So pull up a chair, order a glass of rosé, and check out any one of these dozen places in Rhode Island where you can grab a deal on some oysters.
GREENWICH BAY OYSTER BAR
The deal on oysters: $1 per shuck Mondays through Fridays 4 to 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
What the rest of the menu looks like: Greenwich Bay has a large raw bar in a casual tavern where a sign that reads “Buck-A-Shuck” is hung across the side of the restaurant’s exterior. While diners can order raw oysters at a discount, they also serve oak grilled oysters with garlic and a basil crema ($11.95) or the “Oysters Rock,” which are four broiled oysters topped with spinach, breadcrumbs, and a reggiano. Other plates include frutti di mare, 2-pound lobsters with shrimp and scallops, paella with a saffron risotto, and diver sea scallops with a cognac cream.
240 Main St., East Greenwich, 401-398-2462, greenwichbayoysterbar.com.
BRIDGE RESTAURANT
The deal on oysters: $1 per shuck on weekdays from 4 to 6 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to noon in the bar.
What the rest of the menu looks like: Bridge is a riverside American seafood restaurant that was built in a converted wheelhouse along the Pawcatuck River and Connecticut-Rhode Island border. They serve grilled cornbread with whipped butter and honey ($7) and vegan “chicken” pate ($12) as appetizers, lobster three different ways ($14-24) and sandwiches with swordfish ($18), grilled squash ($14), and buttermilk fried chicken ($13).
37 Main St., Westerly, 401-348-9700, bridgeri.com.
HEMENWAY’S RESTAURANT
The deal on oysters: $1 per shuck every Thursday.
What the rest of the menu looks like: Hemenway’s is a classic fine seafood restaurant led by chef Max Peterson in Fox Point. Local oysters can be ordered a la carte or in their shellfish platter ($68) with cold baby lobster, jumbo shrimp and littlenecks or in the tower ($135), which also includes a platter of lump crab. Chef’s specials for dinner include pan-roasted salmon ($32) or sea bream ($30), grilled king mushrooms ($25) and whole baked fish of the day (market price).
121 S. Main St., Providence, 401-351-8570, hemenwaysrestaurant.com.
CHRISTOPHER’S KITCHEN AND BAR
The deal on oysters: $1 per shuck every Thursday.
What the rest of the menu looks like: Christopher’s opened its doors in the fall of 2019 by brothers and owners Angelos and Stavros Petropulos. They spent a year rehabbing the former Vintage building on Market Square, which long stood vacant. Their menu offers 13 pasta and pizza dishes; classic American mains (up to $45) like warm and cold lobster rolls, fish and chips, baked cod, and sirloin tips; to those of a Mediterranean flair such as a whole sea bass ($41) with seasonal medley and grilled lamb chops ($35) with lemon potatoes, crumbled feta, and tzatziki.
2 S. Main St., Woonsocket, 401-766 3615, christopherswri.com.
TWOTEN OYSTER BAR
The deal on oysters: $1 per shuck weekdays from 2 to 4 p.m.
What the rest of the menu looks like: TwoTen is the type of restaurant where you can watch the local fisherman come into the marina from the window while slurping oysters or gnawing on a shrimp tail from your spicy bloody mary mix. They serve spicy Portuguese style-clams and mussels ($17) with chourico and white beans, sweet Thai chili calamari ($17) with a wasabi aioli, and seafood pizza ($23) with heaping amounts of lobster, chopped clams, shrimp, scallops, and cherry peppers.
210 Salt Pond Rd., South Kingstown, 401-782-0100, twotenobg.com.
PROVIDENCE OYSTER BAR
The deal on oysters: $1.50 per shuck daily from 3 to 6 p.m.
What the rest of the menu looks like: Providence Oyster Bar’s original location is in the heart of historic Federal Hill where you can also try their “Fresh on the Ice Raw Bar,” which offers Bloody Mary oyster shooters with vodka and horseradish or the Mexican oyster shooter with tequila agave nectar, jalapeño, and lime zest. During their “appy hour,” they also serve $9 appetizers like spicy salmon and tuna rolls, steak tacos, wasabi calamari with pickled ginger and cumber, and ahi tuna sliders with pickled red onions.
