The Oysterman
One of the best seafood restaurants on the South Shore now has a second, bigger, and flashier location. So let’s take a tour of The Oysterman in Scituate.
After a decade of success in Duxbury, The Oysterman’s new restaurant in Scituate has a big, bright, open and airy dining room featuring a world class raw bar and a busy cocktail bar. There are nods to the sea everywhere, with slatted wood walls, port hole style mirrors, even whales carved by a local artist.
Owner Dermot Loftus is originally from Ireland, and since he settled on the South Shore, he’s become obsessed with seafood and American comfort food.
“It's more than seeing, it's a feeling that we want our guests to have when they come in. I think a huge part of what we're trying to achieve is where both the locals and our visitors feel welcome and they're coming into a warm, welcoming atmosphere. I think that's the most important thing about The Oysterman is not to get lost that it's just oysters. I mean, that's what we love and what we specialize in. Well, we built a restaurant for everybody. We go right across the gamut from pork chops to burgers to steak.”
To kick off your meal at The Oysterman, you have some tempting appetizer options like the mouthwatering Eggs Rolls packed with seared steak, American and cheddar cheese, peppers, and onions served with a maple dijon dipping sauce. Another great option is the golden and crispy Buttermilk Fried Oysters served with a chipotle aioli dipping sauce.
And for a head-turning dish that highlights South Shore shellfish at its finest, go for the Celebration Tower.
“So our Celebration Tower features all our raw bar offerings. We have both local Scituate oysters. We have Duxbury oysters. We've shrimp cocktail. We've dressed oysters, crab claws. We have a lobster tail on there. We have little necks, and it's just something that when it hits the table, it seems to put a smile on everyone's face. It really is a celebration of everything that's on the raw bar, and it is that item that when it goes across the dining room, everybody turns wondering what it is.”
If you’re in the mood for something other than seafood, they have classics like a perfectly grilled and tender filet served on charred broccoli and herbed potato salad. Or you could go for their out of this world double smashburger stacked with American cheese, shredded lettuce, and house brined pickles on a perfectly fluffy sesame bun. But if you want to try Dermot's favorite dish, order the Peaches and Pork.
“Peaches and Pork. I just love the name, and it just so happens that peaches and pork go so well together. It's just a large brined pork chop. We saute the peaches a little to soften them, and they're just perfectly complement the dish. It's served on a rustic corn cake. It's an absolute must try.”
Since The Oysterman is so obsessed with sourcing fresh seafood, sushi here is pretty much a no brainer, just about every table gets at least a roll or two. There’s the Tuna Bomb that has a little bit of everything, including two types of tuna, spicy and ahi, mango, avocado, spicy mayo and more. And then there’s the top-selling Spicy Deluxe-Bury roll.
"With the Spicy Deluxe, you do have the shrimp tempura and the snow crab where that sweetness is, but it's the jalapenos and a little Sriracha that are adding the spice. It's softened with the avocado and the spicy mayo and then a little crunch from the fried onions. People have loved it from day one. We've just been growing it, we've made additional rolls available, and we're probably seeing sushi on every table now.”
Lobster lovers, you’re definitely covered here too, because the Lobster Roll is a certified classic. It’s lightly dressed with mayo, lemon and celery, so that the taste of summer can really shine through. Another fan favorite is the Lobster Gnocchi boasting big chunks of fresh-shucked lobster meat, over pillowy gnocchi coated in a sherry cream sauce.
And you can’t finish a meal at The Oysterman with our tying one of their delicious desserts. The signature Milk Cake is a lighter and fluffier take on a Tres Leches, drizzled in caramel sauce and topped with fresh berries and whipped cream.
So you might come here for their world-class oysters. But you’ll stay… and come back for a full menu of fantastic food from sushi to steaks to sweets. And if you ask me, the only thing better than an Andelman, is The Oysterman.
“That's the atmosphere, the efforts of the staff, the dedication of the crew and the kitchen that I think all together with the fresh local ingredients, creates a great place to come and relax.”
