Providence Oyster Bar

Keep in mind I went to this place quite a while ago. I was too upset at the time to write a review immediately.
Hmmmm… Where to begin? I was been so excited to try this place out. We had oysters and cocktails and sat outside. It was a warm summer day AND the prices were right because it was happy hour.
Our server/​bartender did not acknowledge us for quite awhile before we were able to order, then we rarely saw him… Therefore to say the service was «spotty» would be kind. One drink I had was so terrible I really didn’t want to finish it, but I didn’t want to complain, so I didn’t. He did not seem to notice the pretty full drink (or care) to ask if there was an issue.
Meanwhile we were one of maybe two or three tables (between inside and outside), so it certainly wasn’t busy.
Nevertheless because we got happy hour specials ($ 1 oysters) we gave what was more than a fair tip (more than 20%).
This story unfolds when I checked my credit card bill… an extra $ 10 had been added to the tip which I had wrote in. I kept a receipt (including the tip) which I compared to the statement.
I contacted the restaurant/​bar owner expecting an empathetic response however apparently my «story» was not believed.
I’m an honest person and would never make up such a thing just to save a few dollars. Besides the fact if one were to look at the cost of the meal, the tip’s ratio was completely out of proportion.
So… good luck to the owner and the bartender. They can keep their business, I won’t be back!

Best seafood Happy hour in town
Very good service, friendly staff and great food. The half lobster roll appetizer it’s a must.

Nothing to write about really. Overpriced, small, very loud. If you like that bar and medioka service atmosphere. Strangest thing, the oysters didn’t appear to be fresh. Would definitely recommend Hemingways if fresh seafood and the best oysters is what your looking for.

My first (and only) visit was during restaurant week, so you can take this review with a grain of salt, but I think everything there A-​OK. I have nothing bad to say; I just didn’t have the 5-​star experience some people did (although I think it’s possible. I need to try this so-​called Appy Hour!)
I think the biggest drawback for me was that I don’t remember a lot of what I ate. I know I had the salmon, and that was very good, to the point where I was thinking, «Wow, this is really good. I should write about this.» The oysters were so-​so. Given that they’re part of the restaurant’s namesake, I would’ve hoped for something better, and, I don’t know, local? Why get oysters from Canada when they’re IN OUR BACKYARD? But… that’s just a personal gripe, and maybe they offer a wider selection of oysters when you’re not eating from the restaurant week menu. (If they don’t, though, come on guys. Rhode Island is an oyster hotbed!)
I did happen to see they have as a side dish lobster mac and cheese. Ten cool points just for that!
We had two desserts, and sadly I only remember one of them (the tiramisu). It was good but not hit-​the-​floor-​wow good. And – the cocktails! I had a pomegranate martini, and let’s just say I drank my drink a lot faster than my date drank his. I wish I’d had another.
I would recommend this as a nice place to go, especially if you’re up on the Hill, but that part of PVD isn’t my favorite. If I come back, I want to aim for a less crowded night.

Um, yeah, no I won’t be back, tried to sit at he bar for happy hour. I was alone, no other seats. Was told by the bar tender, there was a wait list for the bar. Who does that? No where was that ever communicated. I’ve been here before to eat, food O. K but very pricy for what it is. Only reason to go was for dollar oysters. With this customer service I won’t be back, it’s so not worth it. Other places, with better food, who are happy to seat people at the bar with out a wait list.

Stopped in for brunch on a Sunday afternoon and wish I would have found this place years ago. Tracy our bartender was awesome and super friendly! Had oysters on the half shell, surf & turf maki roll, and the Hangover Cure Bloody Mary — topped with a beef slider! Pure genius & YUM!

Lost star for the piss poor service. As pleasant as she was, the inefficiency was painful. 10 minutes to even greet us was just the beginning. Just sloppy and slow. No need for me to elaborate. Food was pretty damn good. Chilean sea bass special with a coconut curry was off the charts. Baked stuffed shrimp were moist and flavorful although the stuffing was mostly mushy and lacked seafood. Oysters Rockefeller — YES!

Place was slow for brunch on a Sunday, we walked in no one was in there, I got the lobster with eggs, my girlfriend built her own omelette, which she added shrimp and other veggies. Service was good, the breakfast was just ok. The toast was Italian bread but it was hard, don’t think it was fresh, butter would have been nice to spread on it. Home fries were a little burnt and not as hot as I was expecting.

Take it from a non-​seafood eater, this place is an unexpected treat, much like that rare pearl you might find in an oyster.
I recently enjoyed a lovely business lunch here with colleagues who know their way around an oyster or two. Needless to say, they were in nirvana.
I shouldn’t have been concerned about what seafood alternatives I would find, as there were several burgers, sandwiches and salads to choose from. The roasted beet salad was yummy and the grilled chicken sandwich on brioche with exceptional.
Oh, and my colleagues ate their weight in a buffet of clams, oysters, bacon-​wrapped scallops and lobster wontons. Their silence throughout lunch spoke volumes about their enjoyment.
When on «Da Hill,» in search of a casual meal with a nice tavern feel, Providence Oyster Bar is well worth a visit.

