Tampa FL is renowned for its succulent seafood, and the state’s oyster bars are no exception. Featuring some of seafood freshest catches, these 12 far-reaching establishments offer an unforgettable edible experience complete with views of rocky coasts and salty air.
The Best Oyster Bar in Tampa FL
Whiskey Joe’s Bar & Grill – Tampa
- Address: 7720 W Courtney Campbell Causeway, Tampa, FL 33607, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.2 (12475)
- Phone: +1 813-281-0770
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PMTuesday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PMWednesday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PMThursday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PMFriday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 AMSaturday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 AMSunday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
5 Replies to 12 Fantastic Oyster Bars in Tampa FL You Have to Try
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Top 12 Oyster Restaurant in Tampa FL
Rick’s on the River
- Address: 2305 N Willow Ave, Tampa, FL 33607, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.2 (4865)
- Phone: +1 813-251-0369
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: 11:00 AM – 1:00 AMTuesday: 11:00 AM – 1:00 AMWednesday: 11:00 AM – 1:00 AMThursday: 11:00 AM – 1:00 AMFriday: 11:00 AM – 3:00 AMSaturday: 11:00 AM – 3:00 AMSunday: 11:00 AM – 1:00 AM
- Reviews:
We ordered beers, Oysters, Clams and Chef Salad, Philly Chicken Cheese steak, you oysters were fresh and clams were delicious. The salad had shredded sandwich lettuce, which was strange but still fresh. The Philly came out hot and well seasoned. The service was good. The waitress was tentative and helpful. We sat outside, they have restrooms outside and inside and a lot of tablesBy S. LaBee (4 months ago)If you enjoy good food, drinks and being on the water this is the place. Raw Oysters were fantastic (no grit) and the Famous fish sandwich was perfect (our choice – grilled with Cajun seasoning and substituted slaw for fries, delicious) Great service too. Looking forward to our next visitBy Jerri Allaster (10 months ago)Our first visit and we’ll be back. It’s a fun place right on the Hillsborough River with downtown Tampa in the background. Live music every day. Full bar, wine & beer. The food is priced right and very good. I had the fried oysters and they were the best I’ve had in years.By Tim Lynn (10 months ago)Chill place. Sat without service, a drink or even a hello for 20 minutes. Was not busy at all inside or out so unsure why it took so long. Once approached by the server she was friendly and attentive. The oysters were fresh and the Catfish was amazing! Just wish there was a little more catfish for the price.By David Udy (4 weeks ago)On the waterfront dining with great food to boot, kinda hidden away but worth the search! Went with the special grouper bites an a I enjoyed every bite! Go eat and just kick back and watch the boats go by! Was hoping to catch the live music but had to go!By J B (8 months ago)
Rusty Pelican – Tampa
- Address: 2425 N Rocky Point Dr, Tampa, FL 33607, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.5 (4315)
- Phone: +1 813-281-1943
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: 4:00 – 9:30 PMTuesday: 4:00 – 9:30 PMWednesday: 4:00 – 9:30 PMThursday: 11:00 AM – 9:30 PMFriday: 11:00 AM – 9:30 PMSaturday: 10:30 AM – 9:30 PMSunday: 10:30 AM – 9:30 PM
- Reviews:
Our server Marina was amazing, she definitely made our 1st experience wonderful.
Food was good. My steak cook perfect. Not a fan of the potatoes, could b something more delicate. And my pouch egg over cook.
Dessert was excellent.
And the mimosas were delicious.
My husband and love our brunch dates.By Cece McDonald (10 months ago)Came here for date night, it’s been a minute. The best thing was the view, we enjoyed very much being on the water and catch a glimpse of the sunset. Our server, Carmen, was very pleasant and attentive. We started off with fresh oysters they were delicious. For our entrees we ordered the snapper and a lobster and shrimp risotto. The dishes were plated beautifully, and the portions were generous. I do think there was room for improvement on the flavors but we had a nice experience so we may return to try different things. We ended the night with the Cafe con Leche lava cake, it was scrumptious. Make sure to check out the pics!By Oscar Arias (5 months ago)Amazing! Don’t hesitate to come eat here. We are food snobs since we lived in Philly and LA and are both good chefs at home. The fresh seafood, atmosphere and server and staff are superb! They make you feel so special and like they have all the time in the world to explain the menu and answer questions. The food? So fresh and flavorful and nothing overdone. Carmen is amazing! We are coming back and we almost never find a place that checks all the boxes but The Rusty Pelican checks ALL the boxes!By Lisa Barram (11 months ago)Celebrated the wife’s birthday here and was not disappointed. Our server Jonathan was wonderful and very friendly. All of our food was great. Only thing I wished would’ve made this better was a table by the window.
And if you come at the right time you can see dolphins. We saw 1.
