Shucked Oysters on the Half Shell in the Desert..Who Said That’s Wrong.
Being from New York and living on Long Island, I fell in love years ago with anything on the half shell. Oysters being my all time favorite, the only food that will get me out of bed at 2am thinking about slurping a few dozen of those bad boys. When I moved to Vegas, I thought the days of fresh shucked Oysters were all over. Not so fast. I moved to the food capital of the world with one of the busiest airports and I just landed in Oyster heaven.
The Ritual
Oyster eating is ritual. Mine is very systematic, I cradle my little buddy oh so gently in my hand and carefully dollop a nickel size amount of cocktail sauce. I follow that up with three fork tines worth of fresh horseradish, a quick shot of Tabasco sauce and a spritz of fresh lemon. The perfect Slurp. YUMMO!! When you find a place that respects the mollusk, you don’t need more than an emergency back up place. My primary is Big Al’s near my house and my back up is a 24 hr joint just off the freeway. I’m good to go for an Oyster fix 24 hrs a day.
Big Al’s Oyster Bar at The Orleans Hotel and Casino
- 4500 W. Tropicana Ave Las Vegas, NV
- (702) 365-7111
- Sun-Thurs 11-10
- Fri, Sat 11-Midnight
- Happy Hour: 2-5–Half Price Mocktails, Oyster shooters and Cocktails and a baker’s dozen Oysters for 16.99
Place has a bit of a smoky odor being off the casino floor. Things you have to overcome but the Oysters are very fresh and they have many varieties on hand. I always look out for the Kumamoto Oyster in the summer months as they are a late spawning oyster know for their deep, bowl-like shell and they are as firm and sweet as they come. Oysters are Half Dozen for $12.99 and a full dozen for $18.99. Also if you are hungry for other seafood, I recommend the Combination Shrimp and Crab Pan Roast and Big Al’s beer battered soft shell crab Po Boy. Have to fly to ‘Nawlins for one like it.
Oyster Bar at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino
- 2418 W. Sahara Blvd. Las Vegas, NV
- (702) 367-2411
- 24 Hours 7 Days a week
This place is awesome but it is small, 20 people occupancy at a serving bar. People don’t rush their indulgences so best time to come is 11am if you are a normal person. I go at 4am when everyone is sleeping. I am known to take a nap during the day just so I can go and have some amazing oysters. I love the fact that they cook right in front of you. I love the Palace Pan Roast. It’s $23.99, shrimp, crab, chicken and andouille sausage sauteed with cream, brandy and tomato. With a bowl of steamed rice. Are ya Kidding me!! So if you see someone at the bar with a heavy New York accent, well that’s me, say hello. Oysters are the standard $18 a dozen and $12 for half dozen for seasonal varieties. My favorite are the Kusshi Deep Bay from British Columbia, Canada. They are always double the normal price but so worth it. Oysters are like cavar, you pay premium for the best and it’s worth it.
JibbJabber 