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.
Eugene’s
Kyle Teas operated Danton’s Gulf Coast Seafood Kitchen before relocating the restaurant to a larger space in Montrose in 2019, and reopening as Eugene’s as a nod to his father, Dr. Merwyn Eugene Teas. Despite its new home and moniker, the restaurant continued its mission of serving up wild caught Gulf Coast gems with Cajun flair and is one of the most beloved seafood restaurants in Houston today. Kick back with an order of peel-and-eat shrimp or catfish pieces, and then enjoy a redfish filet stuffed with blue crab claw stuffing, and broiled. 1985 Welch St, Houston, eugeneshouston.com
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, and Fish Camp in the Woodlands. 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
The Oceanaire
From the Landry’s family of restaurants, the Oceanaire is a national chain with a location inside Houston’s Galleria. The chef-driven menu incorporates seafood flown in fresh daily to showcase dishes like chicken fried lobster, grilled Faroe Island salmon, and Chesapeake Bay-style crab cakes. A well-rounded sushi and steak program round out the offerings, giving the menu range. Splurge on the elite seafood tower, stacked high with jumbo shrimp cocktail, lobster, and jumbo lump crab for a refreshing start to your meal. 5061 Westheimer Rd., Houston, theoceanaire.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
Hai Cang Harbor
This Asiatown stalwart is known for its fresh and indulgent seafood dishes, including live dungeoness and king crab straight from the tank. Lobster is a must, offered seasoned with a variety of flavors, including simple salt and pepper, ginger and scallion, or beer and black pepper. While seafood is the main attraction, the restaurant has lots of other options, includig mapo tofu, beef stir-fried flat noodles, and Peking duck. 11768 Bellaire Blvd. Houston, haicangrestaurant.net
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
Willie G’s
Located steps from the Post Oak Hotel, this sceney restaurant from the Landry’s family of restaurants is a haven for seafood lovers looking for a lively night out and lots of variety. Raw bar offerings span raw East Coast and Gulf oysters, crudos, shellfish, and sushi rolls. Grilled and roasted oysters can be prepared in a variety of ways too, including classic Rockefeller-style or the Cajun cowboy way with bourbon bacon and butter. The menu is an epic poem, so if it gets too harrowing to decide, go for the ultimate seafood platter, which combines stuffed crab, crispy fish, fried shrimp, and cornmeal oysters with crispy fries and onion strings. 1640 W Loop S, Houston, williegs.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 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 boasts a 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 for Little’s, and dishes like yellow edge grouper in a beurre blanc sauce and grilled octopus are equally impressive. The restaurant’s seafood platter 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
Clark’s Oyster Bar
Clark’s Oyster Bar has long had a cult following in Austin, and since recently opening in Montrose, 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 restaurant, housed in an old auto repair shop, boasts ample indoor and outdoor seating, where guests can enjoy a loaded lobster roll, New England clam chowder, and mussels and clams presented with wood-charred sourdough. For something a bit fancier, opt for the caviar with classic accompaniments and warm cornmeal blinis. 3807 Montrose Blvd., Houston, clarksoysterbar.com/houston
Balboa Surf Club
Located in Post Oak Plaza in the same lot as its sister restaurant Il Bracco, Balboa Surf Club puts the spotlight on prime seafood, butchered in-house daily, and a curated sushi program in a sleek space designed by Michael Hsu. Seafood lovers will appreciate fresh catches like wild caught Nantucket scallops, Hawaiian tuna, Alaskan king crab, and Gulf grouper. Start with the halibut tostada, a fresh and flavorful take on the Mexican handheld, or a jumbo lump crab cake with lemon dill sauce, before enjoying a nigiri plate or ahi tuna salad. 1753 Post Oak Blvd., Houston, balboasurfclub.com
Eunice
Named for the Southern Louisiana town from which chef Drake Leonards hails, Eunice offers guests a ritzy take on Cajun and Creole cuisine. The light and bright space features a temperature-controlled patio, an oyster bar in the main dining room, and a U-shaped bar where professionals from the attached office building often gather for happy hour. Try the crawfish etouffee, which incorporates homemade pasta in lieu of rice; and the smoked gumbo, which pairs chicken with sausage in a dark roux. The cast iron corn bread is a must for the table. 3737 Buffalo Speedway Ste. 100, Houston, eunicerestaurant.com
Gatlin’s Fins & Feathers
While Gatlin’s BBQ lets its smoked meats shine, its sister restaurant Gatlin’s Fins and Feathers is known for its Gulf seafood, fried chicken, and buttermilk biscuits. The Independence Heights-area restaurant serves up plump crispy fried shrimp, cornmeal-crusted fried catfish with Cajun spices, and char-grilled oysters topped with garlic herb butter and parmesan. Pair with sides like collard greens or red beans and rice, or go for one of the hefty handhelds, like a po-boy built with fried shrimp, catfish, or oysters. 302 W. Crosstimbers St., Houston, gatlinsfinsandfeathers.com
Field & Tides
Like its name suggests, this longstanding Heights-area restaurant helmed by chef Travis Lenig pays homage to the gems of the land and the sea. Seafood dishes are imaginative and interesting, like the braised octopus with chorizo and fingerling potatoes; and the tomato and crab stack, which layers fried green tomatoes with lump crab. Visit during weekend brunch, and try comforts like shrimp and grits and the seafood po-boy. 705 E. 11th St., Houston, fieldandtides.com