Oh and either park at the deck across the street for free or pay for valet parking.By Michael V (4 months ago)I always have an amazing food here! My favorite menu item is the swordfish and the free cornbread appetizer. Also, the view is stunning and it’s a perfect spot to see the sunset or watch dolphins play. Truly a wonderful place to eat. I’ve been three times and will be back.By Yoniko Washington (10 months ago)
Salt Shack On The Bay
- Address: 5415 W Tyson Ave, Tampa, FL 33611, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.3 (3919)
- Phone: +1 813-444-4569
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: ClosedTuesday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PMWednesday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PMThursday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PMFriday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PMSaturday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PMSunday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- Reviews:
Visited in February mid afternoon to celebrate my birthday. Loved my experience eating here. The atmosphere is top notch. They have seating inside with a view of the water, or you can sit outside where you have a choice of sitting at picnic tables right by the water, or if you don’t want to be in the sun, they have a pavilion with a bar area. I rate this a 4.5 because the food was good but I felt it was a tad pricey for the portion size. Service was kind of sporadic, however they were changing shifts. I loved the lobster bisque soup that I had and my grouper bites were really good. My son had the curry shrimp and he was a little disappointed because the tails were still on the shrimp, making it messy to eat and the portion was rather skimpy, not near enough pineapple in it. It was uncrowded mid afternoon but during busy times you can grab a cocktail and sit in a comfy chair around a fire pit to wait until your table is called. Also a landlocked boat that makes a great picture taking opportunity. Overall a fabulous experience and I will go back every time I’m in the area. I’m sure it’s a great place to hang out and have cocktails while looking at the water!By Lucinda Lovestravel (10 months ago)Visited on a very busy Friday night. Vibe was great! Live music, a lot of people, and great weather. It was a party of 3. We had to wait about an hour to get seated so we got drinks at the bar in the meantime. Drinks and apps were delicious! Actual main course meals, no our fave. Flavor wise, everything was delicious but we all felt it was half cold. Compared to the apps that came hot and fresh. The key lime pie for dessert, highly recommend!
Overall, place is fantastic and would give it another try when visiting the area. It feels like you’re in the Keys except you’re actually in Tampa.
By Karen Rodriguez (3 months ago)Loved the food and atmosphere. Drinks were amazing. I had the rum runner and my husband had the watermelon daiquiri and guava/mango daiquiri. He s really enjoyed the guava one. Forgot my waiter name but she was amazing( went today).We shared a calamari, my son had the wings, husband had a pound of shrimp, I had jerk burger, and daughter had Mac and cheese! Everything was made to order and nothing wasn’t cold.By Mrs. Trotter (7 months ago)Perfect Friday date night spot. Live music, great ambiance, and perfect spot to catch the sunset. The breeze from the water really helped keep us nice and cool despite the blaring sun. They do not take reservations and is a first come first serve basis. We originally told it was a 35minute wait but were able to get seating at the bar. Our wait did take over that time but the view from the bar was perfect, so we stayed and ate. The drinks are great, tastes wonderful and are super strong (can’t taste it though hehe). Staff is very nice and facility is clean. Will come back to catch another sunset!By maryroselol (5 months ago)Hidden gem worth trying out! If you want a solid drink and a breathtaking view and live music on the weekends, this is the place to go! Best fish dip we have had in Tampa, and the wings are a favorite of ours as well.The bar area is the best place to sit if you can find a seat, first come first serve. Connor at the bar treats you with top notch service even when it’s been extremely busy. First time coming back in two months, Connor was so attentive and made some of the best drinks. We met Tyler recently as well, who was also extremely busy, but still made us feel welcomed and taken care of the minute we sat down. The bar staff has improved immensely and the service has improved all around.
The locals only wish is the menu changed up seasonally!
By Brittany Giardina (8 months ago)
Ocean Prime
- Address: 2205 N Westshore Blvd, Tampa, FL 33607, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (2956)
- Phone: +1 813-490-5288
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: 12:00 – 10:00 PMTuesday: 12:00 – 10:00 PMWednesday: 12:00 – 10:00 PMThursday: 12:00 – 10:00 PMFriday: 12:00 – 10:00 PMSaturday: 3:00 – 10:00 PMSunday: 5:00 – 9:00 PM
- Reviews:
My dining experience was phenomenal. Rudolph held the door and was so pleasant to chat with. We sat on the patio/bar and Ryan was amazing. He was so attentive it blew my mind. I’ve never had a dining experience as great as the one I had tonight. The drinks he made were the best I’ve had in such a long time. Tomas was so sweet and very attentive as well. 10/10 would come again. The food was amazing as alwaysBy Yvonne Celpa (3 months ago)Another amazing date night!
Great food, service, & ambiance! We were a little worried because there was a family with a small child & infant in the same room but the ambiance remained.
Drinks were good, we both had the Whiskey Clover it was very good.
I had my go to meal, crab cakes. They were very meaty and well seasoned. My absolute favorite was the roasted Brussels sprouts, just cooked to perfection. The Black Truffle Mac was not good to me but my SO enjoyed it.
My SO had the Filet Mignon which he enjoyed it was tender with good flavor but not the best he’s had.
We did not have dessert we were too full.
The warm bread was very good as well.
