Aw shucks: 5 places to get oysters in Pittsburgh

Can you satisfy your oyster craving in landlocked Pittsburgh?

Absolutely.

Whether you love them raw, steamed, baked or fried, newer establishments and staple oyster eateries have you covered.

Choose a casual or refined seafood scene with these five Pittsburgh area oyster spots that deliver big on freshness and flavor.

Merchant Oyster Co.

4129 Butler St.

You’ll feel as if you’re near the ocean instead of bustling Lawrenceville at Merchant Oyster Co.

Chef Dennis Marron was raised on the Jersey shore, and a visit to his nautically inspired industrial chic eatery will have you up close and personal as the shuckin’ ensues.

Serving fresh east and west coast oysters, order them ala carte, there’s no half dozen/dozen options here— served raw—on the half shell or baked.

Try them paired with Merchant’s homemade barrel aged hot sauce, cocktail sauce or fresh lemon juice.

“We get a ton of people here who try their first oyster and they love it and they keep coming back,” Marron said.

Watch and cheer on your fave restaurant industry teams as they compete in the weekly “Shuck N Suck” competition —hosted each first Monday of every month at 9 p.m.

Teams compete with one shucker and one sucker, with the most oysters opened and consumed in two minutes winning.

Muddy Waters Oyster Bar

130 S. Highland Ave.

Here a quote from famous Pittsburgh industrialist Andrew Carnegie is touted: “The first man gets the oyster, the second man gets the shell.”

You won’t have to compete with a steel magnate for fresh oysters here.

Muddy Waters brings New Orleans creole inspired cuisine and a tricked out raw bar for oyster loving customers like Mt. Washington resident Chelsea Colby.

“Although oysters are thought to be sophisticated and can be intimidating, Muddy Waters oysters shooters and the live jazz music really make the oyster experience fun for beginners and connoisseurs alike,” Colby said. “The atmosphere and friendly staff—you can easily find yourself wasting hours there.”

Order the XX-Large Seafood Tower ($195) and share the 50 oysters, 20 shrimp, 2 lobster tails and 6 snow crab claws with your buds.

East and west coast oysters arrive fresh from Baja, Mexico, California, Massachusetts, Virginia, Washington, New York and Canada.

Oyster happy hour, Tuesdays- Fridays, offer $1 featured East and $2 West Coast oysters.

Late night oyster cravings are covered here—the bar is open until 1 a.m.

Original Oyster House

20 Market Square

The oldest Pittsburgh bar and restaurant—at 148 years old— has oysters.

Duh. The name says it all.

When the Oyster House opened in 1870, beer was ten cents a glass and an oysters sold for a penny.

Fun fact: more than 25 films have shot here on location too.

Recognized as a historic landmark, patrons come here for unfussy (mostly fried) seafood at an affordable price.

Relax at the long counter and soak in the history surrounded by no-frills decor and memorabilia.

Try the Key West Oyster Dinner ($13.05), Lightly Breaded Oysters ($8.85) Raw Oysters ($5.65 for six) or fried Oyster sandwich ($5.30), but bring your cash, credit cards aren’t accepted.

Gandy Dancer Saloon

100 W. Station Square

Oysters go old school here.

Adjacent to the historic Grand Concourse dining room, the Gandy Dancer is a separate seafood experience with gorgeous old world charm in a restored train station.

A fabulous raw bar features $1 east coast oysters on Buck-A-Shuck Thursdays beginning at 4 p.m.

The Oysters Rockefeller ($11.50) are a long standing menu item, served baked and accented with bearnaise.

Penn Avenue Fish Co.

2208 Penn Ave.

A bustling fish market and restaurant have combined for a unique fresh seafood experience.

Ordering raw($2/$3 each) is the only oyster option—expertly shucked at this popular Strip District staple.

Bring your fave libation (BYOB) for $ 1 Oyster Happy Hour from 4 p.m - 6 p.m. Wednesday- Saturday.

Super fresh, Bluepoints from Virginia and Wellfleets from Massachusetts are available now.

Oysters on the half shell are served with a choice of saffron mignonette, cocktail sauce, fresh lemon or sriracha.

Enjoy the newly extended hours—open until 8 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays — with their lunch menu offered all day.

Joyce Hanz is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.