Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar

Came on a rainy Sunday and there were several families dining but we were able to get a table without wait. Servers were very friendly and able to give advice on selections and sizes. We got a shuckers dozen, smoked oyster dip, prawn sandwich, and two seafood étouffés. Oysters were a bit more expensive than I like to pay, but I appreciated the variety and our server let us know the types and tasting notes. All fresh and local. The étouffe was flavorful and had a nice heat to it. Seafood focused menu with fresh food. Great corner location with views of the space needle depending on your table. A bit more costly than I’d like (and built in 19% service fee) but not unexpected for the location and being seafood. Overall would recommend and had an enjoyable experience.

The location is combined and the environment is pretty good, right next to the park with plenty of greenery, sunlight, and both indoor and outdoor seating. Even during weekend meal times, it wasn’t too crowded (later I realized there might be a reason for that). I ordered 4 dishes in total. The geoduck was the dish I came for, and it was good, but not fully defrosted. I wasn’t expecting it to be freshly dug and sliced today, but at this price point, improper thawing feels hard to justify. The clams were tasty, with a good broth, but no complimentary bread. Oysters —whenever I see them on a menu, I usually order. This time they had Pacific Petite, Fat Bastard, Shigoku, and Kumamoto, all from different locations in WA. Compared with other places I’ve had oysters, these were pretty average. I had no urge to order more—wouldn’t recommend. (Disclaimer: I used to live in New England.) Shrimp was $14 for 4 pieces, nowhere near the size or freshness you’d get at a supermarket. Wouldn’t recommend. Overall, you could come for the geoduck, but the menu is very short—other than the geoduck, I couldn’t really find anything else interesting to order. There’s an 18.9% mandatory service charge that isn’t based on party size. The bill came to $85 per person, and I still wasn’t full—had to grab a burger next door afterward. Feels like it might just be targeting one-time business from tourists given the location.

While traveling, I always like to eat different foods that I can’t get at home. We stopped by here to eat dinner. I of course had the raw oyster plate. It was delicious and I’m always surprised at the difference in flavors. The whiskey old fashion was excellent for sipping between oysters to reset the palate. Definitely enjoyed the whole experience! Thank you!!