Best Oyster Bar

GOLD WINNER

Dear Friend Bar
67 Portland Street
website

SILVER WINNER

Lot Six Bar & Restaurant
1685 Argyle Street
website

BRONZE WINNER

The Press Gang Restaurant & Oyster Bar
5218 Prince Street
website

There’s two firsts with this award—the first oyster gold for Dear Friend and the debut of our Best Oyster Bar category. For Dear Friend’s head chef (and Dartmouth-proclaimed Oyster Boy) Brad George, this win feels extra special. “Selling oysters on Portland Street is as good as it gets,” says George, who grew up on the Dartmouth street. “Converting the [oyster] uninitiated and seeing people from Dartmouth try and enjoy them is pretty special.” Dear Friend is open seven days a week and offers a buck-a-shuck oyster happy hour every day from 4-5pm. During the busy summer months, Dear Friend will shuck up to 1,500 oysters a week, according to Geroge. “Every summer we shuck more and more oysters as more people in Dartmouth realize what we’re doing, and people are still discovering us and discovering Dartmouth and realizing that they can get amazing oysters for a great deal and have it right in their backyard.” Dear Friend gets its oysters (and clams!) from farmers across the Maritimes, and puts an immense amount of care into ensuring their customers have the best oyster experience possible. “It’s about the presentation and the care that you take with the oyster. Finding the best ones, making sure they’re cleaned properly and stored properly and shucked properly.”