Raw, wood-fired, fried: You can have your oysters pretty much any way imaginable at this seafood heaven. Chef Jesse Houston's nautical takeover (complete with a mural of an octopus) of a former elementary school has become a hangout for Fondren District locals, who sit at the long bar, slurping down $1 oysters on the half shell during happy hour and sipping one of the 30 beers on tap. Soon families arrive, and the place starts to feel like the coolest after-school program in town. Textbook po’boys, over-stuffed with roast beef, fried chicken, or fried catfish, could more than hold their own in nearby New Orleans. Want to order like a local? Try Houston’s famous-around-these-parts pork cracklins with French onion dip and salmon caviar.
What to order: oysters (on the half shell, wood-fired, fried), any po’ boy
We love: weekly ramen nights, when Houston offers a limited number of bowls of handmade noodles in dashi with toppings like kimchi and a poached egg
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