Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar

Taylor Shellfish is one of those rare places where the quality is so consistent. I stopped in to pick up clams and mussels for a recent client dinner, and they were (and consistently are) some of the freshest I’ve worked with. They filter through saltwater in the bins to keep the shellfish cold, clean, alive and tightly closed - and smelling like nothing but the ocean. As a chef, I can tell the difference immediately; the shells are rarely broken and never dead, and the meat after cooking is so plump and delicious, never fighting through grit or off flavors.

The clams opened beautifully in a simple broth, releasing that briny sweetness you only get from shellfish that’s been handled well from tide to tank. The mussels were just as delicious: fat, glossy, and deeply flavorful, the kind you could build an entire menu around. My clients noticed the quality immediately.

I’ve bought shellfish from a lot of sources over the years, and Taylor Shellfish remains the one I trust without hesitation. I will always go out of my way for them—even if it means circling the block three times or parking illegally for five minutes just to run in. They’re worth it.

If you care about freshness, traceability, and flavor, this is the place. Every time.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great place to pre-funk for a Climate Pledge show. We had seafood dip, Caesar salad with pickled herring, Steamer Clams with Mussels in a lemon white wine steam, and a very spicy Bloody Mary with a loaded stir stick.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I had such a great experience here! Their geoduck sashimi is something you don’t often see in restaurants, and it was incredibly fresh and delicious. The oysters were amazing as well — they offer different varieties from different bays, all without any fishy smell. The smallest ones were noticeably sweet, while others had a crisp, refreshing texture.

We came around 7 PM and didn’t have to wait at all. The service was friendly and efficient. Highly recommend this place for anyone who loves fresh seafood!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

This place is a must-visit if you love fresh shellfish. Everything tasted incredibly clean and high-quality. We ordered the raw oysters, baked oysters, geoduck sashimi, geoduck chowder, and the smoked oyster dip. Every single dish was outstanding!

The raw oysters were sweet and briny, the baked oysters were rich and buttery, the geoduck sashimi was crisp and fresh, and the chowder was creamy and packed with flavor. The smoked oyster dip with chips is also a must-try.

Definitely come during happy hour (2–4pm) for the best prices. Expect a little bit of wait during this time as they get packed quickly.

Great seafood, great service, and super fresh ingredients. Highly recommend!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Geoduck Sashimi, Smoked Oyster Dip w Chips, Shuckers Dozen, Geoduck Chowder

The food is fresh but way too salty

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 3

What a magical place. Ruth Reichl said this is where to go when you’re in Seattle, and she is (as always) correct. Exceptional service explaining their approach to farming oysters and how different farming practices affect oyster size and taste. And, of course, absolutely delicious food.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

In between upper downtown and Capitol Hill creates a nice walk. Happy hour is solid especially if you want oysters!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

I recently had the pleasure of visiting what I can confidently call the best shellfish and oyster bar I’ve ever experienced. From the moment I walked in, the atmosphere struck the perfect balance between casual and upscale, with soft lighting, coastal-themed décor, and the inviting scent of the sea. The staff was welcoming and knowledgeable, immediately offering recommendations and explaining the origins of their fresh catches.

The oysters were truly the highlight of the visit—plump, briny, and served with an assortment of house-made sauces that elevated their natural flavors. I sampled a variety of shellfish, including clams, mussels, and crab legs, all of which were impeccably fresh and prepared with a light touch that allowed the seafood’s natural sweetness to shine. Their signature seafood platter was a masterpiece, piled high with delicacies that looked as stunning as they tasted.

Beyond the food, the service was prompt and attentive without being intrusive. The chef even took time to check in and share some insights about the day’s catch, which made the experience feel personalized. Every bite reminded me of why I love seafood, and I left feeling both satisfied and impressed. I highly recommend this oyster bar to anyone who appreciates premium shellfish and exceptional dining.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Can’t get any fresher. The geoduck sashimi was the star! And all the oysters I had were delish. And I loved how much oyster liquor they served them with. Yummy!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Wow! I looooved this place, the best oysters, you can feel how fresh it is!, the service was excellent and oyster super cheap for happy hour! I really recommend it

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

no need review bad service and so rude !!!

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 1

The Pacific Northwest’s problem isn’t the ingredients, it’s the provincial palate that evolved around them. The region produces world-class seafood: Hama Hama, Kusshi, Olympia, Totten Inlet, Penn Cove mussels, troll-caught Chinook, spot prawns, geoduck. But the culinary culture that grew around that bounty was built by Scandinavian, Nordic, and Midwestern settlers—people who boiled, baked, and overcooked everything out of both habit and fear of “undercooking.” That sensibility still underpins much of the “chef-driven” scene here, even when the plating looks modern.

So what you end up with are restaurants fetishizing local sourcing while executing like a suburban hotel kitchen. They’ll name the inlet on the menu, talk up “sustainable fisheries,” then send out a chalk-dry sockeye cooked to 140 °F. And the diners nod approvingly because most never developed a sense for texture or temperature in seafood. There’s no equivalent here to the East Coast raw-bar culture; no century-old oyster house standards to measure against, no ingrained expectation that a scallop should tremble when it’s set down.

New York, by contrast, became a receiver of national seafood flows and a filter of taste: Fulton Fish Market, sushi imports, French technique, the mid-2000s raw-bar revival. A place like Grand Central Oyster Bar or Maison Premiere trained multiple generations of chefs and diners to appreciate provenance and restraint. The PNW skipped that evolution. It went straight from working-class fish fry to bourgeois farm-to-table, with nobody in between to teach the region what perfect doneness or salinity balance feels like.

And Taylor Shellfish, industrialized, high-volume, and flat-tasting. They’re the Starbucks of oysters: technically competent, completely devoid of terroir or tension. Seattleites treat them as artisanal because there’s no widespread palate to call their bluff. It’s maddening that this place could have one of the most nuanced seafood cultures in the world if anyone here actually ate like they lived near the ocean.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

My first experience at Taylor Seafoods Oyster Bar on Capital Hill was more than memorable. The service was second to none. The seafood couldn’t be more fresh and the seasoned dishes were remarkable for their flavor and preparation. I’m a long time commercial fisherman and their unique connection from ocean harvest to table is a rarity. The fact of the absence of middlemen processors is a huge plus in quality and freshness. It is apparent in the taste and quality of their shellfish. There is none better to my experience. Enjoy the best in fresh shellfish!
As an aside to my relish of the offerings at Taylor Seafoods Oyster Bar I would like to recommend Rob and Tiffany’s “South Bay Wild” restaurant in Astoria, OR. A similar ocean harvest to table offering of fresh seafood by a local fisherman. The best seafood restaurant on the Oregon coast in my experience.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Place is great. Nice ambiance, great food, great service. Ask for Monica - the best.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Very fresh oysters and geoduck. I would recommend the Olympia and Shigoku oysters, they are very tasty!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5