Austin Oyster Co., a popular raw bar pop-up known for shucking oysters at events across the city, will open its first brick-and-mortar restaurant March 31 at 2502 E. Cesar Chavez St.
The East Austin oyster bar joins a small but growing group of oyster-focused restaurants in Austin, as newer concepts like Skipjack Oyster and Fish Shop expand the city’s raw bar scene.
Austin Oyster Co. started with founder Brendan Yancy’s love of oysters and his ability to source them during the pandemic. Orders from neighbors followed, then shucking at events across Austin, including Austin City Limits Music Festival and the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix. That led to the launch of an oyster farm in Maine and now a restaurant.
“After years of lugging coolers full of oysters and ice all over town, we look forward to welcoming the community to our home — a space of our own that we have designed with care and intention,” said partner and general manager Drew Ahumada in the announcement of the restaurant's opening.
The new oyster bar builds on the relationships the team has developed over the past six years, Yancy said, with a focus on bringing diners closer to the farmers, fishermen, and suppliers behind the seafood.
Brendan Yancy (left) and Drew Ahumada work at Lone Pine Ranch, the Maine oyster farm supplying Austin Oyster Co.Photo courtesy of Justin Smulski (@tidetopine)
The restaurant's team has deep roots in Austin’s dining scene. Yancy left his job to pursue it and is joined by partner Ahumada, formerly of the Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group. Chef de cuisine Clark Costello, formerly of Este and Suerte, leads the kitchen, while Kait Fleming, previously of Hestia and Kalimotxo, oversees the beverage program.
The oyster bar sits on the foundation of a 1950s bungalow a block from La Barbecue and Rockman Coffee + Bakeshop, with a nearly 100-seat layout that blends indoor dining and an outdoor patio.
Inside, the team has incorporated materials from the original home, including a horseshoe-shaped bar made from longleaf pine, with future plans to include an herb garden and wine garden.
Lobster rolls with fries are served at Austin Oyster Co.Photo courtesy of Matt Conant (@matt_conant)
The menu centers on a raw bar with rotating East Coast oysters, including Maine varieties like Lone Pine Pearl and selections from producers such as Bombazine and North Haven. Those will be served alongside dressed oysters and littleneck clams plated chilled or in broths like Calabrian chile “Diablo” and coconut-galangal tom kha.
Other dishes range from bluefin tuna tartare and scallop tostadas to a Maine lobster roll and a North End johnnycake with trout roe. A Texas Wagyu burger and steak frites rounding out the menu.
Austin Oyster Co. will be open Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday from 5-10 pm, and Friday and Saturday from 5-11 pm. Reservations are available through OpenTable, with walk-ins welcome.
