Who knew that August 5th is National Oyster Day. You can celebrate on Sunday, or another day, to enjoy oyster happy hour deals, and slurp the succulent and briny bivalves for as little as $1 apiece.
These are some of the best places in NYC for oysters, which once were so abundant in the Hudson River that Henry Hudson had to navigate around numerous oyster beds. That’s what wrote in his diaries about his 1609 voyage of discovery.
Oysters are returning to the Hudson River and the entire Northeast, thanks to the Billion Oyster Project. It’s a non-profit group whose goal is to plant one billion oysters in the North Atlantic by 2035, to help filter water, stabilize shorelines, and also provide us with the food for Oyster Happy Hour deals.
So here are our restaurants of choice for oysters, listed by borough. Most deals are weekdays only, but some are weekends or just one day a week.
SEE ALSO Best NYC restaurants for lobster
Oyster Happy Hours in Manhattan
Oyster Bar & Restaurant, the iconic, storied, historic restaurant in Grand Central Terminal has a mind-boggling choice of oysters from as far away as Japan and as close as Long Island. But only local Blue Point oysters are offered, for $1.35 apiece, along with $1 Long Island clams, for oyster happy hour. Monday-Wednesday, 4:30-7pm; Saturday, 1-5pm.
- Location: Grand Central Terminal
Crave Fish Bar is a new, sustainable seafood bar close to the Beacon Theater and Lincoln Center, serves $1 oysters on weekends, 11:30am to 3:30pm. There’s also an $18 Drink Like a Fish bottomless booze option when you order brunch. Or, just stick to the bivalves and a beer.
- Location: 428 Amsterdam Ave., Upper West Side
Good Night Sonny is a no-frills place with a seafood-heavy menu that includes $1 oysters from the East Coast, including the eastern shores of Canada.
- Location: 134 First Ave., at St. Marks Place
The Flower Shop feels like a suburban home from the 1970s, with comfy, dated looking banquettes and chairs. There re $1 oysters weekdays, 5pm to 7pm, then you can hang around and play pool downstairs.
- Location: 107 Eldridge St., Lower East Side
The Dead Rabbit has been rated as the best bar in the USA, and it’s almost always crowded. And loud. Elbow your way past the suits texting or talking on cellphones to go upstairs, where the $1 oysters are served, daily 5pm to 7pm.
- Location: 30 Water St., Financial District
Oyster Happy Hours in Brooklyn
The Oyster Room in Brooklyn Heights offers $1 East Coast oysters Monday-Friday, 5pm-7pm. Pair them with one of the pub’s signature cocktails.
- Location: 66 Hicks St., Brooklyn Heights
Catfish is a slice of New Orleans in Brooklyn. Let the good times roll with Cajun food, strong cocktails, and a three-hour daily oyster happy hour, 4:30pm to 7:30pm, when a rotating selection is just $1 apiece and and drinks are $2 off the regular price.
- Location: 1433 Bedford Ave., Crown Heights
Oyster Happy Hours in Queens
The Akrotiri Taverna turns out modern Greek food, and serves up both $1 oysters (half dozen minimum), $5 bar bites and $5 house wines, during happy hour, 3pm to 6pm weekdays.
- Location: 29-20 30th Ave., Astoria
Find more oyster happy hours in this article by The Infatuation.
Have we missed one of your favs? Let us know and we’ll include it.
What do you think about this? We welcome your comments.