Hit the Dish

Hunt’s Oyster Bar

Frankly, a bit of a dive

Hunt’s Oyster Bar is a Florida Panhandle institution, wildly popular with tourists and locals alike. The restaurant is located in an old house, with a parking lot covered in crushed oyster shells. The neighbourhood is slightly run-down. It is, frankly, a bit of a dive. Sometimes, however, a dive with great food can offer a degree of relaxed dining pleasure that you can’t quite get anywhere else.

After all, when you go to Hunt’s you aren’t going for the service, or the ambiance, but for the some of the very best seafood that will ever pass your lips, guaranteed. Extremely reasonable prices will put an extra smile on your satisfied lips. The staff are friendly and the atmosphere is kick-back. This is a great place to bring the kids, both to introduce them to terrific gulf food and to enjoy the casual, rambunctiousness of an oyster bar. You won’t need to worry about them whooping and hollering at the table—they’ll fit right in! There’s a standard kid’s menu, too, in case your little one doesn’t think a raw oyster is such a treat. There are no reservations, so get there at 4:30 if you don’t want to wait. If you show up later and need to get in and out, you can also choose to order food at the bar.

The oysters at Hunt’s come from Apalachicola, which any local can tell you are just a bit better than the oysters 20 miles in either direction along the Panhandle. To guarantee quality and freshness, the restaurant harvests from their very own oyster beds. The oysters shuckers at the restaurant have often harvested the oysters themselves just before bringing them into Hunt’s. Once at the restaurant, three oyster shuckers work non-stop for an entire shift, chatting with customers and giving their own oyster wisdom as they work.

As excellent as the raw oysters are, they aren’t the only thing you’ll want to try at Hunt’s. The three-cheese Cajun jalapeño baked oysters have their own set of fans, including myself. Other highly worthy options include blackened mahi-mahi, alligator, grilled shrimp, fried scallops, snow crab legs, and the Cajun-sauteed crab claws with green onions, mushrooms, and garlic. Don’t forget to get yourself a side of cheese grits while you’re there—the ones at Hunt’s can’t be beat. Other highly lauded sides include hushpuppies, gumbo, and Hunt’s famous fried pickles. A word of warning: Use the excellent, fresh horseradish with both enthusiasm and caution!

The drink selection is basic and you might want to skip the wine menu altogether. Most patrons at Hunt’s satisfy themselves with pitchers of cold beer to balance out the heat and savory flavors on their plates. Teetotallers recommend the perfectly balanced sweet tea.

For those customers who want to replicate the oyster bar experience at home, Hunt’s sells oysters by the bag—chose the 30 or 60 pound size. Enjoy!

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