Warm weather is approaching, and nothing screams summertime more than indulging in some freshly-shucked, briny East or West Coast oysters! From oyster-centric deals to classic raw bar essentials, we’ve got the seafood-loving foodie covered with ultra-elevated fresh takes on these delightful mollusks from locales including Assembly Rooftop Lounge, The Dutch, Gaul & Co. Malt House, Rex at The Royal, Royal Boucherie, The Twisted Tail, Townsend EPX, and Urban Farmer.
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Assembly Rooftop Lounge, the swanky ninth-floor year-round cocktail bar and lounge overlooking the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, recently launched the second season of their popular spring/summer pop-up, The Grove at Assembly, an experience designed to transport guests to a rejuvenating coastal Mediterranean escape fit with an Appertivo Happy Hour and an array of mediterannean-inspired snacks and drinks. While sipping on the Frozen Aperol Spritz or Frosé, guests can snack on Assembly’s Oysters ($16) consisting of four chilled oysters served with cucumber mignonette and pickled Fresno peppers, that will leave guests feeling as though they’re on an Italian cliffside getaway.
Hours of operation: Sunday through Wednesday, 4 pm – 12 am, and Friday through Saturday 4 pm – 2 am.
1840 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy | 215.783.4171 | assemblyrooftop.com
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The Dutch, the popular breakfast-through-dinner eatery with a focus on reinventing the Pennsylvania Dutch classics, offers a revived fan-favorite pairing from predecessor restaurant Fond just in time for warmer temps and patio season with Oysters & Rosé. Available every Thursday from 5pm – 9pm at the bar and patio overlooking East Passyunk Avenue, oyster-lovers can enjoy a half dozen oysters and glass of rosé for just $19.
Hours of operation: Monday through Friday 8am – 3pm; Saturday and Sunday 8am – 2pm (brunch service) and Wednesday and Thursday 5 – 9pm; Friday and Saturday 5 – 10pm; Sunday from 5 – 9pm (dinner service).
1537 S. 11th Street, Philadelphia | 215.551.5000 | www.thedutchphilly.com
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Gaul & Co. Malt House, the neighborhood gastropub known for good food, booze, and people, and home of the “Wit-or-Witowski” Kielbasa Cheesesteak, is no stranger to serving up ultra-fresh and classic summer seafood. Available at both the Rockledge and Port Richmond locations, guests can purchase an ever-evolving selection of Oysters as a starter for just $2 each served with cocktail sauce, mignonette, and lemon along with a variety of other seafood-based starters such as Mussels, Bacon-Wrapped Scallops, Fried Calamari, and more.
Hours of operation: Monday through Wednesday, 11am – 12am, Thursday and Friday, 11am – 2am, and Saturday and Sunday, 9am – 2am
2619 E Indiana Avenue, Philadelphia, PA | 215.423.7878 | www.gaulandco.com
704 Huntingdon Pike, Rockledge, PA | 215.935.6443 | www.gaulandco.com
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Rex at The Royal, the grand Graduate Hospital restaurant known for elevated Southern fare, offers refreshing oyster dishes perfect for summer snacking: Start off small with Oysters on the Half Shell (half doz., $19), featuring East Coast oysters, house-made hot sauce, and pickled cucumber mignonette – Or, say “shuck it” and order the whole dozen ($36).
For a more decadent spread, seafood-lovers can dig into the Royal Seafood Plateau in two sizes: $69 serves two and comes complete with a half-dozen oysters, scallop crudo, snow crab salad, shrimp cocktail, and pickled cucumber mignonette, while $145 serves four and is toppling with lobster tail, a dozen oysters, scallop crudo, dozen shrimp cocktail, snow crab salad and pickled cucumber mignonette.
These oyster-centric dishes are available during Rex at The Royal’s dinner service (Tues through Thurs from 5 – 10 pm, Fri through Sat from 5 – 11 pm, Sunday 5 – 9 pm), with the Oysters on the Half Shell also available during Sunday Brunch (11 am – 2:30 pm).
1524 South St | www.rexphl.com | 267.319.1366 | @rexphl
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Royal Boucherie, Old City’s lively and atmospheric neighborhood restaurant and bar, has a bevy of oyster-centric offerings featured on the newly-refreshed all-day menu including Oysters on the Half Shell (M/P), served with mignonette and cocktail sauce, from the famed raw bar adjacent to the first-floor bar and dining room. Additionally, happy hour service (Monday – Friday, 4 – 6pm) boasts Half Dozen Oysters for just $12 as well as Glass of Sparkling Wine and Half Dozen Oysters for $15 total.
Hours of operation: Monday through Thursday 4 – 10pm, Friday and Saturday 4 – 11pm, Sunday 4 – 9pm (dinner); Wednesday through Friday 11am – 3pm (lunch); Saturday and Sunday 10am – 3pm (brunch).
52 S. 2nd Street | 267.606.6313 | https://www.royalboucherie.com/
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The Twisted Tail, the Southern-inspired restaurant, bar, and live Juke Joint on Headhouse Square known for its extensive array of brown spirits, offers a dozenPink Moon Oysters ($18) with vodka cocktail sauce, mignonette, and hot sauce during dinner, and a halfdozen for $9 during SocialHour, everyday from 4 to 6 pm. These oysters hailing from PEI’s New London Bay carry just the right balance of salt and creaminess with a pleasing mineral finish that pairs well with a sparkling glass of rosé – Perfect for enjoying on The Twisted Tail’s outdoor patio on sunny days.
Hours of operation: Monday – Thursday 4 pm – 10 pm; Friday 4 pm – 12 am; Saturday 11 am – 12 am; Sunday 10 am – 10 pm
509 S 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19147 | https://thetwistedtail.com/
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Townsend EPX, Chef Townsend Wentz’s French-forward restaurant and bar on East Passyunk Avenue, is serving up an imaginative, fresh and flavorful riff on the classic oyster starter with Sex on the Bay Oysters. Wentz’s late-spring take on the traditionally briny mollusk is prepared with Evercrisp Apple, yuzu vinegar, and Nasturtium, and is available for purchase à la carte or showcased on the rotating six-course tasting menu.
Hours of operation: Wednesday through Sunday from 5 pm – 10 pm, with bar service until 2 am.
1623 E Passyunk Ave, Philadelphia | 267.239.5643 | www.townsendepx.com
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Urban Farmer, Logan Square’s rustic chic modern American steakhouse, serves a half dozen Oysters ($23) topped with champagne cucumber granita for dinner as a refreshing appetizer, which of course marries gorgeously with a crisp glass of champagne.
Hours of operation: Tuesday through Saturday, 8am – 9pm, and Sunday, 8am – 3pm
1850 Benjamin Franklin Parkway | 215.963.2788 | www.urbanfarmersteakhouse.com
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-Eleni Sterious, PR Assistant