The Essential Atlanta Restaurants For Oyster Lovers

Kimball House, by virtue of its wildly popular bar-only weekday oyster happy hour turned Atlanta into the oyster town it never before was. You can count on good quality oysters from all over the nation paired with unique cocktails, inside a historic Decatur train depot building. The guys that own Kimball house are so into oysters they’ve even founded their own oyster company called Shiny Dimes. They are served at Kimball house but now also all around Atlanta. Happy hour or not, make Kimball House your first stop when you decide to start your own personal best oysters list. These are the standard-bearers. 

Partners Nhan Le and Skip Engelbrechtb of 8Arm fame have another hit on their hands, just up the road from the beloved, recently closed Poncey Highland hot spot. Their new restaurant and seafood market sells oysters you can take home to shuck to your heart’s delight, while the kitchen, where you often see Le, serves two preparations: straight-up market oysters and a “chef’s set,” where flavors like wasabi tobiko, citrus foam, and strawberry crown the bivalves.

No reservations. See the full menu here.

This elegant restaurant feels more Europe in Atlanta, and exceptional oysters always seem to be on the menu in some fashion. Although chef Jason Paolini changes the varietals and flavors with the seasons, Lucian’s selection is always a great start to the meal, especially alongside the restaurant-slash-bookstore’s perfect frites, which are fried with fresh rosemary and sage. And if nothing else comes to mind from their superior wine list, a glass of champagne with those fries will surely make for excellent oyster bedfellows.

Plenty of Atlanta’s best restaurants are in what some consider “strip malls,” and this seafood spot is one of them. Short for Clark & Schwenk’s, C&S has served a massive menu of reliable seafood classics since opening in 2007. The restaurant, which also has a location in Sandy Springs, serves oysters in a variety of forms, from char-grilled, Rockefeller, chilled on the half-shell, or part of a consistently impressive fruit de mer presentation, which ranges in price from $140-255.

Call 470.427.3826 for reservations.

A bevy of bivalves are on offer at Mac’s, where the raw bar includes oysters separated into three coasts. For East Coast fans they’ve got the medium brine Savage Blond from Conn.; down in the Gulf they offer Alabama’s popular Murder Point, and Kumamato covering the West Coast, among several other shuckers. All are served with the usual suspects (lemon, crackers, mignonettte), as well as Cajun remoulade and homemade hot sauce. And even if raw’s not your thing, for which no one will judge you, they’ve got great chargrilled oysters as well.

This Buckhead Life Restaurant Group restaurant and seafood market, notable for the enormous fish statue which looms almost as tall as a Buckhead skyscraper, is a beacon of sea-worthy treats. There are both West Coast and East Coast oysters are the menu, and they change daily, but never to worry — AFM does everything seafood, and does it well. Order yours classic-style over ice or in the style of Oysters Rockefeller as a dinner precursor.

Call 404.262.3165 for reservations.

It’s clear what’s the star at Kevin Rathbun’s esteemed house of premium beef cuts. That said, a steakhouse with this level of prestige is also well-aware that folks who love a filet, wagyu skirt steak or even/especially a dry-aged cowboy ribeye tend to expect amazing oysters to be available too. And that’s certainly the case at KRS, whether you order a half-dozen on the half-shell, or go Full Monty — literally — with their massive chilled seafood tower. 

Ford Fry’s Westside temple to everything from the sea serves an excellent selection of oysters. On any given day, there are around ten varietals available at the oyster bar, and you can sometimes find them for around $1 each during happy hour. They’re always an excellent start to your meal at this seafood palace, which is also a great place for a post-oyster-platter order of lobster Cobb salad when you want even more luxury.

Call 404.477.6260 for reservations.

Never forget that Atlanta’s classic downstairs dining den has, among its superb prime rib and other menu favorites, a fantastic Oysters Rockefeller, with creamed spinach and a three-cheese blend atop, broiled to a decadently delicious crisp. 

Specializing in New Orleans-style cuisine obviously means you have to have oysters on the menu. Since we are talking about Bayou-style dining, oysters are definitely in play at Bon Ton, and they’re served in more ways than just about any spot nearby. Try yours by the half- or complete dozen with fancy mignonette, or charbroiled in classic or with XO sauce, fried in a basket or as a straight-up po’boy sandwich. Bon Ton also has fantastic drinks and a very relaxed vibe, partially thanks, of course, to that “Fancy Service” neon sign.

Email info@bontonatl.com or call 404.996.7177 for reservations.