Two locations: 283 Atwells Ave, Providence, 401-272-8866. 5707 Post Road, East Greenwich, 401-715-2526, provoysterbar.com.
LITTLE SISTER
The deal on oysters: $1.50 per shuck on Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 7 p.m.
What the rest of the menu looks like: Little Sister is an all-day café and bakery serving tapas and pastries influenced by Puerto Rican and Latin American flavors. Their brightly painted corner shop creates everything from scratch and is led by Milena Pagan and her husband Darcy Coleman. They host a brunch all day where oversized croissants and quesitos are a special treat and then put their own twist on plates like the chorizo and mussel “stuffies” ($10), sweet and spicy eggplant with a miso-tamarind glaze and roasted peanuts ($12), and queso frito with a guava-garlic sauce ($8).
737a Hope St., Providence, 401-642-9464, www.littlesisterpvd.com.
BENJAMIN’S RAW BAR
The deal on oysters: $1.50 per shuck all day on Tuesdays.
What the rest of the menu looks like: Benjamin’s is right across from Bowen’s Wharf in Newport where tourist season is always bustling. It’s a three-level steak and seafood restaurant that has views of tall sailboats coming through the harbor where traditional favorites are all on the menu, from calamari with marinara sauce to a bucket of steamers.
254 Thames St., Newport, 401-846-8768, benjaminsrawbar.com.
MILL’S TAVERN
The deal on oysters: Half-priced every day from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
What the rest of the menu looks like: Mill’s Tavern is an upscale restaurant on the East Side of Providence that serves seasonal steak and seafood dishes. Chef Edward Bolus also offers a popular three-course prix fixe menu for $39.
101 North Main St., Providence, 401-272-3331, millstavernrestaurant.com.
BRISTOL OYSTER BAR
The deal on oysters: Half-priced oysters Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m.
What the rest of the menu looks like: Right in the heart of downtown Bristol, this oyster bar is located in a historic building that was originally a customs house. It has a cozy indoor dining room with a large outdoor patio. Small plates range from yellowfin tuna crudo with puffed farro and togarashi ($17) to braised pork belly ($15) with a fresno chili relish and stone fruit jus. Large plates, which include fish sandwiches, cast iron seared scallops, and grilled prime pork chop can go up to $32.
448 Hope St., Bristol, 401-369-5820, bristoloysterbar.com.
PIZZICO OYSTER BAR
The deal on oysters: Half-priced oysters from 4 to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 to 10 p.m. on weekends.
What the rest of the menu looks like: Pizzico has a rustic, but eclectic decor where specials are etched on a chalkboard and industrial lighting illuminates the bar. Their menu is a cross between New England seafood with a Tuscan edge. Their lobster pizza ($23) is grilled and sprinkled with avocado and pickled shallots before it’s drizzled in a garlic aioli. Excluding pizzas, entrees range from $20 to $65.
762 Hope St., Providence, 401-421-4114, pizzicooysterbar.com.
NICK’S ON BROADWAY
The deal on oysters: Rosé and oyster pairing menu, daily ($24-$54).
What the rest of the menu looks like: Nick’s on Broadway, led by three-time James Beard semifinalist for best chef in the Northeast Derek Wagner, offers a special rosé and oyster pairing menu where guests can order a half dozen or full dozen oysters chilled with apple-shallot-black pepper mignonette or roasted with a pesto, lemon, and garlic butter. Wagner updates his menu regularly, serving one of the most popular brunches in the city, a hearty rigatoni bolognese ($18), grilled beef steak from Blackbird Farm ($26); and small plates like a cheese board ($16) sourced from New England farms, a tuna crudo ($15), or a pâté and jam crostini featuring poultry from Baffoni Farm in Johnston, Rhode Island.
500 Broadway, Providence, 401-421-0286, nicksonbroadway.com.
Alexa Gagosz can be reached at [email protected] Follow her on Twitter @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.