Definitely recommend!By Synovia Simons (8 months ago)Excellent food and excellent services. The host Katelyn was very helpful with making my reservation. My waiter Paige and floor manager Kananne were professional, attentive and nice. They made sure I had a good birthday. Now, the food was delicious. The shrimp was very good. The Colorado lamb was so tender, it easily fell off the bone. The truffle Mac & cheese was unique. And the peanut butter chocolate pie was an oversized Reese cup which was awesome. I had a memorable experience at ocean prime…thank you.By Tommie Gaston Jr (5 months ago)Sooo very disappointed. We were excited to try it for the first time. We don’t drink alcohol so this is a food only review. Service started strong but by the end we kept having to reach out. The food was not terrible but by no means supported the price point. The biggest problem was the lobster in his lobster bisque was dry and not very good tasting. I also had lobster in the “sauce” which was more like a broth in my grouper and it was also not just dry but funny tasting. I did not eat the lobster in my dish. We then had really nice cups of coffee and a very strange warm vanilla cake that was so weird like cornbread rather than cake. It was so heavy and odd in texture. It’s not often I give scathing reviews but I do not think I will ever return. I liked the soft butter and rolls but to be honest that’s about it. The server was nice but had too many tops to keep up. The food I had there did not support the price point by any means. I have a feeling their cocktail game is strong but the food was barely okay and the old dried out lobster was just not okay!By Melissa Burnham (5 months ago)Definitely a new date night favorite! Our server was a very nice gentleman named Nick out on the patio. He was very friendly and informative on all the off menu items they have. Highly recommend requesting him when you join them for dinner! Fantastic steak tartare, calamari, salads… and our main course was an Italian cut of steak which was so good we forgot to take a picture!By Alexia Sonberg (a week ago)
Shells Seafood
- Address: 202 S Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33609, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.5 (2786)
Eddie V’s Prime Seafood
- Address: 4400 W Boy Scout Blvd, Tampa, FL 33607, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (2754)
Skipper’s Smokehouse
- Address: 910 Skipper Rd, Tampa, FL 33613, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.5 (2519)
Harpoon Harry’s Crab House – Tampa
- Address: 225 S Franklin St, Tampa, FL 33602, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.2 (2007)
Oystercatchers
- Address: 2900 Bayport Dr, Tampa, FL 33607, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.4 (1513)
Shrimp & Co. Restaurant
- Address: 2202 E 7th Ave, Ybor City, FL 33605, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.3 (998)
Krispykrab
- Address: 7107 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa, FL 33604, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.4 (950)
Haven
- Address: 2208 W Morrison Ave, Tampa, FL 33606, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.5 (763)
Thank you for reading! We hope this list helps you find the best oyster restaurants in Tampa FL. If you have any additional information, please leave a comment below!
Lots of potential! There’s a lot to be said about this place, so hang tight! Food: some of the must try are the gator bites and the fish and chips! Both were succulent. If you’ve never tried alligator and you want to do so, here is the place! Atmosphere: is safe and relaxing. Staff: OMG, they are so short for staff that it’s almost makes this place not worth going! When you on the beach and are trying to relax but want to order food/drinks and you can not get a waitress to come take your order even though you’ve asked 2 of them to come take your order, it destroys your peace. One thing I should mention as well, this was place has a perfect spot to see the sun set! So if you’re a crazy romantic person that wants to impress your partner, here is the place to take him/her.
The food was pretty good and I was a fan of the atmosphere. My only issue was there was like 6 girls at the hostess stand and after we got on the wait list we looked at the souvenirs and when we wanted to buy one they all just stared at us. After asking us if we wanted to buy one we said yes and put it by the register. They stared at us more then turned around and went back to talking. Other than that it was a pretty good experience. Our waitress was super helpful and the food was good. The drinks were really tasty as well and definitely not weak haha
Whiskey Joe’s is a tourist spot on weekends. Be smart if you’re traveling; visit early during a week day. We absolutely loved the view and food during our Tuesday morning visit. We got there around 11:30 am. There was no line for the beach seating, and our food and drinks were done relatively quickly! We ate at one of the tables, then enjoyed more drinks right at the water, bathing in the sun! I give 4 stars because it was a bit overpriced, and the fish and chips was soggy. The Gator bites were worth trying, and the tacos were very good! The bartenders outside were very friendly and fast. I would definitely go back around the same day/time for more tacos!
View was gorgeous at sunset. Make a reservation, if not , good luck to you. Food was satisfying. Florida your seafood at lower and high end levels has not impressed me yet. The atmosphere was great the night I went. I was not inside l, didn’t go inside so can’t comment on its interior. End of the day unwind…..go ! It is worth it. Food was not bad it may have been me and not being in the mood for it.
The location of this restaurant and view from here is amazing. Staff is friendly. But sadly that’s where all it ends. Food is not at all good. Kids grill chicken was so dry and chewy. The same chicken was served with Alfredo pasta and all we ate was just pasta. Fish tacos were completely bland, no seasoning to the fish and it’s stuffed with Cole slaw which was sweet so fish tacos has no taste. My family was there to celebrate a small occasion and we ordered brownie with ice cream and that totally destroyed our dinner experience. Brownies were baked and served in a small cast iron pan. They did not spay the pan and we had to dig hard to get the piece of brownie. Brownie was extremely dry and hard to another level. We could not get the brownie leave the pan. I might visit this place may be to have a drink but never again for food.