This place is am-​azzzz-​ing! After going to Red Fin & being disappointed with their food we decided to come check out Providence Oyster Bar. We should’ve went here in the first place because I was craving a lobster roll. We were able to grab a spot at the bar for their happy hour. $ 1 oysters, $ 1.50 shrimp cocktail, $ 6 apps! Can’t go wrong really. The bartender was awesome, she was wicked attentive & overall just nice kept checking back on us even though the bar was full.
The food was great. Oysters were fresh, the shrimp was sweet, other apps were great too. Obviously it’s smaller than the actual dish during the dinner menu but the quality was still there. Everything came out quickly as well & we were on the side where the kitchen was so it was cool watching the chefs prepare meals (almost like a private show). Anyways we’ll definitely back, maybe next time to try the real dinner menu. Their scallops looked amazing when they were being fired out!

Went for the first time a few days ago with my friend who talked very highly of them. We decided to sit at the bar, everything was excellent from the service to the food. I’ll definitely be back

We came here for Sunday brunch and got seated right away. We ordered the bacon wrapped scallops, chicken sandwich and lobster roll. These come with fries on the side. I would have preferred that the lobster roll was warm but the other dishes were solid. Overall this place has great music and service! Perfect for a date!

First rate oysters and seafood. The restaurant has a personal feel to it that encourages talking and of course eating. The bartender was extremely knowledgeable and she was quite friendly. Overall it was a nice experience and I will definitely be back again.

Stop by this place yesterday because my boyfriend and I are in the area. We were craving for oyster, this place was happens to offer dollar oyster/​littleneck.
By far, we have tried so many happy hour oyster, this is one of the good one. Usually, a lot of place that offer dollar oyster are taste so terrible, it’s either the oyster aren’t fresh or they aren’t good type of oysters. So! I give this place 5 stars because not only they offer dollar oyster that are good quality but they are also has appetizers half price from 3pm-6:30pm. We also had steak taco was delicious. The bartender were very friendly always making sure we like our drink and foods.
I would recommend this place for their happy hour… Try it!!!

Came in time for Happy Hour & $ 1 oysters, but they said we had to sit at the bar for the deal, which we were unwilling to do. So we got stuck with full-​price oysters.
First rate otherwise, though! Got the seafood tower appetizer, which had oysters, clams, huge shrimp, & a rather small pile of unshelled crab meat.
Then we decreed that we wanted cups of all three types of clam chowder — clear, red, & white!
The clams were fresh & tender, not chewy. Lovely.
I had never had clear chowder & was surprised by how good it was. I usually prefer Manhattan style (red) but feel it was the weakest of the three here. Still good though. My wife really liked their white chowder.
The waiter claimed all three chowders had the same ingredients, just different broth, but this didn’t seem true in the case of the white (and properly so — it needs more potato & less onion or celery).
Overall a great experience.

4.5 — for the soup
Delicious, flavorful Manhattan and Rhode Island style clam chowders. Both cups were delicious. The Manhattan had the characteristic red hue of cooked tomato, and contained more ingredients than the clear soup. There were plentiful clams, potatoes, celery, and broth taste with every mouthful.
The Rhode Island clam chowder focused more on the broth which was very tasty and flavorful with each spoonful. There was mostly just bits of clam in the soup, the focus was on the broth. (It wasn’t too salty either.)
The snail salad was ok, not good, not bad, just okay. The bland, chopped up snails were marinated in balsamic vinegar and served on a small bed of greens with some very thin carrot strips on the side. Not really my thing, the dark color of the snails didn’t appeal.
Dim lighting, pretty nice place, there are booths with tablecloth on one side, and a wellstocked bar area on the other, depending on where you want to sit.

Went for a business meal and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food. The service was really good, attentive and helpful but not hovering.
We started with an oyster platter which was delicious albeit a bit pricey at $ 36 for a dozen. Had a lot of east coast which are not usually my favorite but all in all they were very tasty. Always good to eat local.
Had the lobster roll which was also very good, lots of lobster meat and a nice toasted roll. We tried the wasabi calamari which was actually a nice twist so I’d say it’s worth a try for an app.
Definitely would return if/​when I’m back in providence.

Good food, bad service and lets be honest, we pay for service when we go out to eat. The hostess watched me struggle to get out the door with a stroller and stood there playing with her hair.
No changing station in the restrooms. We sat at our table for ten minutes before a hostess even brought us menus even though we had just talked to her inside.

Haven’t been to many seafood restaurants in Providence so I kept my expectations to a minimum and was very surprised at how well they were able to deliver. This restaurant seems to have a food theme going depending on the day of the week. On our particular visit, it was Mardi Gras night and the specials they offered went with the nice Louisana theme.
Their oysters were top notch; Clean and silky with just a slight brine. And their entrees? Wow, both the tuna and the sea bass we tried could rival with the very best offered in boston.
Service was spectacular with every need and whim fulfilled. We will be back!

This was actually a surprise 5 star. The restaurant sits between a bunch of other Federal Hill restaurants. It’s unassuming façade makes you think this is no more than a bar that people hang with their buddies but the reality is that this is probably one of the best seafood places in Providence if not in Rhode Island. I drive past this restaurant all the time and I always said that I wanted to try it so when restaurant week came around I jumped at the opportunity.
Listen, this place ain’t cheap but nothing on Federal Hill is really all that cheap to be honest. They have an amazing collection of oysters (the largest selection I have seen in all the seafood restaurants I have been to in the area). They have specials on these every day and I am sure that people come here just for the alcohol and the oysters. They actually have a very nice menu with an amalgam of seafood treats for you to choose from. Everywhere I go, I jump straight to the seared tuna for appetizer and this is by far one of the best I have had. The entrees were large and delicious and each beautifully set in a plate or a bowl.
It was restaurant week so I’m sure the entrees were different form what they usually serve. I would book ahead if you plan to come during the dinner time as I can see how this place would book up.