Chef Philip Wojtowicz is known for his work in the Monterey Bay area, including his co-founding of Big Sur Bakery. He has also opened his own oyster bar, Oystertown, in Monterey.
5
On a chill Friday evening, my partner and I were looking for a nice dinner spot in Monterey. We stumbled upon oystertown and I am so glad we did. When we came, they had a great happy hour going on where certain drinks were half off as well as raw oysters. However, we decided not to partake in the happy hour. This is the type of place where I order items based on how much I liked the previous. Because of this, I ended up ordering a ton of items. We started with their two specials of the night the Lobster Roll and the Pineapple Express. Both of these items were so good and had us absolutely hooked. We also ordered the Meatballs, which had really great flavor but the texture was a little crumbly. Next up came the BBQ Bacon Oyster which was also great, but not as dynamic as the pineapple express. Our last savory item was the Oyster Stew. It was not as I expected at all and if you love the taste of oyster this is right up your alley. The oysters are only parcooked and the soup they sit in tastes so much of oyster. This was the least impressive dish we tried as I could sum it up as oyster liquor + celery + milk. However, to end our meal we tried the banana pudding and this was so good. Perfectly balanced and the oyster cracker brittle on top was to die for. Hands down the best banana pudding I’ve ever had. Overall I loved this meal so much and the dining area is so unique as it's basically just one big bar almost like an omakase. I would definitely recommend coming here and getting your oyster fix.
Had a wonderful experience at Oystertown Restaurant with my family. From the moment we arrived, the service was attentive, friendly, and made us feel very welcome. The food was amazing, fresh, and full of flavor, and everyone at the table really enjoyed their meals. As a vegetarian, I was especially happy to see good options on the menu that were thoughtfully prepared and not just an afterthought. It made the experience even better to be able to enjoy a great meal together without feeling limited in choices. Definitely a place I would return to for both the food and the excellent service.
some of the best oysters we’ve ever had. wish I took a picture before we devoured gem! great happy hour, with just $5 glasses of delicious wine. the team told us the story behind some of their delicious dishes - great vibes all around.
Came here for my sister’s 30th birthday and the staff was SO warm and welcoming and curated a menu for us that we all loved. Truly such a wonderful gem. Our favorites were the uni oysters and the spring veggie and ricotta pasta! The desserts were amazing too. Loved the chocolate pudding and mermaid pavlova. Would recommend to anyone for a drink and a bite or a full meal of shared plates!
We ordered two raw oysters we have never tried before, meatballs, roasted Cauliflower with anchovies and almonds. We also ordered the Granche, but we got the Astoria salad instead. It was delicious anyways. Oh the bread is delicious! Fresh with herbed butter. Definitely will come back again.
