachile energizes East and West Coast oysters, and the margaritas come blended with mango or passion fruit and topped with mezcal floaters. Local secret: Sundays mean half-shell beauties for half the price. “We lose money,” Raley admits, “but I just want people to come enjoy oysters.”
The Urban Oyster
Baltimore, Maryland
Jasmine Norton grew up slurping oysters with her dad. As the country’s first Black female oyster-bar owner, the Baltimore chef uses those memories to fuel her mission of creating more oyster fans. At the long bar in her Hampden neighborhood spot, the Urban Oyster, Norton baits her hook with such delights as fried-oyster tacos, deviled eggs topped with golden oyster fritters, and half-shell options zinged with horseradish-heavy cocktail sauce (her favorite bite). “Blacks have historic ties to oysters; we were the ones harvesting them back in the day,” she says. “Now we can sit at the table and enjoy the fruits of that labor. I don’t want anyone missing out.”
