The city’s proximity to the Gulf means Houston chefs have convenient access to some pretty stellar seafood. While the spring months can bring the spoils of a bountiful crawfish season, the rest of the year provides ample time to experiment with plump Gulf shrimp, meaty oysters, and mild redfish.
Many restaurants offer the irresistible combination of local gems with fresh fish sourced from around the globe, with chefs putting their own spin on crudos, seafood pastas, sandwiches, and fried platters. From decadent East Coast bivalves and sky high seafood towers to a proper fish sandwich, consider this guide of Houston restaurants serving up the tastiest seafood in town.
Clark’s Oyster Bar
Clark’s Oyster Bar has long had a cult following in Austin, and since opening in Montrose last year, its Texas fan base has swiftly grown. As its name hints, Clark’s is known for oysters, offering both Gulf Coast and East Coast varieties, but there is lots more to explore. The lively restaurant, housed in an old auto repair shop, boasts ample indoor and outdoor seating, where guests can enjoy a loaded lobster roll ($40), New England clam chowder ($14), and mussels and clams presented with wood-charred sourdough ($34). For something a bit fancier, opt for the caviar with classic accompaniments and warm cornmeal blinis. 3807 Montrose Blvd., Houston, clarksoysterbar.com/houston
Goode Co. Seafood
This restaurant is from Houston’s iconic Goode family, which also operates Goode Co. Barbecue, Goode Co. Taqueria, and Goode Co. Kitchen & Cantina, among others. Goode Co. Seafood honors Gulf Coast gems in fine form, incorporating the same mesquite-grilling techniques the family of restaurants has long been known for. Visit either of the locations in Memorial or Westpark and enjoy mesquite-grilled oysters before digging into a catfish po-boy or a coastal fried platter. Save room for dessert–Goode Co.’s Brazos bottom pecan pie is considered one of Houston’s legendary desserts. 2621 Westpark Dr., Houston, goodecoseafood.com
Navy Blue
There’s a lot to love about Navy Blue, the Rice Village seafood restaurant from the team behind Bludorn. Helmed by Cafe Boulud alum Jerrod Zifchak, the Gulf Coast-centric restaurant serves some of the best bites in the city for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. Start with the smoked mahi mahi dip that gets a hint of sweetness from pineapple chow chow, and then move on to the squid ink linguine with rock shrimp or the swordfish au poivre with green peppercorn sauce. On nice weather days, take to the restaurant’s front patio, which offers views of the lively shopping district. 2445 Times Blvd., Houston, navybluerestaurant.com
Loch Bar
This seafood tavern in River Oaks District is an Atlas Restaurant Group concept, which is the team behind other buzzy Houston locales like Marmo and Azumi. The restaurant has a menu of prime seafood dishes, features live music nightly, and is one of few that operates until 2 a.m. daily. The Maryland crab cakes, molded into hefty rounds with a suitable crabmeat to breading ratio, are among the best in the city. 4444 Westheimer Rd. Ste. G110, Houston, lochbar.com
Josephine’s Gulf Coast Tradition
This restaurant from Mississipian chef Lucas McKinney is an homage to all things Southern. Expect classics like shrimp and grits, peel-and-eat shrimp, and po-boys, served in a well-appointed space in the heart of Midtown. The blue crab rice bowl is a must-try. A mound of local Carolina Gold rice is topped with Gulf blue crab and crab fat aioli, delivering layers of goodness in each bite. McKinney is diligent about incorporating the freshest possible ingredients into his menu, so seeing new iterations of dishes often is common at Josephine’s. 318 Gray St., Houston, josephinesgulfcoasttradition.com
Christie’s Seafood & Steaks
As Houston’s oldest family-owned restaurant, a visit to Christie’s should be on everyone’s foodie bucket list. When it first opened as Christie’s Cafe in Galveston in 1917, the restaurant’s claim to fame was a fried fish sandwich, and the dish remains one of the best items on the menu today. The 1917 famous fish sandwich ($18) is built with Gulf snapper, seasoned and breaded exactly as it has been for more than a century, and layered with lettuce and tomato on toasted bread.
The fish sandwich is an iconic part of Houston’s food history, but the rest of Christie’s menu is worth exploring too. The fried Gulf seafood platter ($28) boasts a hefty mix of shrimp, catfish, and stuffed crab, while Christie’s oyster stew was a favorite of the late former President George H. W. Bush. 6029 Westheimer Rd., Houston, christies-restaurant.com
Little’s Oyster Bar
Helmed by California native, Jason Ryczek, Little’s Oyster Bar is the first chef-driven restaurant from the Pappas Restaurants group. Ryczek harvested his own white sturgeon to produce a top notch caviar service ($125) for Little’s, and dishes like yellow edge grouper in a beurre blanc sauce ($49) and grilled octopus ($36) are equally impressive. The restaurant’s seafood platter ($250) is a splurge, but it is one of the best ways to eat your way through the restaurant’s freshest offerings, with a healthy spread of raw oysters, shrimp, blue crab, and lobster. 3001 S. Shepherd Dr., Houston, littlesoysterbar.com
