I first heard about The Oyster Shuckers Oyster Bar & Taqueria in early January via a posting on Nextdoor Lummi Island, which drew attention to the restaurant just off Route 11, south of Bow.
The comment pointed to the taqueria’s surprising mix of Mexican-inspired seafood offerings, which were featured in menu items such as shrimp burritos, oyster tacos, and surf-and-turf fries and tacos. The writer also praised the eatery’s garlic-grilled oysters, and shrimp and chips.
As someone who would be happy to subsist solely on fresh seafood and giant salads, I was intrigued. But it wasn’t until I had a rare Thursday off work that I finally got the chance to sit down at a table with my date at The Oyster Shuckers and do my own taste-testing.
Our meal was preceded by a thrift store shopping spree in Mount Vernon. It was nearing 3 p.m., and although we’d eaten a decent-sized breakfast, we were getting hungry. Following a winding route through the always-scenic Skagit Valley, my date soon deposited us directly in the back parking lot on Allen West Road.
On the way in, we noticed owners Samish Gold Seafood — which is operated by the Rodarte family — also run a seafood market at the space, selling everything from oysters to clams, mussels, prawns, fish, scallops, sockeye salmon and cod. Pictures of their nearby oyster farm on Samish Bay hang above a giant cooler, reminding visitors the bivalves they’ll soon be slurping in the restaurant are about as fresh as they come. (Note to self: Next time I visit, I’m bringing a cooler full of ice and stocking up, because at $10–$20 per dozen, depending on size, the prices can’t be beat.)
I’d sussed out the menu in advance, so when we ordered at the counter I already had an idea of what I wanted. My date ordered surf-and-turf fries ($14), a steak taco ($2.50) and a Modelo ($5), while I got a shared plate of garlic grilled oysters ($18), three Samish Gold oyster shooters ($2.50 each), a shrimp taco ($3.50), an oyster taco ($4) and a Pacifico beer ($5). Pre-tip, the total came to approximately $65, which I considered to be a deal for the amount of food that soon arrived.
Shortly after finding a seat at a table with an umbrella in the sun-bathed courtyard, ice-cold bottled beers and oyster shooters were deposited at the table. Served with a dusting of chamoy and tajin sauce on the rim of the shot glass, this was the first inclination we were in for something special. It was spicy, but the brininess of the oysters immediately cooled the tongue. (For those who prefer less heat with their raw oysters, Fish Point oysters come on the half-shell at six for $15.)
Our eyes widened when the rest of our meal arrived. The french fries were piled high with carne asada, shrimp, cheese, pico de gallo and cream sauce. The grilled oysters with butter and garlic sauce looked to be perfectly plump, and came with a side of house-made verde sauce. The tacos made with corn tortillas weren’t huge, but were stuffed full of various meats and accoutrements such as cabbage, cream sauce and cilantro.
First, I tackled one of the grilled oysters (sans sauce). It was cooked just right, and even with the butter and garlic, the flavor shone through. The taste reminded me of barbecues on the beach on Lummi Island when I was a kid; we’d catch crab, clams and oysters and cook them onshore. Even the leftover remnants of butter and garlic were slurp-worthy.
Meanwhile, my date was waxing poetic about his loaded fries, which he declared to be “not greasy” and “fork-necessary,” among other things.
“This is an invention that was made for me,” he said, adding an expletive about how much he loved them to drive the point home. “I would never have dreamed it up, but now that I’ve had it, I know what I’ve been missing in my life. It’s got this salsa effect going on, too, you know. Everything’s cut up really tiny. Everything’s manageable.”
Lucky for me, his enthusiasm for the admittedly delicious fries meant I got to consume more of the grilled oysters, which were made even better with small dollops of the verde sauce. The tacos were also on-point, but if I had to choose I’d probably go with the juicy shrimp taco over the oyster taco, which featured a couple of deep-fried bivalves. It was tasty, but I think the frying process takes away from the fresh-beach-meat flavor.
A honey bee that kept buzzing around my fella’s head was the only downside of the memorable meal, but that’s an inconvenience diners can expect when eating outdoors in the spring and summer in the Pacific Northwest.
In fact, now that we know about the Skagit magic that is The Oyster Shuckers, we plan to return to the courtyard and try some of the other menu items such as shrimp cocktail, pan-fried oysters, tortas, burritos, quesadillas, and fish and chips. That said, during the ride back to Bellingham on Chuckanut Drive, my date admitted he may be unable to resist the surf-and-turf fries on the next go-round, so I should keep that in mind.
The Oyster Shuckers is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday at 17026 Allen West Rd., Bow. Info: 360-399-1537, or find them on Facebook.
