Bringing the East Coast to East Austin
Austin Oyster Co. sets down roots, the former raw bar pop-up finds home in Holly
Many restaurants serve oysters. Austin Oyster Co. gets their hands dirty with the people who pull them from the water.
Inspired by visits to Maine with his wife, who grew up in that corner of the country, Brendan Yancy started a mobile raw bar business in 2020, with the intention of making oysters from New England more accessible in Austin. Since then, the Austin Oyster Co. founder has spent years building relationships with oyster farmers and distributors across New England and Texas — visiting farms, getting out on the water, and establishing connections to bring more east coast oysters to our land-locked city.
Those relationships are the inspiration behind Austin Oyster Co.’s new oyster bar in East Austin.
"We’re inspired by our favorite east coast oyster bars, as well as by the oyster farmers and fishermen we’ve met as we’ve grown our business,” says Brendan. “There is an unseen amount of hard work that goes into bringing great seafood to the plate, and we want to celebrate that tradition and the people behind it.”
The opening of the restaurant is a full circle moment for Brendan: the oyster farms he first visited years ago now supply oysters for their raw bar. The selection of oysters will rotate weekly, and guests can rest assured that they are pulled from the water days before they reach your plate. In certain cases, diners will be able to try oysters at the restaurant that you can't get anywhere else in Texas, including, when available, Lone Pine Pearls from Austin Oyster Co.’s own oyster farm in Brunswick, Maine.
Putting a twist on the classics
But great oysters are just the beginning. Brendan brought on Chef de Cuisine Clark Costello, formerly of Austin favorites Este and Suerte, to build a menu that gives the same care and intention to everything else on the plate. The result feels like a love letter to the oyster bars that inspired the whole venture. You'll find classics done well like lobster rolls, smoked fish dip, and swordfish steak frites, alongside a raw bar stocked with dressed clams, fish tartare, and caviar. Chef Costello’s influence also comes through in unexpected touches: tom kha clams come in a coconut-galangal broth, shrimp cocktail is served with guajillo chile cocktail sauce, and a banana banoffee pudding dessert is doused in white shoyu caramel.
“I like to borrow from different traditions to bring out the best in ingredients. The hope is that our menu feels familiar, while also piqueing your curiosity about a new flavor or ingredient,” says Clark.
The beverage program is designed to complement these flavors, without overshadowing them. Think thoughtful cocktails and house martinis, which are served with a sidecar, ensuring your last sip is always ice cold. Wine, beer, and non-alcoholic options are also available.
Diners can expect the menu to shift based on seasonality and ingredient availability.
From backyard to oyster bar
Six years ago, Brendan was shucking oysters in backyards around Austin, one private appointment at a time. Now, he’s overseeing an oyster farm in Maine, a new restaurant in Austin, and a team that shares his conviction that great food starts long before it reaches the plate.
"The community has always been at the heart of what we do — from the farms in Maine to the guests in Austin. Now, we’re excited to be able to bring all of that together under one roof," says Brendan.
If the last six years are any indication, Austin Oyster Co. is just getting started.
Austin Oyster Co. is located at the corner of East Cesar Chavez and Pedernales Streets in East Austin and is open Tuesday through Sunday.
Favorite dish on your menu:
Brendan: The johnnycake, inspired by a great meal we had in Boston.
Clark: The tom kha clams, some of my favorite flavors, built on beautiful chocolate clams from the Sinaloa coast.
Where you go to dinner in town:
Brendan: Este and Pecan Square Cafe
Clark: Canje, Bufalina, and Justine’s
Something that inspired you recently:
Brendan: Eating and drinking all over New York City last fall
Clark: Eating our way through Mexico City’s seafood restaurants last October: Contramar, Mi Compa Chava, La Docena, Ultramarinos, each unique in their take on seafood.
Favorite drink on a hot Austin day:
Brendan: Mezcal margarita with Tajin
Clark: Michelada with Modelo Negra from Este